Regional Communications Officer (Temporary)

Job Posting Organization:
The UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) Regional Office for Africa was established in July 2019 to operationalize UNGA resolution 72/27

• The DCO Africa supports 53 Resident Coordinators (RCs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in helping Member States deliver on national priorities, the 2030 Agenda, SDGs, and African Union Agenda 206
• The organization emphasizes strengthened communications and advocacy to share SDG progress, highlight opportunities and challenges, and present a unified UN voice for greater impact. DCO Africa provides strategic and operational support to enhance joint UN communication and advocacy, amplifying policy messages and successes from the ground at both regional and global levels.

Job Overview:
The Regional Communications Officer plays a crucial role in leading regional campaigns and partnerships that advance DCO strategic corporate priorities. This includes initiatives such as UN@80, Pact for the Future implementation, youth engagement, information integrity, and innovation and systems thinking. The Officer is responsible for developing and implementing integrated communications and advocacy strategies that align with UN policy and guidance, ensuring coherence and impact across the region. The position requires planning, organizing, and coordinating campaigns and advocacy activities in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, producing creative content and materials to effectively position DCO strategic corporate priorities, and mobilizing external stakeholders to advance the SDGs. Building and sustaining strong partnerships with various stakeholders, including UN agencies, government officials, civil society, digital influencers, and media, is essential for the success of this role. The Officer also contributes to Information Integrity by monitoring and responding to threats, supporting crisis communications, and developing guidance materials to empower staff in effective communication and advocacy, particularly during crises and emergencies.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Regional Communications Officer include: contributing to the development and implementation of communications strategies that raise awareness and drive engagement; drafting compelling narratives and messaging on UN work; serving as a focal point on policy and reporting; participating in campaign strategy development; supporting internal team coordination to identify external communications partnership opportunities; developing creative campaign concepts and materials; promoting campaigns and organizing media engagement; monitoring and evaluating campaign performance; building and maintaining relationships with partners; coordinating joint initiatives and campaigns; identifying and maximizing joint communication opportunities; contributing to the identification of information threats; supporting the development of communication strategies to promote information integrity; providing insights from media monitoring; participating in crisis communications planning; and collaborating on the production of guidance materials for effective communication during crises.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, international relations, or related areas. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to develop and implement communications strategies, possess skills in developing creative content, and have knowledge of digital design. Additionally, the candidate should be able to write for digital platforms, communicate complex matters to diverse audiences, and have knowledge of crisis communications and reputational risk management. Familiarity with risks to information integrity, including misinformation and hate speech, is also essential, along with the ability to use media monitoring tools and develop communications partnership strategies.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, digital communications, or a related field. A first-level university degree combined with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, international relations, or other relevant areas. Candidates should have a proven ability to develop and implement communications strategies, as well as skills in creating engaging content for various platforms. Knowledge of digital design and crisis communications is also necessary, along with the ability to communicate complex information effectively to diverse audiences.

Languages:
The working languages of the United Nations Secretariat are English and French. For this position, proficiency in English is required, while knowledge of French is considered desirable. Candidates should refer to the UN Language Framework for specific language skill requirements.

Additional Notes:
The job is temporary, and specific details regarding contract duration, seniority level, and compensation are not provided in the job description. The position is full-time and may involve collaboration with international and national stakeholders.