Communications Specialist - Public Relations and Outreach

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects worldwide. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to various governments, donors and United Nations organizations. 

UNOPS Africa Region (AFR) has approximately 300 operational projects in 40 countries and counts over 800 personnel, with an annual delivery value of more than US$400 million. The regional portfolio of programmes and projects focuses mainly on supporting fragile and conflict-affected African states in infrastructure development and procurement in support of health, peace and security as well as social infrastructure interventions.

The office of the Regional Director - Africa provides strategic leadership, technical guidance, and advisory support and oversight to the operations across offices within the Africa region. The region’s operations are divided into five sub-regional Multi-Country Offices (MCOs). The Office of the Regional Director is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

• Monitor new initiatives from key partners in Africa and advise how UNOPS should position ourselves in relation to those.
• Monitor crisis and disaster, whether man-made or natural, in Africa and coordinate with the Regional Director, relevant MCOs and PLG, what UNOPS’ response should be.
• Develop positioning and business development communication materials – including in Infrastructure, renewable energy and procurement –  to help showcase the expertise and experience of UNOPS in AFR and the successful implementation of  projects in line with UNOPS mandated areas. 

• Identify events at regional and global levels that are of strategic importance to UNOPS and where UNOPS AFR should take part.
• Identify and/or contribute to organizing side events or panel discussions at key events for UNOPS related to Africa. Additionally, provide communications guidance  to UNOPS personnel speaking at or participating in events organized by partner organizations - including preparing talking points, background research and other relevant information.
• Support and provide recommendations on outreach activities with key partners, particularly those that also have regional offices based in Nairobi.      

• In coordination with the Senior partnerships advisor, the AFR communication specialist and the Communications Group, the specialist will oversee the implementation of the external communication strategy and the implementation action plan for the region.
• Review and support the implementation of the Multi-Country Office communication strategies to ensure alignment with the regional communication strategy. 
• In close collaboration with the AFR Communication Specialist, the Communications Group and MCO/CO colleagues, coordinate and/or support updates to relevant pages on UNOPS website on a regular basis. 
• Develop, monitor and implement protocols to prevent and manage potential reputational or media communications crisis situations in coordination with the Senior partnerships Advisor, the AFR communications personnel and the Communications Group and other relevant stakeholders. 

• A Master's Degree preferably in Communication,  Journalism,  Public Administration, Economics, International Development, Political Science, or International Relations or related field; or

• A first University degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Administration, Economics, International Development, Political Science, or International Relations or related field with a minimum of seven (7) years of qualifying experience may be accepted instead of the advanced university degree.

• A minimum of five years of experience in communication, public relations, outreach and/or related fields is required. 

• A minimum of 2 years of  experience with United Nations agencies/ government/ international cooperation and/or international organizations is required.

Desired qualifications (none of the below limits candidates' eligibility)

• Experience managing or preventing communicational and reputational crises is desirable.

• Experience leveraging online communication tools and methodologies (such as online monitoring, web analytics, or other online measurement tools) and developing and analyzing online communications performance indicators is desirable. 

• Excellent understanding of the intersection of technology, web, design, editorial, digital, social media and multimedia platforms to tell engaging, impactful and informative stories is desirable.

Contract type:  International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
Contract level: IICA-2/ ICS10
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• 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.