Communications Associate

Job Posting Organization:
The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, established to oversee the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, focuses on fragile and conflict-affected settings. With a workforce of more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices in Africa, it aims to advance national priorities through strategic initiatives in various sectors including Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, and Peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security. The office promotes excellence in project delivery and contributes to sustainable infrastructure and better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Job Overview:
The Communications Associate plays a crucial role in enhancing UNOPS' visibility and reputation through effective communication strategies. This position involves creating and editing diverse content such as web stories, press releases, and social media posts, ensuring alignment with corporate style and partner requirements. The incumbent will also support external communications and media relations, coordinate events and campaigns, and manage content production. This proactive role requires strong organizational skills and the ability to assist in communications planning while providing essential administrative support related to communication efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Communications Implementation and Visibility: Identify opportunities to enhance visibility and outreach at national, regional, and global levels. Ensure communication deliverables meet partner/donor visibility requirements and UNOPS guidelines. Support the implementation of project communication strategies and stakeholder mapping. Contribute to crafting project narratives aligned with UNOPS corporate style.
• Content Development and Production: Draft, edit, and proof-read communication materials including web stories, newsletters, press releases, reports, and social media content. Support the production of multimedia products (infographics, videos, photos) ensuring message consistency. Coordinate communication inputs for events, workshops, and campaigns. Serve as a focal point for internal communications queries.
• External Communication and Media Outreach: Support messaging that enhances UNOPS and project positioning at national and regional levels. Assist in managing media relations and support crisis and reputation communication as needed. Contribute to the production of outreach materials and press interactions.
• Documentation and Administrative Support: Assist in developing Terms of Reference (ToRs) and technical specifications for the procurement of communication services. Prepare requisitions, payment requests, and maintain inventories of materials. Support gender-responsive communication activities and related reporting.
• Knowledge Building and Sharing: Support the organization, facilitation, and delivery of training and learning sessions on communications topics. Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned from communications project implementation. Conduct research on communication-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries, and briefing notes.

Required Qualifications:

• Required: Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience OR a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience.
• Desired: A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in communications, journalism, or digital and social media communications is preferred.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess either a secondary school diploma with significant relevant experience or a Bachelor’s degree in any field, complemented by relevant work experience. A professional certification in communications or related fields is highly desirable and would enhance a candidate's profile.

Experience:
Candidates should have relevant experience in communications, public relations, media, journalism, or related fields. Experience working in multicultural environments or within UN system organizations in developing countries is preferred. Additionally, experience in development or humanitarian contexts, as well as in creating and monitoring content for grassroots-level audiences, is advantageous. Familiarity with graphic design, video production, and content creation tools is also desired.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Portuguese is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
The position is classified as an Associate level role (ICS 06) and is offered under an Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) with a regular contract type. The contract duration is ongoing or variable, contingent upon satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Applications must be submitted before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. UNOPS emphasizes diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging applications from a wide range of candidates.