Communication Officer at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

Job Number: 530020
Location: Maiduguri Borno,
Temporary for 364 days (Nigerian nationals only)
Work Type: Temporary Appointment

Purpose of the Post

• Under the supervision of the Chief of Field Office and in close collaboration with the Chief of Communication and Communication Specialist at the Country Office at Abuja, the incumbent will support a wide range of communication and public advocacy work focusing on the both the emergency and development programmes in northeast Nigeria, including media engagement and the preparation of external communication materials.
• This will include coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on an on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in northeast Nigeria at local, national, regional and global levels.

How can you make a difference?
Communication and advocacy materials:

• Ensure that the production of communication products and materials is executed in a timely way and followed up to support the country office communications strategy, regional and global campaigns and priorities, and resource mobilization.

Tasks include the following:

• Identify, research and develop themes for development of a range of communication materials, such as social media posts, photo blogs, human interest stories, feature stories, web stories, photographs, videos, and others.
• Draft and edit briefing notes, media advisories, press releases, human interest stories, web and social media content, and other advocacy/information materials.
• Collect and edit photographs, stories, blogs, and field diaries supplied by UNICEF staff.
• Follow up with the production of advocacy and communication materials and oversee production (e.g. quality control, translations, reviews of layout and graphic design etc.).
• Manage processes for contracting and working with consultants such as writers, photographers and videographers.
• Planning and executing content development visits in and outside of Maiduguri.
• Implement the tasks in the country communication work plan and strategy, as assigned.

Media Relations:

• Ensure that the Field Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of UNICEF's cooperation to a wider audience.
• This should include the national media and the international (mainly based in Lagos, through the UNICEF communications team in Lagos).

Tasks include the following:

• Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.
• Establishing, documenting, reviewing and refining the process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.
• Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, and other appropriate audiences.
• Identification, development, distribution and evaluation of variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Help to ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.
• Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Regular monitoring of the media for risk and reputation management.

Partnerships:

• Ensure that Field Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora (including Government, UN, and bilateral counterparts), whose support is essential in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the Nigeria Country Office communication strategy and who support and are able to actively participate in special events and activities that further the country office programme goals.

Tasks include the following:

• Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.
• Establish, document, review and refine the process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.
• Ensuring or enhancing the quality, consistency and appropriateness of communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
• Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.
• Prepare background communication and promotional materials for briefings and visits of international media, Goodwill Ambassadors, donors, National Committee representatives and other special interest groups.
• The task includes preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and assisting in the planning, logistics and administrative arrangements.

Resource mobilization support:

• Ensure that fundraising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication activities. Tasks include the following:
• Mobilize communication capacity to support / facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant programme efforts. Use the opportunity to identify / highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fund-raising.
• Ensure donor visibility and acknowledgment is on track both on-site and on social media platforms.
• Support progamme in meeting communication-related donor commitments.

Requirements
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

• University degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, International Relations or a related field.
• A minimum of Two years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and/or new media.
• Background / familiarity with emergency situations is highly desirable.
• Experience of media, communities and issues in northeast Nigeria is desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Strong English-language writing skills are essential. Working knowledge of the local language at the duty station is a strong asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
• The functional competencies required for this post are; Formulating Strategies and Concepts, Relating and Networking, Persuading and Influencing, Applying Technical Expertise, Entrepreneurial Thinking,
• View our competency framework at: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf