Young Professional, Communications and Events

A YP, also called Young Professional, is in place to provide a first professional experience in an international setting for young professionals (up to 35 years old) holding a Bachelor’s Degree. IUCN will ask for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years of experience for this type of contract.

IUCN is committed to providing all YPs with a quality experience that involves meaningful work and activities with the opportunity to learn and gain practical work experience in an international setting.

YPs will be provided with clearly defined Terms of Reference (TORs). They will be adequately supervised by a suitable identified Senior Unit/Programme/Group staff member, who will monitor their progress, ensure that they contribute effectively and resolve any concerns they may have throughout their assignment with IUCN.

Digital communications 

• Liaise with HQ and regional communications, technical and policy colleagues to create content; write, edit and upload articles, blogs or case studies to IUCN’s corporate water webpages www.iucn.org/water and the Water & Nature website: www.waterandnature.org.
• Ensure all content, including text, images and multimedia is current and accurate, update news etc. Optimise content for readability and accessibility
• Draft and coordinate Water and Wetlands Team communication strategy and content calendar, including communication for the S2S Platform
• Assist with creative social media developments, including visual story features and social media monitoring of LinkedIn and other accounts, both for the Water and Wetlands Team pages, but also for the S2S Platform.

Conference and Event support

• Support the coordination of development of content, events, sessions and pavilions for international conferences; World Water Week 2025 (August 2025), IUCN World Conservation Congress (October 2025) among others;
• Coordinate recurring planning meetings, keep track of event submissions, responses
• Support Water and Wetlands Team contribution to Congress; communication products, pavilion support etc.
• Prepare and implement communication plans for the various events – including flyers and communications on LinkedIN and other media
• Assist in the logistical, administrative and financial tasks associated with the conference management

Project communications

• Assist with drafting and implementation of project communication plans and content calendars for IUCN Water’s key initiatives; BRIDGE, SUSTAIN and others.
• Support the development of communication products such as infographics, videos, and articles for the above-mentioned initiatives,
• Support drafting, revision, and quality assurance of project publications such as brochures, case studies, policy briefings, and new reports

Requirements

In order to be eligible for the Young Professional Programme, candidates must:

• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent);
• Have a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years’ relevant experience after obtaining their Bachelor’s Degree;
• Be under 35 years of age at the moment they apply for the Young Professional position;
• Be fluent in one of the three IUCN languages (English, Spanish and French).

Education:

• University degree in communications, digital media, event management, or a related field, with a demonstrated interest in nature conservation, sustainable water management, and governance.

Desired Experience & Technical Skills:

• Familiarity with Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress and Drupal, with experience in updating, maintaining, and optimizing website content.
• Strong writing and editing skills for digital platforms, ensuring clarity, readability, and alignment with organizational standards.
• Experience in managing and creating content for professional social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn.
• Basic graphic design skills using tools like Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or similar.
• Experience in creating or supporting the development of visual content such as infographics, videos, or multimedia presentations.
• Event coordination experience, including organizing meetings, tracking submissions, and managing logistical and communication tasks for large-scale events.

Source: https://hrms.iucn.org/iresy/index.cfm?event=vac.show&vacId=11219&lang=en