Communications Specialist, Media and Communications Branch, Division for Communications & Strategic Partnerships, New York, P-3

Position Summary:

The position of Communications Specialist is located in the Media and Communications Branch, Division for Communications & Strategic Partnerships. The position has a direct reporting line to the Media Specialist, SRH, and secondary reporting line to the Chief, Commodity Security Branch, Technical Division.

The Communications Specialist serves as the primary focal point for UNFPA Supplies-related media-outreach and public relations initiatives.

UNFPA Supplies Programme is UNFPA’s largest thematic trust fund-financed programme. The programme supports countries to adopt good practices in reproductive health commodity security (RHCS) and family planning and serves as a catalytic and flexible funding mechanism to build capacity for reproductive health (RH) service delivery. Overall, the Programme facilitated the mainstreaming of RHCS into national health systems, budgets and plans, with a commitment to aid effectiveness and national ownership, and contributed to significant increases in contraceptive prevalence rates and other significant improvements in reproductive health indicators.

UNFPA Supplies supports 46 countries, and has increased focus on adolescents and youth, strengthened efforts to provide RH services to the hard to reach and has adopted a revised monitoring and evaluation framework. UNFPA’s work in family planning and reproductive health commodity security has a solid and diverse set of partnerships, including within the private sector, and donor engagement to provide consistent and expanded funding. In addition, UNFPA Supplies leads and participates in numerous global forums, which require media support and public communications.

Requirements:

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in journalism, mass communications, marketing, public relations or related fields is required.

Knowledge and Experience:

● Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience;

● Advanced oral and written communication skills – ability to communicate complex ideas and synthesize large volumes of data and/or information;

● Ability to develop convincing and compelling advocacy messages;

● Ability to think strategically about how to shape the same message for different audiences;

● Expertise in developing effective communications strategies, including strong media engagement.

● Organizational skills: ability to stick to a work plan;

● Experience in developing and editing communications products, such as infographics, factsheets, photo stories and videos, and social media tools;