• Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
• Location: Brazzaville
• Grade: P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
• Occupational Groups:
  • Communication and Public Information
  • External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
  • Public, Private Partnership
• Closing Date: 2022-07-26

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, an advocate….

The UNICEF Congo Brazzaville Country office is a small-medium UNICEF Country office. The 2020-2024 Country Programme, signed between UNICEF and the Government of Republic of Congo, aims to promote the delivery of an integrated package of quality services for children and promote the education and protection of adolescents, using the life-cycle approach and supporting the equity focus included in the 2030 Agenda, namely, to leave no child behind and help the most disadvantaged first, in the particular context of the Republic of Congo as a Low Middle Income Country. 

To meet Programme strategies and results, the office will need committed and creative professionals who want to make a lasting difference for Congolese children.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the job

The Communication specialist (Partnerships) reports to the Representative and is responsible for the development and nurturing of public and private partnerships; resource mobilization; and the development, management and implementation of an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities to promote child rights and UNICEF’s mandate, as well as support resources mobilization. The specialist will closely work with the Deputy Representative for Programme to ensure the contribution and integration with the AMP priorities and those of the Communications and Advocacy Strategy. 

Communication strategy

Ensures that the Country Office has a clear communication strategy and associated work plan to support the country programme objectives, to mobilise support in getting children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives, and to enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.

Media relations and digital outreach

Ensures that the Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, community radios, web etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of UNICEF's cooperation to a wider audience.

Networking and partnerships/ Donor relations

Ensures that the Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed engagement with key stakeholders, including national and international media outlets and leaders, influencers, child rights champions, opinion leaders and others whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving UNICEF’s advocacy and communication objectives

Celebrities and special events

Ensures that the Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of appropriate, nationally known personalities who have been identified, engaged and support UNICEF’s effort and who actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals.

Resource mobilization support

Seeks and promotes new public and private partnerships and resource mobilization opportunities, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.

Management

Ensure that human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management, and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.

Monitoring and evaluation

Ensure that communication baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy, approach, and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

Capacity building and support

Ensure that the Representative/ and the country programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of external relations communication, partnerships and resource mobilization as required; opportunities are identified and addressed for building capacity among country communication, partnership and resource mobilization team, media and other relevant partners.

 Proposals and Reports oversight

Coordinates drafting of high-quality funding proposals to donors and drafting funding agreements as per donors’ framework agreements. Develops and Edit donor reports and other mandatory and special reports. Develops, and mobilize country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you should have:

Education

An advanced university degree is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, marketing, public affairs, or other related field.

Work Experience and Requirements:

At least five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience is required in one or more of the following areas: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, communications, and advocacy.

International and national work experience. 

Language Proficiency

Fluency in both French and English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

Female candidates are highly encouraged.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the UNICEF’s core competencies:

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness
• Works Collaboratively with others
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Innovates and Embraces Change
• Thinks and Acts Strategically
• Drive to achieve impactful results
• Manages ambiguity and complexity

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable non-national of the country of assignment candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.