Communications Specialist

UN-Water is the United Nations (UN) inter-agency coordination mechanism for all freshwater related issues, including sanitation. The High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) established UN-Water in its meeting held on 18 and 19 September 2003 in response to the need for strengthened coordination of United Nations’ work on water and sanitation related issues. The Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) endorsed this decision at its fall 2003 session in New York. UN-Water currently counts 33 Members (UN entities) and 41 Partners (non-UN system actors).

UN-Water promotes coherence in, and coordination of, water-related UN system actions aimed at the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other relevant policy frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and the New Urban Agenda. In so doing, UN-Water complements and adds value to existing UN initiatives by facilitating synergies and joint efforts among the implementing agencies and by fostering greater co-operation and information-sharing within its constituency. UN-Water supports Member States through its three main lines of work: 1. Informing policy processes and addressing emerging issues; 2. Supporting monitoring and reporting on water and sanitation; and 3. Building knowledge and inspiring people to take action.

For UN Member States as well as the international community, the coming years will be critical to solve the water and sanitation crisis. Although Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) – ‘to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030’ – supports many of the other 16 SDGs, the world is alarmingly off-track and the challenges are unprecedented and growing. Communications is one of the keys to getting people to care and feel motivated to take action. In a society where there is information overflow, communicating credible, verified and aligned messages about what can be done about the crisis is paramount for change to take place. This is the role of UN-Water’s corporate communication and global campaigns. 

Within the Technical Advisory Unit, the Communications Specialist will be responsible for: providing sound advice and services in dealing with substantive matters concerning communications operations; developing and implementing creative approaches to global campaigns;  ensuring effective design and delivery of information products in accordance with overall objectives and policies; and forming strong partnerships with relevant parties involved to engender support for UN-Water’s activities.

• Support the coordination of UN-Water’s corporate communications activities in close coordination with UN-Water Members and Partners;

• Support the implementation of communication-related decisions made at the UN-Water Meetings and the implementation of activities described in the UN-Water Work Programmes. In particular, support the development and implementation of the communications activities of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework and the Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6;

• Liaise with media for interviews, identify opportunities and pitch stories as needed;

• Liaise with communications colleagues in the United Nations, especially Department of Global Communications in New York and UN Information Service in Geneva to keep aligned with system-wide communications and campaigns and exchange information;

• Coordinate writing speeches, briefings, presentations and articles;

• Coordinate UN-Water communications consultants for web and social media, editing, illustrations, layout, audio-visual production and graphic design;

• Coordinate and maintain the UN-Water communications network; Identify relevant speakers, organize meetings and assess effectiveness on a regular basis;

• Ensure appropriate branding of UN-Water publications including overseeing layout and support to outreach strategies, including promotional material for print/electronic/voice/visual media;

• Assist the organization of the UN-Water annual meetings.

• Support the strategic and operational coordination of the global communications campaigns World Water Day, World Toilet Day and Water Action Decade by working closely with relevant UN-Water Task Forces and Expert Groups;

• Work with UN-Water Members and Partners and other stakeholders to implement campaigns system-wide and to incorporate the campaign message and themes into all relevant events and products;

• Support the development of partnerships with influencers, goodwill ambassadors and other relevant stakeholders;

• Support the planning, preparation and implementation of events at relevant international fora.

• Lead and coordinate the migration of UN-Water’s websites into a new Content Management System;

• Support UN-Water’s digital platforms including UN-Water’s corporate and campaign websites and social media channels

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications is required, of which at least two years working in the UN system.

• Experience in international development issues as they relate to water and sanitation, including key players and processes, is required. 

• Experience in building and promoting good working relationships and collaboration across cultures and distance is required. 

• Practical experience in sustainable development, international policy, advocacy and website management is required. 

Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of French and/or other UN official languages is an advantage.

Contract type: INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT (ICA)

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Please include a one-page cover letter on how your academic qualifications and professional experience meet the requirements of the vacancy.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.