Communication Assistant at UNICEF

Job no: 544300
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Level: G-5
Location: Nigeria
Categories: Communication / External Relations

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, a Champion!

The 2018-2022 country programme aims to demonstrate the impact, value and affordability of investing in long-lasting institutional and community-based systems and policies in favor of children’s survival, growth and development in Nigeria, whilst also ensuring the provision of rapid life-saving humanitarian assistance. UNICEF’s strategy to move towards universal coverage is to generate action-based evidence on the efficiency, effectiveness and replicability of models established in 14 selected focus states and LGAs.  Results for children will be accelerated in four high-impact areas of concern for children where UNICEF is uniquely placed to support Government, and which reduce Nigeria’s high share of the global burden of key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators, whether in proportionate or absolute terms, given the country’s significant demographic weight:  (a) Enrolment of children, especially girls, in early learning and primary school at the right age, to promote psychomotor and cognitive development in order to reduce the number of out-of-school children, to improve the quality of learning, and to strengthen gender equality in and through education; (b) Routine immunization, including against polio, for all children by 1 year of age with all required antigens and support for women to make informed and empowered decisions, including during pregnancy, to promote child survival and well-being towards ensuring more children survive and thrive; (c) Feeding, hygiene and sanitation practices to reduce high levels of stunting; (d) Attitudes, practices and beliefs that perpetuate gender discrimination against girls and women to reduce the high prevalence of child marriage and violence, support girls and women to make informed and empowered decisions, including during pregnancy and motherhood to promote child survival and well-being. These priorities are consistent with and reinforce the five Key Results for Children that UNICEF Nigeria has committed to, even though they pre-dated the development of the KRCs.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships (CAP) Manager, Communication will assist the communication and field office team with information gathering, monitoring, technical and administrative services, budgeting and programme management in support of Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships activities. Specifically, Communication Assistant will provide support to the CAP Manager, the Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships (CAP) Section and the Lagos Field Office as a whole.

To be successful in this role, candidates should be professional, polite, and attentive while also being accurate. They should always be prepared and responsive, willing to help and support others and meet each challenge directly. The Communication Assistant must be comfortable with computers, general office tasks, programme budgeting, excel at both verbal and written communication. Most importantly, the preferred person must demonstrate that they have a genuine desire to meet the needs of others.

Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks:

1. Support communications planning, execution, and budget management

• Collects information, supports CAP team to conduct interviews of beneficiaries and partners to contribute to the drafting of human-interest stories, photo essays, videos, social media posts and other relevant products.
• Helps organize and generate public support for special events and activities; assists in the preparation of communication materials for briefing and visits of media, goodwill ambassadors, donors, National Committee representatives, private sector partners,and other special interest groups. Assists in the planning, logistic and administrative arrangements for them.
• Assists in updating content on UNICEF social media platforms (local website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) in English.
• Assists in developing and maintaining close collaboration with mass media, as well as with groups and organizations whose support is essential to the achievement of advocacy, partnerships and communications objectives.
• Manages, updates the CAP section’s action tracker and remind colleagues of the required actions.

2. Support to communication service delivery

• Liaises with contractors (photographers, video crews, writers, translators, designers and printing companies, etc). Assists in the preparation, production and editing of communication, advocacy and partnerships assets produced by contractors / Long Term Agreements, and oversees the qualitative aspects of production, (e.g., quality control, translations, reviews of layout, graphic design and printing) done by them.
• Assists in the review of communication, advocacy, visibility products to ensure quality control and adherence to UNICEF standards in English.
• Assists in the monitoring of the appropriate and timely dissemination of advocacy, partnerships and communications materials to target audiences.
• Establishes/maintains an up-to-date documentation centre for publications, press releases and clippings, as well as photographic and audio-visual materials (photo library) and mailing lists.

3. Support in managing programme results

• Plans and issues payments follows up on cash advance, liquidation and budget using UNICEF’s system VISION for the CAP Section.
• Summarizes information reflecting current obligations and future programme and/or budgetary implications; organizes data and information, prepare and maintain records, document and control plans for the monitoring of communication strategy implementation.
• Stand in for the Programme Assistant in his absence.

4. Administrative, logistical, and clerical support

• Scrutinizes plans of operations, exchanges of letters and takes appropriate follow-up action. Assists in the administrative process of requests for assistance for the CAP Section.
• Required to carry out specific administrative operational/control tasks for project/programme activities for the CAP Section.
• Manages Knowledge Management/Enterprise Content Management site for Lagos office.
• Performs other duties of the office as required.

5. Maintain knowledge management/Enterprise Content Management site for the office

Job Requirements

• Completed secondary education required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the work of the organization
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience supporting programme management, development communication, programme budgeting and programme management work.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Click here to view our competency framework http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

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/

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

Employment offer is conditional upon receipt of medical clearance, any clearance required and completion of any other pre-employment criteria that UNICEF may establish. Candidates may not be further considered or offers of employment may be withdrawn if these conditions are unlikely to be met before the date for commencement of service.

Application Deadline: 16 Sep 2021 W. Central Africa Standard Time

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