Communications Analyst (P2) UNCDF New York, USA – Temporary Appointment

Background

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyse an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF assists countries with advancing economic growth and poverty reduction with a focus on the following areas to unlock finance:

• MSME Finance
• Sub-national finance
• Digital finance

Following a recent restructuring, UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), led by the Chief Investment Officer, Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by the Executive Board of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and performs the function of the Executive Board of UNCDF.

Position Purpose

As part of the Directorate, the Strategic Communications Team supports the Executive Secretary and all Divisions to elevate UNCDF’s corporate positioning both internally and externally, strengthen brand visibility and thought leadership by leading the development, harmonization, and amplification of communication activities and deliverables in line with overall business strategy, priority areas and upcoming Strategic Framework. The Strategic Communication Team collaborates with the External Relations Team to shape strategic engagements for UNCDF’s Executive Leadership Team (Executive Secretary, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Finance Officer, and Chief Operations Officer).

UNCDF adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Contribute to UNCDF Organizational/Corporate Communications

• Contribute to the UNCDF ‘s overall communications efforts under the guidance and direction of the Strategic Communications Advisor.
• Create content that aims to raise the visibility of the organization, including writing, editing and proofreading of blogs, social media posts, press releases and media. advisories, video scripts, op-ed and positioning pieces, and provide support in the drafting of speeches, talking points and briefing notes.
• Liaise with regional and country-level communications focal points to ensure consistent, impactful storytelling across digital platforms.
• Provide support in updating the UNCDF website with timely and relevant content, maintaining a cohesive online presence.
• Track stakeholder engagement, partner activities and media engagement, sharing insights to enhance UNCDF’s outreach efforts.

2. Manage Executive Secretaries” Social Media Communications

• Manage the Executive Secretary’s social media posts, ensuring regular updates, strategic messaging and alignment across all corporate social media accounts.
• Maintain the social media content calendar for the Executive Secretary’s social media properties.
• Provide effective and efficient support to the Communications Analyst – Web and Digital Design in relation to the UNCDF corporate digital properties, as necessary.

3. Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic area(s)

• Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues.
• Develop, update and disseminate product sheets, case studies and presentations to support brand visibility, resource mobilization and strategic communications objectives in support of UNCDF’s business objectives.
• Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking    

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management: Communication    

• Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Business Management: Portfolio Management    

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization”s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Communications: Digital Asset Management    

• Ability to use digital asset management (DAM) systems to effectively store, share and organize digital assets such as images, videos and other media

Communications: Multimedia Writing/Editing

• Ability to create and combine images, text and audio- visuals to produce multimedia content.
• Ability to create and/or edit written content for multimedia.

Communications: Writing and Editing    

• Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Social Sciences, Management Science, Communications, Public Information, or related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: 

• Minimum of two (2) years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in communications, content creation and/ or social media management is required.
• Knowledge of the UN system or knowledge of international political, economic, and social affairs issues, including the work of the United Nations is required.
• Proven track-record of supporting and creating compelling content for digital platforms, including social media, is required.
• Experience in writing, editing and proofreading written content such as case studies, blogs, press releases, speeches, op-ed and talking points with clarity, concision and accuracy is required.
• Proficiency in managing various social media platforms and understanding their respective audiences and algorithms is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work in fast-paced environments and matrix-based organizations is required.

Desired skills: 

• Knowledge of development finance, financial instruments such as loans and guarantees in the context of sustainable development.
• Experience in building and maintaining robust relationships with stakeholders at all levels to support for achievement of shared goals is a plus, in particular with programme managers and subject matter experts within an organization.
• Experience in analyzing communication strategies that involves assessing the effectiveness of messaging to enhance clarity, reach, and impact.
• Demonstrated expertise creating, curating, and managing engaging material, such as text, photographs, and videos, for specific platforms and audiences.
• Proven track record of exceptional command of written English and compliance with Oxford Dictionary as per UN editorial guidelines.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English with excellent written and verbal skills is required.
• Working knowledge of French is a plus.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

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