Communication Specialist (Inclusive Storytelling), (P-4), TA (364 days), Post # 131524, Marketing and Public Relations services, PFP, Geneva, Switzerland

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. 

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling. 

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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF. 

For every child, a Champion 

The PFP Supporter Content team is looking for a creative, experienced communications professional who has an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of women and children in the context of humanitarian aid and development programmes.   

The professional will have the knowledge and experience in content creation with marginalized and affected communities. It is through this experience, knowledge, and consciousness of global representational trends, that the role will test, implement, and build capacity among UNICEF’s fundraising offices in using UNICEF’s Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework.  

Over the last 18 months, UNICEF has developed an Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework and piloted its implementation. This is an appropriate approach to planning, gathering, and producing content with and about the people affected e.g., through collaborative or participatory production methods and post-production.  The framework incorporates available audience insights, new trends, and ways of storytelling in a way that can connect the issues with UNICEF’s private sector audiences in a meaningful way and enlist their support. UNICEF is now embarking on further developing the Inclusive Storytelling initiative and seeking to mainstream it across the organization, for fundraising purposes and beyond.  

How can you make a difference? 

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

Under the supervision of the Communications Manager of the Supporter Content Team, working closely and matrixed managed with the Chief of Content Strategy in DGCA, while collaborating with the team members across UNICEF, a small reference group of stakeholders, as well as relevant, national committees, country and regional offices and headquarters, the role will undertake the following tasks: 

1. Develop an annual work plan for regularly convening of a reference group of UNICEF stakeholders to:  

• Build capacity among UNICEF’s fundraising offices (national committees and country offices) in using UNICEF’s Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework. 
• Build and support a community of practice and group of champions relating to UNICEF’s Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework; 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gain/share knowledge regarding market testing of UNICEF’s Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework.
• Facilitate information related to UNICEF’s imagery guidance, as needed.  

2. Develop an annual work plan for regular convening of a reference group of interagency stakeholders to: 

• Build a global community of practice relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion in storytelling with inter-agency stakeholders in the development and aid sector. 
• Facilitate information related to UNICEF’s imagery guidance, as needed.  

3. Develop and produce content:  

Based on UNICEF’s Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework, the role will develop a content production plan and facilitate the development of content that will include: 

• Repurposed assets using archive material on UNICEF’s Digital Asset Management platform WeShare to create new assets. Working with National Committees to produce fundraising content that aligns with the Inclusive Storytelling framework. 
• Creative conceptual assets using graphic/ animated elements.
• Remote-produced content by remotely working with content creators and country, regional offices to produce content packages. 
• In-country content production by travelling to relevant countries to produce content packages (working in collaboration with local content creators and UNICEF staff).
• Oversee and manage the post-production of all the content and where necessary also do their own post-production eg video editing. 
• Ensuring that all content production and post-production meets UNICEF’s ethical and technical specifications and is prepared with various versions for dissemination across platforms. 
• Supervise packaging and distribution and archiving of content on WeShare for use by UNICEF across fundraising and communications platforms. 

4. Advise and support the development and implementation of capacity-building workshops and events for UNICEF National Committees, HQ divisions, Regional Offices and Country Offices in Inclusive Storytelling.  

5. Develop a guideline, documenting the lessons learnt from the experience and document any refinements and testing results shared by national committees who used the content during the period. This guide can include practical application of the approach which can be used in future content production by particularly fundraising markets, country offices, and in capacity building endevours. 

Deliverables: 

• Established core group of stakeholders across the ecosystem to advance the work related to inclusive storytelling. 
• Established community of practice related to UNICEF’s Inclusive Storytelling Narrative Framework to support capacity building amongst UNICEF’s fundraising offices. 
• Capacity building workshops and events for UNICEF National Committees, HQ divisions, Regional Offices and Country Offices in Inclusive Storytelling. 
• Relevant content designed, developed and produced aligned to the established framework.
• Guidelines produced to support stakeholders to effectively align to the framework.  

Estimated duration of the contract: 

• 364 days 

Reporting to: 

• The Communications Manager – Supporter Content. Supporter Content Team in UNICEF, PFP Geneva. 

Working Place: 

• Geneva, Switzerland is the official duty station. (Flexible work arrangements may be applied if there is a need) 

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have… 

Education:  

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Marketing, Communications, the humanities, journalism, broadcast, or another relevant field. 
• Alternatively, a first-level University Degree in a relevant field combined with (2) additional years of qualifying professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 

• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience is required in communications, content production, media development, and/or child rights programming or development.
• Experience in creative direction and production is required. 
• Experience working with content creators/participants using collaborative and participatory approaches is an asset. 
• Experience in animation and graphic design is an asset. 
• Experience in project management is required. 
• Experience in working with creative teams or agencies and a sound understanding of the creative process is an asset. 
• Experience in the NGO sector and/or UN is an asset. 
• Experience working closely with women and children in communities affected by humanitarian responses and/or development contexts is required. 
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is an asset. 

Language Requirements:  

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.  

For every Child, you demonstrate... 

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are… 

• 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) 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits. 

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. 

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially. 

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled. 

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