Communications Officer

Established in 1995, UNOPS has been working in Afghanistan to build better lives for girls, boys, men and women living in the country. By offering efficient, professional, and agile services, UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) supports partners' contribution to the humanitarian response and development of the country. 

Prior to August 2021, UNOPS AFCO was implementing projects in a range of sectors, including infrastructure, procurement, capacity building to ministries, and environmental protection, among others, on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan and the donor community.

Today, in response to the increased humanitarian needs and partner requests, the UNOPS AFCO portfolio supports humanitarian initiatives and basic human needs, including managing cash for work projects, supporting humanitarian actors, procuring emergency supplies, and administering inter-agency communications and accountability centre for all humanitarian actors in the country.

Under the supervision of the Head of the Partnerships Development Unit, the Communications Officer will be responsible for the following responsibilities related to external and internal communications for the Afghanistan Country Office in full compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and policies. Specific responsibilities and duties include but are not limited to: 

Summary of Key Functions  

1. Communications

2. Reporting/Knowledge Management

3. Partnership Development

4. Support

Communications:

• Act as AFCO Communications Focal Point, responsible for developing and implementing  an effective and quality communications strategy and work plan for AFCO under the guidance of the Senior Management Team and HQ communication group.

• Manage AFCO’s social media accounts, ensuring regular updates and monitoring relevant posts and activities by key partners, including donors 

• Represent UNOPS at the UN Communications Group Meetings and coordinate UNOPS’s inputs to UN Afghanistan-wide publications, newsletters, websites and other communication products led by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office communications team. 

• Develop and maintain a database of AFCO partners and the international community.

• Follow local media for humanitarian and development-related content. 

• Coordinate inputs from different units and partners and produce consolidated social media posts, factsheets, presentations and other written documents for internal and external use.  

• Liaise with the HQ Comms team, UN Communication Group, and other relevant UNOPS Communities of Practice and attend meetings.  

• Support the development and facilitation of in-house communication training for AFCO personnel and partners.

• Keep up-to-date AFCO communication plans.

• Develop and maintain web content, including press releases and feature articles, for relevant UNOPS extra-/internet pages and social media.

• Prepare and issue AFCO internal newsletters.

• Support the Project Managers, the Head of the Partnerships Development Unit and the SMT as required to organise audio-visual coverage (photography, videography) of project activities and achievements

• Ensure that all UNOPS communication guidelines are consistently applied across all AFCO communication activities and outputs.

• Support project visibility activities.

• Brief senior management regularly on ongoing communication activities and coordinate efforts to follow up on identified communications needs.

Reporting/Knowledge Management:

• Produce and keep up-to-date communication materials and a photo library with project photos.

• Contribute to communication outputs to share information about AFCO-funded projects and results achieved in liaison with relevant project and communication teams. 

• Suggest/write stories and topics from the work of AFCO and its partners for publication in local and other appropriate media. 

• Share publication, information and knowledge with colleagues, clients and partners.

• Prepare communication materials as required for events, mission travel and/or discussion with partners.

• Participate in relevant UN Afghanistan Working Groups or coordination mechanisms and provide necessary UNOPS inputs.

• Collaborate with relevant support services units to lead and manage the production and deployment of relevant resources, including booklets, briefing notes, posters and banners, through service providers such as audio-visual production companies, as well as printing and translation companies as required. 

Partnership Development: 

• In conjunction with the Head of the Partnerships Development Unit, develop the expression of interests, concept notes, and proposals for potential new projects and prepare budgets and costs for new project proposals.

• Support the coordination and participation in meetings with donors and partners and produce high-quality meeting minutes and action-oriented summaries.

• Conduct country-specific research and analysis on donor and partner focus areas, funding cycles, and processes and identify opportunities for AFCO project development.

• Support the Head of the Partnerships Development Unit in revisions of budgets, legal agreements, project scope and timelines as and when needed and in accordance with UNOPS internal controls and processes.

Support/Other Duties: 

• Support the participation and/or representation of the AFCO Partnership Development Office team at events and technical meetings as required.

• Other duties assigned by the supervisor.

a. Education

• A bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Communications, Media, Social Studies, International relations or any related field is required.

b. Work Experience 

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience working in the communications field is required. 

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and good attention to detail are highly preferred.

• Excellent planning and coordination skills are desired. 

• Experience in social media management is an asset. 

• Experience in the use of the Google Suite application is an advantage

• Experience in graphic design is desired. 

• Knowledge of the UN system is an advantage.

c. Language

• Fluency (oral and written) in English is essential. 

• Pashto and Dari languages are desired

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.