Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS IICA2
Target Start Date2023-07-03
Job Posting End DateJune 20, 2023
Terms of ReferenceProject: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Duty station: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
ICA Level: IICA-2
Corresp. level: P2
Duration: 03/07/2023 - 31/12/2023 with possibility of extension
Reporting: Chief of Mission
General Background:
After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, UNHCR reopened its office in the Dominican Republic to provide coordination and humanitarian response to the thousands of people who came seeking International Protection. Since 2014, UNHCR has also been accompanying the Dominican authorities to achieve the effective implementation of Law 169-14, as well as finding document and nationality solutions for people of concern in line with our mandate.
UNHCR also implements its mandate to supervise the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, through technical cooperation with the institutions responsible for the refugee protection system in the Dominican Republic. In addition,
UNHCR is one of the agencies in charge of leading the coordination of the humanitarian response to the refugee population and asylum seekers in Venezuela, together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other members of the R4V Inter-Agency Platform. UNHCR and partners deliver humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable persons of concern in the Dominican Republic, and fosters community mobilization and empowerment, following age, gender, and diversity criteria.
Operational Context:
In line with its Global Communications Strategy, UNHCR requires skilled communications professionals to conceive and execute a range of activities that help us lead the narrative on forced displacement, generate empathy and mobilize action. This body of work spans communications strategy and coordination, news and media relations, multimedia content production, social media engagement, Goodwill Ambassadors and other influencers, public outreach and campaigns, fundraising, analytics, and brand.
UNHCR’s Associate Communications Officers need to cultivate a keen understanding of our target audiences—including an up-to-the-minute grasp of the methods and tone of voice that resonate deeply, win trust and spark quality engagement. They must be vigilant about editorial and journalistic standards, attentive to protection concerns and political sensitivities, and focused on communicating successfully with key demographics. These audiences will vary by location, language, and platform, among other factors, as well as whether the aim is to inform, advocate or raise funds.
In 2022, UNHCR launched the Digital Protection Pillar of UNHR's Digital Transformation Strategy. In this framework, UNHCR is implementing a project on Digital Accountability to Affected Populations, and the other is on online Misinformation, Disinformation and Hate Speech (\"MDH\").
This position is key for the implementation of the online MDH project is titled \"A new capacity to understand, mitigate and help prevent the harmful impact of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech on digital platforms on protection and displacement within the humanitarian sector\".
The two-year project is practical and highly collaborative, seeking to unify systems to maximize impact. It features seven activities including research, mapping, analysis, and horizon scanning; development of guidelines, an action plan, strategies, and common standards including on leveraging partnerships with social media platforms; training and capacity building; and communications and advocacy.
At the same time, UNHCR has begun legal and policy research addressing some foundational legal and policy questions relating to its protection response under its mandate to online MDH and other specific harms. The results will inform the pilot projects, and, at the same time, the pilot projects will provide important feedback for the development of UNHCR's overall legal and policy positions.
Purpose and Scope of Assignment:
The Associate Communications Officers’ functions, working relationships and skills specializations differ depending on language, location, grade, and whether they sit within a country operation, a regional bureau, or the Global Communications Service. UNHCR’s primary target audiences include public, media, and policymakers, while our main partners and influencers include peers and private sector, trusted figures and our own workforce. Some communicators will focus mainly on news and media relations, for example, while others will produce multimedia content, manage social media accounts, or lead advocacy campaigns. Forging partnerships with media outlets that reach target audiences is a central role for all Associate Communications Officers.
All Associate Communications Officers are expected to work strategically in support of UNHCR’s operational and communications objectives for their geographic area of responsibility (AoR) as well as global priorities. Communications approaches should reflect our core values as an organization that is caring, trustworthy, proactive, outcome-focused and responsive. This will reinforce UNHCR’s role as the lead agency that protects refugees, internally displaced and stateless people and mobilizes action to provide solutions.
Support the implementation of communications strategies for countries, situations, and special projects; identify thematic priorities and target audiences to meet UNHCR’s global communications objectives.
Monitor news and popular trends to insert UNHCR’s messaging into ongoing conversations; identify key moments for proactive communications.
Forge strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations who can help produce and promote UNHCR content, activities and messaging as well as provide research insights to improve communications; promote the work of engaged businesses and civil society actors.
Contribute to the development of news-driven and authoritative content to lead the narrative on forced displacement and show UNHCR’s impact (e.g. interviews, press releases, flagship reports, speeches), create emotive storytelling to generate empathy (e.g. stories, multimedia content) and mobilize action by signposting concrete steps people can take to help refugees (e.g. digital diplomacy, action-driven campaigns, fundraising).
Support the supervisor in ensuring content created reaches maximum impact by developing strategies for distribution from the outset, boosting the visibility of our content on relevant UNHCR channels and placing it on external channels.
Closely monitor the implementation of communications projects and adjust accordingly. Benchmark the results of communications projects against set success indicators; build on communications successes.
Additional duties for news and media roles:
Implement communications strategies, campaigns, events, and other initiatives in support of UNHCR's strategic objectives, including its need for leading share of voice on refugee and related matters, and ensure coverage of refugee situations in their country or region in global and domestic media.
Research, prepare, fact-check, edit and produce professional media and communications materials for target audiences and ensure their timely dissemination via UNHCR's communications channels, ensuring highest quality standards.
Draft media releases, statements and media briefing notes, and secure clearances, working in conjunction with relevant focal points and keeping sensitive to needs of both internal and external audiences.
Act as a spokesperson for UNHCR, organizing press events, handling interviews requests and providing responses to requests from media relating to UNHCR and its work.
Engage with journalists and public audiences via social media channels.
Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior staff of UNHCR.
Undertake missions and field trips with media and other official visitors in support of UNHCR and its work.
Actively maintain media relations for UNHCR, ensuring that media (and other important external stakeholders, such as governments, embassies, NGOs etc.) are briefed regularly on issues of importance to UNHCR, and have access to information and UNHCR expertise.
Prepare and manage communications budgets.
Ensure alignment with UNHCR’s global branding and messaging.
Continually maintain and upgrade communications skills, keeping abreast of emerging platforms and tools, and systematically reviewing media impact results and other measurement tools for learning purposes.
Additional duties for news and media roles within the Global Communications Service
Oversee coordination of communications work for their designated regions and thematic issues, working closely with communications staff in bureau and country offices and in collaboration with senior communications officers/advisers in that region.
Manage a wide network of relationships at all levels across bureau, divisions, and offices (including the Executive Office) to ensure timely internal information sharing as a foundation for grounded communications, and to build consensus around communications proposals.
Maintain close involvement in communications recruitment and training needs for assigned regions, keeping in mind UNHCR’s goals of employing and retaining the world’s leading humanitarian communications expertise.
Additional duties for news and media roles within Country Offices
Act as the primary interface on communications matters between the country office and the Global Communications Service.
Support the supervisor in crisis communications work for the country within the AoR, alerting the GCS/News & Media Section’s crisis communications lead to risk issues and ensuring close coordination.
Additional duties for news and media roles within Regional Bureau
Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior Bureau staff and Representatives of Country Operations overseen by the Bureau.
Oversee data and information gathering and sharing of information with a view to ensuring the Bureau’s authority as a centre of up-to-date knowledge and expertise relating to its region.
Ensure Bureau staff are aware of UNHCR’s global positioning needs.
Perform other related duties as required.
Monitoring and Progress Controls
The performance of the Associate Communications Officer will be monitored and periodically evaluated according to the quality of the tasks carried out, in line with the assignments described in the previous section and the approved individual work plan, and in agreement with global protection policies and UNHCR standards.
In this sense, it will also be evaluated:
(i) Respect of the UNHCR Code of Conduct,
(ii) Adherence to the security protocols of UNHCR and United Nations, and
(iii) Participation in training activities provided by UNHCR, particularly through the Learn and
Connect platform.
Minimum Qualification
Education & Professional Work Experience
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Forma
Field(s) of Education
Journalism, International Relations, Political Science, Communications, Public Information, Media Film/Video, or other relevant field.
Essential
Minimum 1 year of professional experience in journalism and/or communications, mainly at international level.
Desirable
Strong social media presence. Experience working on advocacy campaigns. Experience working with goodwill ambassadors and other high-profile influencers. Experience with brand management. Experience with measurement and evaluation, especially providing analysis of media coverage, social media engagement, web traffic, etc. Experience reporting, writing, editing for magazines, newspapers and websites. Experience using digital asset management systems. Experience with digital analytics and performance reporting.
Functional Skills
Required skills will vary according to the precise nature of the role, location, etc. but may include:
CO-Digital content production
CO-Editing
CO-International Media Contacts
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
CO-Preparation of key messages/talking points/speeches
CO-Public Speaking
CO-Spokesperson skills
CO-Video production for digital platforms (including news organizations)
IT-Web Content Management
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
Language requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Core Competencies:
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies:
Empowering and Building Trust
Judgement and Decision Making
Cross-Functional Competencies:
Analytical Thinking
Innovation and Creativity
Political Awareness
Computer knowledge: Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint).
Availability to travel to the field including rural areas within the Dominican Republic.
Analytical and creative thinking skills to quickly identify problems, find, and implement solutions.
Ability to work independently and proactively in situations that require flexibility.
Leadership and teamwork skills.
Strong interpersonal and effective communication skills.
Ability to work in an international and multicultural environment.
Ability to work with vulnerable populations.
Ability to execute UNHCR's mandate in accordance with the principles of respect, neutrality, impartiality, and transparency in front of the authorities and other actors.
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Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance