Communications Officers at the United Nations World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to end global hunger.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

WFP is seeking individuals with experience working in culturally sensitive, remote, and complex environments, to fill the position below at the P3 level, based in Maiduguri, Nigeria:

Job Title: Communications Officer

Ref.: 16-0022422
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Level: P3

Job Summary
Under the general supervision and guidance of the Deputy Country Director or the designate the Communications Officer, P3 will be responsible for the following key duties:

• Develop, maintain and update an appropriate work plan for the assigned area, which implements the corporate communications strategy, in order to maintain and enhance the visibility and reputation of WFP, and support fundraising activities, ensuring alignment with WFP strategy.
• Plan, manage and evaluate communications campaigns that favourably impact the views of the public, opinion leaders and donors in order to raise WFP’s profile and support fundraising activities.
• Prepare communications products that effectively convey the desired message to targeted audience(s).
• Maintain and develop a contact list of journalists and media outlets, and manage the regular flow of news/information about WFP’s work to the media, ensuring reputational risks are identified and managed.
• Define a social media plan for the assigned area which leverages social media content, platforms, networks and partners to enhance coverage and support of WFP’s activities.
• Generate and/or facilitate the production of donor specific visibility content including, text, photos, videos and audio for use across a range of integrated online platforms, in order to support global and country fundraising activities, ensuring consistency with corporate messages.
• Track and analyse traditional and online media, to identify trends and/or issues, and propose solutions and ideas to improve the effectiveness of communication strategy and activities.
• Manage junior communications officers/team, develop work plans, monitor performance against objectives, and ensure appropriate development to enable high performance.
• Coordinate and prepare accurate and timely reporting on communications activities that enables informed decision-making, evaluation of objectives and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Build capacity of WFP staff on all aspects of external relations communication, providing advice, guidance and training to ensure consistent, quality communications activities that deliver the desired impact.
• Work in close collaboration with counterparts to align activities and ensure a coherent approach to communications within WFP.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of communications specific risks.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications & Experience Required
Education:

• Advanced University degree in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

• At least five years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience as a journalist or communications/public information officer, including minimum of 1 year of international experience;
• Development of information strategies and programmes;
• Experience of managing small teams of staff with related areas of expertise

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

• Sound theoretical understanding of Communications concepts and principles with a broad knowledge of best practices, techniques and processes and specialized knowledge in a specific area;
• Ability to develop, manage and control small budgets;
• Knowledge of common business principles and processes and the ability to quickly assimilate UN/WFP specific processes and systems;
• Ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information.

Competencies:

• Good communication and negotiation skills with the ability to persuade, influence and adapt communication style to different situations and individuals;
• Excellent oral, editing and writing skills;
• Well organized and detail oriented;
• Ability to work independently and on a team with other Communications Officers and other units

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English
• Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages).

Terms and Conditions

• Selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year and eligible for the Rest and Recuperation (R&R) scheme.
• He/she will be required to travel abroad sometime to remote and difficult locations.
• WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, pension plan, and medical insurance. For more details please visit: icsc.un.org

Application Closing Date
30th September, 2016.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Procedures

• Candidate should click on the link above
• Step 1: Register and create your online CV.
• Step 2: Click on “Description” to read the position requirements and “Apply” to submit your application.

Note

• You must complete Step 1 and 2 in order for your application to be considered for this vacancy.
• Qualified African national and female applicants are especially encouraged to apply.