Country: United States of America
Closing date: 30 Jun 2019
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Office of the Director for Coordination and Shared Services in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO). The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Strategic Communications Section. The Strategic Communications Sections for the Department of Peace Operations is a dedicated and specialized capacity that provides media relations, departmental publicity, external relations, corporate messaging/internal communications and provides technical advice and operational support to public information components in field missions.
The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) serves as a center of excellence for peace operations, responsible for preventing, responding to and managing conflict and sustaining peace in countries where peace operations under its purview are deployed, and provides support to other entities on peace and security issues.
The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) focuses primarily on five action areas in international peace and security, ensuring sound analysis and early warning, preventing conflict and engaging in peacemaking, managing political crises and violent conflicts, sustaining peace, and enhancing partnerships. The Department's mandate is to prevent and resolve conflict through inclusive political solutions.
Responsibilities
Prepares and/or oversees the development of digital communications products and content across multiple platforms ensuring accurate and consistent messaging and branding and alignment with the Department’s communications strategy.
a) Manages a small team responsible for the production of multimedia content and management of digital campaigns, assigning tasks and assuring timely delivery across the team.
b) Oversees the preparation of a diverse range of communication products in support of UN Peacekeeping priorities and coordinates with departments, offices, funds and agencies to develop ways to implement digital media campaigns system-wide and to incorporate the campaign message and themes into all relevant events and products.
c) Generates, edits, publishes and shares daily content (text, images, video or HTML) that support and engages audiences in a meaningful way; maintaining an editorial calendar to maximise generation of timely quality content.
d) Manages UN Peacekeeping ’s digital/social media platforms including uploading photo, audio and video; monitoring sites and moderating social media forums.
e) Creates new content and sources content with public information colleagues and other UN components to ensure consistent messaging, quality control and a coherent user experience.
f) Establishes and optimizes UN Peacekeeping’s webpages to increase the visibility of social media content; edits social media and digital content prepared by junior officers or other public information staff. Conceptualizes, manages, implements and evaluates digital communications strategies and activities.
a) Based on DPO’s communication strategy, the incumbent will be responsible for updating and executing digital media strategies for social media, through competitive research, platform determination, benchmarking, messaging and audience identification with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding and support for UN Peacekeeping’s work and priorities.
b) Reports to the Department’s leadership on communications activities, developments, trends and attitudes regarding UN Peacekeeping and advises management on appropriate social media responses; and coordinates and shares public information activities and guidance with other sections of the Strategic Communications Section and leadership when appropriate.
c) Provides advice and expertise to managers, senior officers and other public information staff on a range of digital public affairs issues, policies, guidelines, methods, and approaches.
d) Identifies and seeks new opportunities for advancing UN Peacekeeping, anticipates and resolves digital communications/public relations issues/problems.
e) Monitors, analyses and evaluates implementation and impact of UN Peacekeeping’s social media and web usage and adapts editorial and outreach priorities accordingly.
Engages with digital and social media stakeholders and develops partnerships.
a) Builds an online community through social media platforms; manages social media communication with supporters and interested parties on a daily basis, building relationships with existing supporters and influencers to build the UN Peacekeeping brand.
b) Monitors a range of external forum s and social media and maintains UN Peacekeeping presence in public dialogue where appropriate.
c) Keeps abreast of changing developments, emerging trends and innovations, and technologies in the digital and social media field and makes recommendations for new opportunities to expand UN Peacekeeping’s social media presence.
d) Sets up regular system of digital media and engagement guidance and monitoring and develops a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the key social media advocates and stakeholders.
e) Responds to comments in a timely and appropriate fashion, and escalates any potential issues to senior management as necessary.
f) In consultation with supervisor, develops strategic partnerships with key constituencies to elicit support for and maximize impact of digital and social media strategies’ objectives.
Builds communication capacity and team management.
a) Participates in substantive and administrative activities of the unit, interprets and disseminates digital media policy, providing procedural advice, improving reporting systems, handling operational and administrative queries, preparing budget submissions, establishing and/or coordinating social media training programmes and monitoring and evaluating results.
b) In close coordination with the Chief, manages and supervises public information staff with particular focus on the digital team, as well as consultants and interns, to achieve the social media outputs and quality assurance of all related activities; establishing work plans, required resources, priorities, timelines and performance benchmarks; recommending training requirements and mentoring when required. Monitors progress and takes timely action and/or decisions to ensure objectives and deadlines are met.
c) Participates in recruitment, supervision and evaluation of staff as appropriate.
Other related duties that may be assigned.
Competencies
COMMUNICATION
• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively.
• Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately.
• Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication.
• Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience.
• Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
TEAMWORK
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals.
• Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others.
• Places team agenda before personal agenda.
• Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.
• Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
PLANNING AND ORGANIZING
• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies.
• Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required.
• Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work.
• Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning.
• Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.
• Uses time efficiently.
CREATIVITY
• Actively seeks to improve programmes or services.
• Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs.
• Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas.
• Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box".
• Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things.
• Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A first-level university degree in any of these fields, in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.Work
Experience
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in public information, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field, including 4 years of in-depth experience using social media networks and implementing digital media strategies in a business context is required.Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Fluency in French (oral and written) is highly desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Notes:
• Duration of need: six months (initially).
How to apply: