Communication Associate, GS6, FT, Quito Ecuador #569239

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, love

The Communication Section of UNICEF Ecuador designs and implements communication, digital communication, and advocacy strategies to position the needs of children on the public agenda, achieve changes in public policies and legislation, and promote behavior changes at the individual and family levels. The Communication Section also oversees brand visibility, manages relationships with media and celebrities, organizes events, executes campaigns, produces and disseminates content, designs materials, and supports the programmatic and fundraising areas. Additionally, it monitors news and the impact of UNICEF campaigns and events in media monthly.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the overall guidance of the UNICEF Representative and the direct supervision of the UNICEF Ecuador Communication Officer, the Communication Associate GS-6 will support the implementation of the communication and advocacy strategies in the planning, development, and monitoring of the digital communication strategies, reinforcing brand positioning and awareness, implementing effective knowledge management strategies and giving support to the core activities of the section.

The Communication Associate will collaborate closely with Programme Officers, Field Officers, Operations, and the Fundraising team and will be a focal point for coordinating with implementing partners, external stakeholders, and suppliers.

1. Support the implementation of Communication and Advocacy Strategies:

• Coordinate with suppliers and support in producing digital, print, or multimedia communication content, ensuring quality and correct use of UNICEF style, branding, and guidelines.
• Create and edit information materials, including articles for digital platforms, summaries, reports, and minutes.
• Coordinate and monitor processes with Communication Area suppliers.
• Compile thematic files for workshops, seminars, and other events.
• Cover events and assist in the production of events and campaigns.
• Deliver efficient operational support for individual and institutional section contracting, long-term agreements, and procurement operations.
• Establish communication benchmarks and assist in evaluating the communication strategy objectives.
• Assist in organizing field visits, press conferences, and one-on-one interviews.
• Support implementing and monitoring media campaigns and events for awareness-raising, advocacy and fundraising campaigns.
• Participate in monitoring the section’s performance and effectiveness and assist in creating and disseminating communication reports and outcomes.
• Implement other tasks in the country communication work plan and strategy as requested by the supervisor.

     2. Support in the development of the Digital Strategy:

• Support in the planning, developing and updating of the country’s digital outreach strategy, including messaging, audience identification, choice of social media platforms, key performance indicators, monitoring and evaluation of impact, success, and opportunities for improvement, and ongoing refinement of the strategy.
• Coordinate with social media providers and agencies to implement the social media strategy, ensuring that UNICEF’s KPIs are achieved. This includes all social media accounts and coordination of posting schedules, segmentation, and advertising.
• Ensure ongoing assessment of social media trends and practices and their application to the evolving strategy.
• Develop a weekly and monthly content management plan. Advise on content and overall user experience of social media sites.  Help refine and grow content on social media platforms. 
• Maintain and systematically grow UNICEF’s online community across all platforms. Identify and create conversations around issues related to UNICEF’s mandate and keep the online community engaged in a dynamic, interactive, and meaningful way. 
• Monitor the community manager’s activities.
• Coordinate information with the Communication, Programme, and Fundraising areas to develop Q&As for social media, ensuring timely responses to users’ questions through social media providers/community managers. Work to ensure consistency across all social media platforms.
• Conduct social media coverage for all UNICEF accounts, including U-Report channels.
• Support in the development of online campaigns and digital pieces of communication, advocacy, and fundraising campaigns.
• Work closely with the supervisor on the use and appropriateness of global communication materials such as publications, images, and multimedia products.
• Help select and supervise suppliers and agencies for application development, design, and production to use in the digital strategy.
• In consultation with the supervisor, identify and recruit influencers and digital ambassadors and engage them in campaigns. 
• Measure and report on social media campaigns using various reporting tools.
• Maintain an action plan in case of a crisis and promptly alert the Area.

3. Brand Visibility:

• Ensure that the UNICEF image is used according to the brand manual in all materials produced by the office and events organized.
• Conduct induction sessions for new UNICEF staff on adequately using the brand and logo, following the organization’s brand book and guidelines.
• Field and emergency visibility: Coordinate with Program Officers, Field Officers, and implementing partners on the brand visibility needs of UNICEF and donors (clothing, roll-ups, visibility materials, events).
• Coordinate the design production and collaborate with external suppliers or implementing partners for on-site delivery.
• Inform Programme Officers, Field Officers, or Focal Points that visibility and communication costs should be charged to projects or programs or included in the PCAs.
• Review the visibility plans of implementing partners and allies, ensuring the correct use of UNICEF’s communication and branding guidelines.
• Supervise the designs of visibility materials produced by partners in the field to authorize logo usage.
• Coordinate branding for Comprehensive Support Spaces and verify the correct use of the logo in these spaces.
• Document delivery receipts for materials.

4. Knowledge Management and archive:

• In coordination with the webmaster, maintain the section’s virtual knowledge management center (Sharepoint, Google Drive), ensuring regular updates.
• In coordination with the webmaster, manage the video and photo libraries (Flickr, WeShare, etc).
• Ensure that the digital communication archive is up-to-date and organized.
• Ensure that there is a backup of all editorial productions.
• Ensure that the video and photography archive is up-to-date and organized.
• Monitor and inventory visibility supplies in the Communication warehouse.
• Support the management of UNICEF Ecuador’s external website (Drupal) and intranet (Sharepoint), with approval from a course when the webmaster is unavailable. Elaborate and implement recommendations to improve the website.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.

• A minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience in communication, digital communication, including social media, journalism, and digital marketing. Previous experience in human rights or international organizations is considered an asset. Understanding multimedia production and photography is an asset.

• Fluency in English and Spanish is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness(3)Drive to achieve results for impact(4)Innovates and embraces change(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity(6)Thinks and acts strategically(7)Works collaboratively with others.

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 male and female are encouraged to apply.

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.