National Programme Officer (Communication and Information) at UNESCO

Purpose of the Post

• UNESCO Communication and Information Sector promotes an enabling environment for freedom of expression, press freedom and journalistic safety, facilitating pluralism and participation in media, and supporting sustainable and independent media institutions.
• The Sector also aims to ensure universal access and preservation of information and knowledge through promoting Open Solutions for Knowledge Societies programme (open education resources, open access, free and open source software, open training platform, open data and Open Cloud) and ICT accessibility.
• UNESCO Abuja is a Regional office, covering 8 countries (Benin, Cole d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo).
• Under the close supervision and guidance of the Head of UNESCO Office Abuja and the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, and in close cooperation with staff in the relevant CI Divisions at HQ, the incumbent serves as National Programme Officer for Communication and Information in the UNESCO Regional Office Abuja with a specific focus on the Sector.

Qualifications and Competencies Required

• Master Degree in the field of Communication, Journalism, Information Management, Information and Communication Technologies, or any related Social Science is the minimum qualification;
• Good Professional experience (at least 2 years) in the area of Communication, Media, Information Management or Journalism at the National and/or international level;
• Experience in the implementation of National and sub-regional programmes (at least 2 years)
• Previous experience in the field of Media, Information Management or Communication; Experience in team working building and management of Communication programmes;
• Good computer and other IT skills;
• Strong sensitivity and adaptability in cultural, gender, religion, race and nationality;
• Strong strategic and analytical skills;
• Excellent communication skills, including writing and oral expression;
• Ability to interact with a wide range of high-level partners;
• Experience and understanding of the country and region and a clear understanding of development work;
• Previous experience with UN agencies and understanding of the UN system, including its administrative procedures and DAD process would be an asset;
• Excellent knowledge of English. French will be an added advantage.