Position description
Org. Setting and Reporting
The United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO), with teams in New York and in five regions, has managerial and oversight functions of the Resident Coordinator system (RCS) under the collective ownership of the members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). The Communications and Results Reporting Section (CRRS) of DCO is responsible for RCS communications, outreach, and results reporting efforts globally. It supports Resident Coordinators (RCs), UN Country Teams (UNCTs), UNSDG entities and DCO regional teams in advancing transparency, accountability, and public engagement through strategic communications, editorial storytelling, crisis support, digital innovation, and data-informed reporting. This position is part of CRRS and located within DCO teams based in Bangkok, Istanbul, Addis Ababa, and New York. Each of the four posts supports a specific region: Istanbul covers Europe and Central Asia as well as the Arab States; Addis Ababa covers Africa, working in coordination with UNIC Dakar covering Francophone Africa; Bangkok covers Asia and the Pacific, and New York covers Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a media and editorial support role for CRRS. The incumbent reports directly to the respective DCO Regional Director. The role involves close collaboration with CRRS, the respective regional DCO teams, Resident Coordinators and their Offices (RCOs), United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs), and regional UN entities—including agencies, funds, and programmes. It also entails close collaboration with the Department of Global Communications (DGC) and its network of UN Information Centres (UNICs), many of which are integrated with RCOs in their respective regions. This position plays a key role in positioning the impact of the UN's work on the ground—led by Resident Coordinators and delivered through UN Country Teams—across a wide range of regional and national contexts. It contributes to the UN 2.0 transformation by embedding innovation, including the ethical and responsible use of AI and other digital tools in line with UN guidance, as well as data-driven storytelling across the RC system's communications efforts. The incumbent provides strategic editorial support to elevate country-level and cross-border results, producing high-impact media and storytelling products such as op-eds, human-interest features, and multimedia content. In doing so, the role reinforces the unique coordination function of the RC system and helps shape a coherent regional narrative that reflects shared priorities and the UN's collective value in politically and operationally complex settings. The position also fosters peer learning and cross-country exchange, facilitates regional communities of practice, and promotes synergies between data and communications teams, as well as among regional communications actors. It contributes actively to inter-agency communications, including through joint messaging and shared advocacy efforts, aligned with SDG implementation and Summit of the Future follow-up.
Responsibilities
- Provide analysis and advice to the management and/or UN colleagues on strategic communications issues such as opportunities for proactive communications, building support, managing crises and reputational risks, and strengthening information integrity.
- Provide insights and analysis from traditional, social, and digital media monitoring, including public narratives and areas of reputational risk to inform communications strategy.
- Develop and implement communications strategies that raise awareness, drive engagement, build support and have measurable impact with target audiences.
- Draft compelling narratives and messaging on the work of the UN that engage target audiences across different channels and platforms.
- Conduct mapping, outreach to and foster relationships with traditional and new media outlets.
- Develop media lines, including in crisis situations and on sensitive issues.
- Plan and coordinate press conferences, briefings, and media events.
- Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and deliver joint outreach and advocacy activities to advance UN priorities.
- Create and update policy, guidance and/or training related to strategic communications, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
- Keep abreast of the latest trends in communications and maintain expertise in relevant and emerging technologies.
- Maintain confidentiality, integrity, and discreet handling of sensitive information in compliance with the UN data privacy, security requirements, and standards.
- Provide guidance to team members to promote professional development and a positive team culture.
- Advise senior management, UN colleagues and /or the Crisis Management Team on crisis communications and reputational risk issues within the scope of UN policy and guidance.
- Advise on public narratives to support senior management decision-making and to steer the communications strategy.
- Monitor developing events to identify emerging crises and reputational risks.
- Manage insights and analysis based on the monitoring of traditional, social, and digital media, including on risks to information integrity such as trends in mis and disinformation.
- Detect and assess the threat level of false narratives and suggest approaches to countering misinformation and disinformation.
- Manage the coordination of the crisis communications response with the communications stakeholders at the local, regional, and global levels, including the crisis communications cell and UN Communications Group in country.
- Convene and/or participate in crisis communications cells including drafting UN system key messages, collating system wide updates and organizing cell meetings.
- Develop media lines and ensure the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, and other relevant stakeholders, receive regular updates on sensitive issues.
- Ensure that all traditional, social, and digital media UN channels and platforms are calibrated to accurately reflect the crisis and are consistently updated with key messages.
- Contribute to advising on internal communications during a crisis and disseminate relevant policy and guidance to UN personnel.
- Support the development of policy, guidance and training on crisis communications and reputational risk.
- Keep abreast of the latest trends in communications and maintain expertise in relevant and emerging technologies.
- Maintain confidentiality, integrity, and discreet handling of sensitive information in compliance with the UN data privacy, security requirements, and standards.
- Monitor, analyse and report on communications approaches, activities and strategies to assess their performance and effectiveness.
- Plan and manage required resources to implement the responsibilities, projects, and activities.
- Ensure consistency and accuracy in messaging and branding across all digital channels.
- Draft and edit clear, concise business intelligence and insights reports on communications outcomes and trends for key stakeholders, including on reputation risks and crisis communications.
- Prepare documentation such as reports, written briefs, and presentations on analytical findings for internal stakeholders to inform prevention, mitigation and responses to risks to information integrity, utilizing data visualization and other techniques, in liaison with relevant teams.
- Advise senior management and prepare communications plans for keeping staff informed and engaged in organization objectives and initiatives, including change management, business continuity processes and in times of crisis.
- Produce guidance materials, including communications and design templates to empower staff to communicate in a systematic and effective way, especially during crises and emergencies.
- Advise relevant focal points and senior management on communications to UN personnel affected by crises, as well as to staff in general, and disseminate relevant policy and guidance to each group.
- Develop and implement media relations strategies to shape public perceptions of the UN, its work and impact.
- Prepare talking points, key messages, and data for media interviews to shape public perceptions of the UN work and its impact.
- Ensure alignment of media-related messaging across entities.
- Lead the establishment of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of media relations efforts.
- Identify opportunities for proactive engagement with media to promote the organization's narrative and messaging.
- Identify and maximize joint communication opportunities with partners and stakeholders.
- Develop, maintain, and manage strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to reach target audiences and maximize impact.
- Coordinate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and deliver joint outreach and advocacy activities to advance UN priorities.
- Represent the organization in public events, meetings, and conferences; public speaking advocating United Nations activities and issues of concern.
- Build and maintain relationships with existing and potential partners that can help amplify the organization's advocacy messages at local, national, regional, and/or international levels.
Competencies
- PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrated critical thinking skills. Demonstrated knowledge of strategic communications principles and practices. Demonstrated knowledge of risks to information integrity - misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and threats in fragile, post conflict, and crisis environments. Demonstrated knowledge of Media Monitoring tools. Demonstrated knowledge of Digital Design. Demonstrated knowledge of current and emerging digital media platforms, their principles and technologies. Demonstrated knowledge of data protection and privacy standards. Demonstrated project management skills. Demonstrated knowledge of crisis communications and reputational risk management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and proficiency in subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
- 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.
- 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 audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, digital communications or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
- A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, international relations, or other relevant areas, is required.
- Demonstrated ability to apply policy and guidance in strategic communications is required.
- Demonstrated skill in applying and maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability principles is required.
- Demonstrated ability to detect and assess threats to information integrity is desirable.
- Demonstrated skill in data visualization tools to create charts, graphs, and visual outputs is desirable.
- Demonstrated ability to write for digital platforms, such as social media or websites, for an international organization is desirable.
- Demonstrated skill in collecting, processing, and analysing large volumes of unstructured and structured data is desirable.
Languages
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required, and fluency in French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage. "Fluency equals a rating of "Fluent" in all four areas (read, speak, write and understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of "Confident" in two of the four areas.
Application instructions
Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on Globaljobs.org
