Back Communications and Advocacy Officer, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Job Title: Communications and Advocacy Officer

Job ID: 34527

Location: Asia and Pacific

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Role Specification

Level: SB4, Peg 1

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Full/Part time: Full-Time

Contract Type: Service Contract

Duration: One year (Renewable*)

* No expectancy of renewal in accordance with UN Staff Regulations 4.5

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VACANCY IS OPEN ONLY TO SRI LANKAN NATIONALS.

Deadline for application: Sunday, 17 January 2021, 12:00 Mid-Night Sri Lanka time (IST / UTC +5:30).

All applications must be submitted through this portal. Email or other forms of applications are not accepted.

Background Information

Job Purpose:

In a complex operating environment, you will contribute to the effective communication of UNFPA activities in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence and women's empowerment, youth engagement, and population dynamics and data.

You will support in ensuring that substantial programme events and initiatives are communicated cohesively in a meaningful manner through innovative and impactful means. This includes contributing towards concepts and planning of campaigns and other communications engagements through online and offline mechanisms.

You will support in the establishing and maintaining of collaborative relationships with the media, counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bilateral donor agencies, sister UN agencies, and civil society in support of UNFPA's programme.

Organizational Setting

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA's current strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

In the face of current challenges in communicating our mandate in Sri Lanka, UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results. We seek principled and ethical staff, who embody human rights norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction. We seek staff who are transparent and exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to deliver impactful, meaningful, and innovative communications work.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities

The Position:

The Communications & Advocacy Officer will support the UNFPA Sri Lanka communications team in planning and designing of all internal and external communications initiatives of the organization.

You will support the UNFPA Strategic Communications & Advocacy Analyst in facilitation and delivering of communications initiatives to support the programmatic work of UNFPA Sri Lanka in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. This will include managing social media platforms, media management, as well as coordination with printing, designing, event management providers, and other suppliers.

You will report directly to the UNFPA Strategic Communications & Advocacy Analyst.

You would be responsible for:

A. Supporting in planning, designing, and execution of internal and external communications initiatives:

• Assist UNFPA Strategic Communications & Advocacy Analyst in planning, designing, and execution of communications initiatives that are creative, meaningful, and impactful and deliver results that contribute towards UNFPA's Country Programme
• Ensure that key UNFPA programme events, success stories and good practices highlighting the value-added roles of UNFPA and its partners, are communicated meaningfully with internal and external audiences
• Maintain positive relationships with media and ensure new media relationships are developed with TV, Radio, Press, Digital, media contacts from English, Sinhala, and Tamil media institutions
• Support in organizing public information and promotional campaigns on UNFPA
• Support in ensuring an effective and appropriate M&E system be in place for major communications initiatives in order to facilitate learning and constant adaptation for improved impact on policies and behaviour change

B. Contributing towards development of high-quality advocacy campaigns, and the production and designing of communication assets, visibility products, and other material:

• Support the UNFPA Strategic Communications & Advocacy Analyst to design advocacy campaigns on culturally and politically sensitive issues with tailored messaging towards select audiences. Support in strengthening behaviour change communication efforts in close partnership with the programme team.
• Assist in drafting high-quality talking points, opinion editorials, press releases, human-interest stories, and in designing and developing other communications material such as brochures, videos, policy briefs, booklets, publications, etc. in line with identified key messages to position UNFPA and its mandate.
• Design and develop communication assets, visibility products and other material to explain the mandate of UNFPA.
• Work closely with suppliers providing communications services (event management companies, printers, designers, videographers, etc.) and with counterparts in the Regional Office and HQ, as well as media, UN Agencies, and other partners

C. Managing the Country Office social media platforms, and web-based knowledge management system

• Manage and maintain all UNFPA Sri Lanka social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram) by regularly updating the channels with relevant, engaging, and interesting content
• Introduce new asset creation and platforms based on growing digital trends that can be implemented within UNFPA to reach new audiences.
• Develop a social media plan to ensure content is planned in advance and is relevant and timely, aligning with key UN Observance Days and trending hashtags
• Keep abreast of new developments on a wide range of online tools and technologies, which can support not only communications and advocacy initiatives, but also effective knowledge management and organizational development.

D. Supporting Partnerships, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

• Work closely with UNFPA Strategic Communications & Advocacy Analyst and UNFPA Programme Staff to develop and maintain close contacts with national counterparts, donors, civil society, private sector, academia, and media for implementation of communication strategies and campaigns
• Collaborate and engage with other UN Agencies by representing UNFPA in the UN Communications Group (UNCG) and by sharing UNFPA value-addition towards joint UN campaigns and communications initiatives
• Assist in preparing presentations, donor briefing documents, reports, issue papers, etc. required for advocacy and resource mobilization

Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership.

Expected Outputs:

• Increased content creation, digital presence and visibility of UNFPA and its work in Sri Lanka
• Innovative communications approaches used in the designing and development of new campaigns for UNFPA in Sri Lanka
• Increased contribution to One UN initiatives as part of UNCG and other groups, in better positioning UNFPA within the UN System in Sri Lanka

Qualifications and Experience

Academic Requirements:

Master's Degree or equivalent in communications, media relations, journalism, international development, or relevant social sciences, with over 2 years of relevant work experience.

Or, Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in communications, media relations, journalism, international development, or relevant social sciences, with over 4 years of relevant work experience.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Substantive knowledge and practical experience in planning, designing, and implementing communications campaigns and initiatives;
• Excellent command of the English Language (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
• Excellence in research and writing skills, with experience in drafting talking points, opinion editorials, press releases, social media content, issue papers etc. which communicate key messages in a simplified, and easy-to-understand manner
• Exceptional skills in web and social media management, and in developing interactive, informative, and engaging digital content on a regular basis;
• Experience in photography and basic videography editing skills;
• Experience in graphic designing and content creation for digital platforms;
• Results-oriented and ability to deliver high-quality work within short timeframes;
• Strong team working skills and ability to take initiative and be self-driven;
• Creativity and ability to brainstorm out-of-the box ideas;
• Proficiency in current MS office software applications, Adobe and basic web-based systems;
• Positive attitude towards work and true belief and understanding of UNFPA's sensitive yet important mandate is a must.

Languages:

Exceptional command of the English language and fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil is required.

Required Competencies

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing diversity in all its forms
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving Results
• Being Accountable
• Developing and Applying Professional Expertise/Business Acumen
• Thinking analytically and Strategically
• Working in Teams/Managing Ourselves and our Relationships
• Communicating for Impact

Functional Competencies:

• Advancing a policy-oriented agenda,
• Internal and external communication
• Advocacy for results mobilization,
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships

UNFPA Work Environment

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, Embracing diversity in all its forms, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities for all including persons with disabilities.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary and health insurance and other benefits as applicable to the duty station.

Disclaimer

WARNING TO APPLICANTS: UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Should you feel that you have received a fraudulent notice, letter or offer that makes use of the name or logo of UNFPA, you may submit a report through the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

We thank all the applicanats for the itnerest shown in applying for UNFPA positions. Due to the large number of applications we receive, kindly note that we will only be able to contact the short listed applicants. Thank You.

For any questions or comments please contact [email protected]

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