Job Summary: The incumbent will be under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative under the overall guidance of the Representative. The Communications Officer will lead UNHCR Japan communications team in strategy, planning, development, and implementation of strategic public engagement initiatives including global and regional campaigns, and public information programmes. The incumbent will be responsible for growing UNHCR’s brand awareness in Japan, overseeing the cultivation of relationships with influencers who can help UNHCR Japan to reach new audiences in Japanese society, and directly manage and oversee content planning, including strengthening the use of social media. Understanding how to use and leverage storytelling and centering diverse voices of forcibly displaced and stateless persons and UNHCR staff, to bring operations closer to the people of Japan, is critical. The incumbent will lead on strengthening of joint planning with J4U to leverage each other’s strengths for organisational goals. The incumbent is expected cultivate, nurture, and grow UNHCR’s media and public relations networks, and act as the primary contact with the Global Communications Services team.

The Communications Officer must have experience working in complex political and social environments. Priority will be given to seasoned experts with demonstrated capabilities to successfully spearhead communications/public relations strategies in complex contexts with proven skills in managing for results. The selected candidate should have prior management experience and will be expected to motivate the communication team members, build capacity, assess performance, and oversee the work of external consultants. High level of Japanese proficiency is required.

Duties
– Support the development and implementation of communications strategies for countries, situations and special projects; identify thematic priorities and target audiences to meet UNHCR’s global communications objectives.
– Monitor news and popular trends to insert UNHCR’s messaging into ongoing conversations; identify key moments for proactive communications.
– Forge strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations who can help produce and promote UNHCR content, activities and messaging as well as provide research insights to improve communications; promote the work of engaged businesses and civil society actors.
– Contribute to development of news-driven and authoritative content to lead the narrative on forced displacement and show UNHCR’s impact (e.g. interviews, press releases, flagship reports, speeches), create emotive storytelling to generate empathy (e.g. stories, multimedia content) and mobilize action by signposting concrete steps people can take to help refugees (e.g. digital diplomacy, action-driven campaigns, fundraising).
– Ensure content created reaches maximum impact by developing strategies for distribution from the outset, boosting the visibility of our content on relevant UNHCR channels and placing it on external channels.
– Closely monitor the implementation of communications projects and adjust accordingly. Benchmark the results of communications projects against set success indicators; build on communications successes.

Additional duties for news and media roles:
– Develop and implement communications strategies, campaigns, events and other initiatives in support of UNHCR’s strategic objectives, including its need for leading share of voice on refugee and related matters, and ensure coverage of refugee situations in their country or region in global and domestic media.
– Research, prepare, fact-check, edit and produce professional media and communications materials for target audiences and ensure their timely dissemination via UNHCR’s communications channels, ensuring highest quality standards.
– Draft media releases, statements and media briefing notes, and secure clearances, working in conjunction with relevant focal points and keeping sensitive to needs of both internal and external audiences.
– Act as a spokesperson for UNHCR, organizing press events, handling interviews requests and providing responses to requests from media relating to UNHCR and its work.
– Engage with journalists and public audiences via social media channels.
– Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior staff of UNHCR.
– Undertake missions and field trips with media and other official visitors in support of UNHCR and its work.
– Actively maintain media relations for UNHCR, ensuring that media (and other important external stakeholders, such as governments, embassies, NGOs etc.) are briefed regularly on issues of importance to UNHCR, and have access to information and UNHCR expertise.
– Prepare and manage communications budgets.
– Ensure alignment with UNHCR’s global branding and messaging.
– Continually maintain and upgrade communications skills, keeping abreast of emerging platforms and tools, and systematically reviewing media impact results and other measurement tools for learning purposes.

Additional duties for news and media roles within the Global Communications Service
– Oversee coordination of communications work for their designated regions and thematic issues, working closely with communications staff in bureaux and country offices and in collaboration with the senior communications officers/advisers in that region.
– Manage a wide network of relationships at all levels across bureaux, divisions and offices (including the Executive Office) to ensure timely internal information sharing as a foundation for grounded communications, and to build consensus around communications proposals.
– Maintain close involvement in communications recruitment and training needs for assigned regions, keeping in mind UNHCR’s goals of employing and retaining the world’s leading humanitarian communications expertise.

Additional duties for news and media roles within Country Offices
– Act as the primary interface on communications matters between their country office and the Global Communications Service.
– Act as the lead for crisis communications work for their country, alerting the GCS/News & Media Section’s crisis communications lead to risk issues and ensuring close coordination.

Additional duties for news and media roles within Regional Bureaux
– Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior Bureau staff and Representatives of Country Operations overseen by the Bureau.
– Oversee data and information gathering and sharing of information with a view to ensuring the Bureau’s authority as a centre of up to date knowledge and expertise relating to its region.
– Assist the Senior Management of the Bureau to implement advocacy objectives for the Bureau, and oversee development of supporting communications strategies for these, working in conjunction with staff of the Global Communications Service and communications staff in the region.
– Ensure Bureau staff are aware of UNHCR’s global positioning needs.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Journalism; International Relations; Political Science;
Communications; Public Information; Media, Film / Video;

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 4years of professional experience in journalism and/or communications, mainly at international level.

Desirable
Experience developing and implementing communications strategies. Strong social media presence. Experience working on advocacy campaigns. Experience working with goodwill ambassadors and other high-profile influencers. Experience with brand management. Experience with measurement and evaluation, especially providing analysis of media coverage, social media engagement, web traffic, etc. Experience reporting, writing, editing for magazines, newspapers and websites. Experience using digital asset management systems. Experience with digital analytics and performance reporting.

Functional Skills
Required skills will vary according to the precise nature of the role, location, etc. but may include:
CO-Drafting and Documentation
CO-International Media Contacts
CO-Preparation of key messages/talking points/speeches
CO-Spokesperson skills
CO-Strategic Communication
CO-Public Speaking
CO-Video production for digital platforms (including news organizations)
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
CO-Editing
CO-Digital content production
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements