News Writing and Multimedia Content Analyst (Retainer Contract), Multiple positions

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is a global, multi-stakeholder membership and partnership organization that advocates for improved sanitation and hygiene for the most vulnerable and marginalized people around the world. With the United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/45/181, WSSCC was established in 1990 to intensify “the coordination of national activities undertaken with the assistance of all relevant agencies in the field of water supply and sanitation.”

Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of Corporate Communications and Advocacy, in close collaboration with WSSCC’s Regional Units, the consultant will proactively produce and distribute newsworthy, accurate, and high-quality digital news and feature stories, photographs, video reports, and interactive social media content that will put a human face on the issues related to sanitation and hygiene in the above countries and promote WSSCC’s role in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6.2. The position will help WSSCC’s Corporate Communications and Media Unit to enhance its digital media performance, revitalize its brand, reinforce its narrative and reinvigorate its engagement with national, regional, and international audiences by increasing the quantity and improving the quality of its communications services and outputs.

In particular, one of the key story angles will be to showcase how WSSCC and its partners are carrying out their activities to “leave no one behind” and convey the importance of reaching out to the hardest-to-reach villages and the most marginalized people.

Additionally, the consultant will feature voices of the people who benefit from WSSCC’s interventions and highlight the impact that the work of WSSCC is having on their lives. The position will also make stories interesting and engaging by interviewing WSSCC partners and members – for example during WSSCC-supported workshops and events – and showcasing the challenges they face, the opportunities they would like to have, and how WSSCC is working together to scale up its interventions and impact. Video and social media content will be requested.

The target countries for this consultancy are Nepal, India, Madagascar, Kenya, Benin (covering Togo) and Nigeria. 

• Write news, feature stories and profile pieces for WSSCC’s website and other digital platforms to raise visibility of sanitation and hygiene, and the Council’s achievements;
• Proactively identify and research necessary story ideas and news subjects, and conduct interviews to produce such stories;
• Take high-quality photographs and film videos to capture WSSCC’s interventions;
• Liaise with a communications focal point at the executing agency such as the GSF Learning and Communications Officers to generate an editorial calendar and story ideas, with support from the WSSCC National Coordinator, implementing partners, WSSCC members and other key stakeholders;
• Send human-interest stories, videos and photos that are produced by GSF programmes as additional digital content for further dissemination;
• Travel, when needed, within country to cover stories and events supported by WSSCC and its Global Sanitation Fund as well as other key partners;
• Carry out effective communications campaigns and societal engagement with key partners where necessary;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of Corporate Communications and Advocacy

• At least one byline story per week is submitted for the WSSCC website
• At least one profile piece per month featuring WSSCC members is submitted
• Every story is fact-checked and proofread before it is sent to the Corporate Communications and Media Unit
• High-quality photos are submitted every week to compliment the above web stories
• At least one video story per month is submitted for WSSCC’s digital platform
• Send an email twice a week to the Corporate Communications and Media Unit to update story ideas, news agenda and coverage schedules
• An updated editorial calendar is submitted every month to summarise all upcoming events and coverage schedules as a basis for all the deliverables
• Initiated a weekly meeting with a communication focal point from the executing agency and other local partners, shared duties of the day and proactively made suggestions to improve the digital content production

• Experience in journalism to develop compelling content and generate response from audiences online;
• Demonstrated ability to write clear, articulate correspondence and communicate well (written and oral);
• Basic research and analytical skills; 
• Ability to take quality photographs and basic photo editing skills;
• Ability to film videos and basic video editing skills;
• Demonstrated experience in maintaining social media accounts, especially Facebook, as well as experience with new media executions, preferably with a development organization;
• Knowledge and understanding of local and global digital landscape and trends;
• Experience with graphic design, ability to create designs for digital media purposes in open source graphic design programmes;
• Ability to integrate PR/communication initiatives with social media;
• Previous UN and/or INGO experience in a similar role is highly desirable.

• Contract type: Local Contractor Agreement
• Contract level: Local Specialist Level 8
• Contract duration: Up to 150 working days within a year. Contract may be renewable subject to programme requirements, funding availability, and satisfactory performance.

• 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
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• 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.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  This is a local home based position and only nationals (or residency and work permit holders) of Nepal or India or Madagascar or Kenya or Benin or Nigeria are eligible to be considered for positions in those respective countries.

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.