Communication Specialist, P-3, Fixed- Term, Division of Global Communication and Advocacy, UNICEF NYHQ, Post # 112330

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (GWA) programmes falls under the Strategic Partnerships section in DGCA. GWAs are some of the most recognizable public faces of UNICEF. They bring UNICEF to new target audiences, reaching nearly every corner of the world through their influence and dedication to UNICEF and the world’s children. Goodwill Ambassadors amplify messages that communicate to advocate, drive change, reach new audiences, have a strong call to action, and that are in line with their thematic focus that makes them knowledge-leaders.

Support from GWAs and high-profile supporters helps to elevate UNICEF’s brand, promotes global advocacy priorities, and supports fundraising efforts. The key result is to ensure greater visibility for UNICEF and influence in support of its mission.

Under the supervision of the Senior Manager, the P3 Communication Specialist will contribute to both the management and cultivation of GWAs in support of organization-wide priorities, working closely with all GCA sections, different divisions in headquarters, UNICEF National Committees, and regional and country offices. This post will work with hese prominent personalities and their teams in support of UNICEF’s goal to be the leading voice for and with children, the leading advocate for children’s rights, and the leading brand, which is both trusted and credible.

 

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Coordinate the day-to-day management of the Goodwill Ambassadors who actively contribute to UNICEF’s mission. UNICEF has an impressive pool of dedicated GWAs. The appropriate partnership with well-known spokespersons and GWAs can help strengthen advocacy, awareness and fundraising for children.

2. Identify and recommends new internationally known individuals/celebrities and assists in the cultivation of a diverse and engaged group of prominent personalities. This includes researching trends in the entertainment industry and providing ideas for relevant talent to support UNICEF’s communication, fundraising and advocacy goals.

3. Co-create GWA proposals and action plans, creating celebrity friendly communication materials for specific initiatives and priorities. This includes ideas around leveraging the GWAs valuable social networks to mobilize the masses to action in support of UNICEF priorities.

4. Contribute to the implementation of the new Champion and Advocate tiered strategy.

5. Develop capacity building by providing normative guidance to UNICEF offices globally. The GWA team is the UNICEF-wide knowledge leader on relationship management with prominent personalities, providing expert advice to COs, ROs, NCs and other UN Agencies on recruiting and managing celebrities, establishing strategies to engage them, crisis communications involving celebrities, best practices, etc.

6. Work collaboratively with other Sections and Divisions to map opportunities that engage GWAs in a way that elevate our brand and contributes to advocacy outcomes.

 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: 

An Advanced University degree is required in one of the following fields: Communications, Public Relations, or related field; or

* A first level university degree with an additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: Entertainment industry, Communications, Branding, Marketing or Public Relations.
Experience working in the development sector, government or NGO a plus.

 

Education: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

 

UNICEF competencies (for Staff without Supervisory responsibilities) required for this post are…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.