Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women Zimbabwe’s strategic priorities for 2022 – 2026 are: Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW), Governance and Participation in Public Life, Economic Empowerment and Resilience, and Women, Peace and Security, Humanitarian Action, and Disaster Risk Reduction, with Institutional Strengthening, Inter-Sectionality (HIV & AIDS, rural women, key populations) and Gender Statistics as cross-cutting priority areas.

Reporting to the Country Representative, the Communications Analyst is responsible for assisting in the planning and implementation of the Office communications and advocacy strategies to increase the standing and awareness of UN Women with partners, the media, and the public.

The Communications Analyst works in close collaboration with the Programme, Operations and technical teams in the Country Office (CO), HQ and Regional communications teams, staff of other UN Agencies, Government officials, media, multilateral and bilateral donors, and civil society.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Plan and design communication and outreach/advocacy strategies and plans

• Prepare and conduct communication needs assessments for the CO, including projects, programmes and corporate change initiatives;
• Analyze requirements and synthesize proposals for elaboration of communication strategies; ensure gender perspective;
• Integrate communication, advocacy and outreach strategies into proposals for project/programmes and other initiatives;
• Monitor and analyze print and social media and draft reports;
• Coordinate in-country UN Women/ UN system corporate and local campaigns and special events;
• Provide advice and guidance to the Country Office.

2. Coordinate and implement the development and dissemination of advocacy materials in the country/region

• Develop and produce communication instruments and materials, including briefing materials, press releases, and drafts of articles, and manage its dissemination;
• Identify and propose information opportunities, activities, approaches and platforms and partners;
• Promote and disseminate corporate advocacy materials for launching flagship initiatives, publications, and campaigns;
• Manage the translation/adaption/rewriting of information received, printing and dissemination of publications and audio-visual materials;
• Follow guidelines from HQ and RO.

3. Coordinate media relations for the CO

• Manage relationships with press in country; maintain and update database of relevant press;
• Respond to a variety of inquiries and information requests; prepare related correspondence;
• Organize roundtable discussions, press conferences, and briefing sessions for press, as required;
• Draft talking points.

4. Build and maintain partnerships and maintain relations with donors

• Support the CO’s partnership building working closely with the Country Representative and Programme Colleagues
• Identify and develop new communication partnerships and alliances to enhance visibility;
• Liaise with advocacy partners and undertake outreach to civil society organizations, governments, and other groups to ensure that newsworthy information reaches the public and donors;
• Provide inputs to packages for programme initiatives for donor review.

5. Maintain the CO’s web/ online presence

• Manage CO’s websites’ content and maintenance based on corporate requirements;
• Manage the CO’s social media accounts in line with corporate social media policy;
• Upload information to knowledge management system on a regular basis, including news, updates, and resources.

6. Facilitate knowledge building and sharing

• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country goals and activities;
• Contribute to strengthen the Country Office as ‘a knowledge Hub;’
• Collaborate with the UN Women Communication Network for quickly tracking available knowledge resources on different topics, especially the normative for programming purposes and sharing with UN Women Counterparts;
• Represent UN Women Zimbabwe CO at the UN Communications Group as required;
• Provide training and workshops on communication and advocacy, as appropriate.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

• Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies
• Good knowledge of web-based knowledge management systems
• Good understanding of production, graphic design and photography standards
• Good knowledge of social media platforms and experience in social media outreach
• Good knowledge of local country media landscape
• Good communication, presentation, networking and advocacy skills
• Ability to be strategic and analytical
• Knowledge of gender and human rights issues desirable

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in communications, public relations, journalism or relevant field is required
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 3 years of professional work experience at national or international level in public relations, communications or advocacy; Outstanding oral and written communications and editing skills, with proven ability to meet tight deadlines;
• Good IT skills, including content-management systems, editing and content creation, social media use & management and office software packages;
• Familiarity with gender issues and the context of the local landscape;
• Experience working in the development and human rights related context desirable;
• Minimum skills in graphic design, photography, and photo-editing desirable;
• Experience in the use of social media.
• Experience in on-line outreach and multimedia an asset;
• Experience in media relations is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and any local languages is required;
• Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) a completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment.
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment and candidates are required to include in the P-11 form links for their previously published reports and articles completed within the last two years. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need. If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)