Communications Associate

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, working in 177 countries and territories. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP is committed to helping the country through strengthened national and local capacities to carry out political, economic and social reforms and promote development. In the programmatic period 2021-2025, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework will guide the work of authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the United Nations (UN). Commitment to work together and achieve priorities in BiH is expressed by: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), future accession to the European Union, the Joint Socio-Economic Reforms (Reform Agenda) 2019-2022, and the human rights commitments of BiH, including other agreed international and regional development goals, and treaty obligations and conventions. 

The Communications Associate will be engaged part-time (50%) across each of two significant EU-funded interventions implemented within the UNDP Good Governance Sector:

• The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 3 (ReLOaD3) continues the EU-UNDP partnership and previously supported initiatives—ReLOaD 1 and 2—implemented from 2017 to 2024. ReLOaD3 continues to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU integration process in the Western Balkans (WB) by empowering civil society and youth to actively participate in decision-making and by stimulating an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society. The programme is implemented in the following IPA beneficiaries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Working across the WB region, ReLOaD3 will enhance the capacities of local governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage in productive partnerships and contribute to improved service delivery and realization of local priorities in line with local development strategies and needs. The ReLOaD3 budget is USD 13.39 million and its duration is 48 months (Feb 2025 – Jan 2029). 
• Support to Immediate Recovery from the 2024 Floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina (FRP) is an EU-funded intervention, designed to provide immediate response to needs of the population in local communities in BiH directly affected by the natural disaster declared in October 2024. The project will operate in up to 8 local governments in BiH, helping them effectively and sustainably recover from the floods, especially focusing on socially and economically vulnerable population, women-headed households, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. The Project activities will entail rehabilitation and/or (re)construction of housing units, public facilities, small scale community infrastructure and support to agricultural producers and MSMEs in restoring their businesses. The envisaged duration of the Project is 32 months, starting from February 2025.

Under the direct co-supervision of the ReLOaD Project Manager and FRP Project Manager, the Communication Associate, based in the UNDP BiH office in Sarajevo, will manage and ensure the visibility and promotion of activities and results achieved under each intervention. 

Duties and Responsibilities

In close collaboration with the UNDP CO Communications Unit and the Head of the Communications Unit, the incumbent will perform the following functions:

Support project managers in implementation of the communication and advocacy plans:

• Support implementation of PR, outreach and awareness-raising activities including organizing and moderating media events and press conferences and ensure they are in line with relevant and prescribed communication and PR guidelines and approaches fully aligned with the visibility needs and interests of the principal partners;
• Implement communication plans aligned with the objectives of both projects and broader UNDP BiH goals, ensuring adherence to the visibility guidelines of donor(s) and UNDP;
• Ensure all communication and PR activities reflect the agreed principles, standards, and visibility requirements of donor(s) and UNDP;
• Report any potential deviations from communication guidelines or principles to the Project Managers and the Head of Communications;
• Support crisis management plans and actions, per instructions of Project Managers and the Head of Communications;
• Collaborate with the project teams to ensure timely delivery of communication outputs that support project goals while maintaining alignment with UNDP’s communication approach;
• Coordinate communication activities with ReLOaD3 participating UNDP Country teams and Comms personnel to ensure regional promotion of the ReLoaD3 intervention;
• Under guidance and in close collaboration with the Head of Communications and designated sectoral communications person, maintain close contact with media representatives in the country, and the Western Balkans region, providing support to building partnerships with the media. 

Support public relations and communication activities for both interventions:

• Support the production of communication materials, including human-interest stories, success stories, and updates, for media, websites, and social platforms;
• Prepare media advisories, press releases, and public calls to promote project milestones and engage beneficiaries;
• Draft talking points, key messages and speeches for respective staff. Providing background information and briefing materials per request;
• Monitor media coverage, create periodic reports for both interventions, and provide insights to enhance outreach effectiveness and impact;
• Collaborate with regional ReLOaD3 teams to create regional communication materials aligned with the project’s communication plan;
• Develop content that highlights partnerships between local governments and CSOs, emphasizing the visibility of project donor(s);
• Organize media events, including field visits and press briefings, in coordination with the Head of Communications and the Project Managers as well as donor(s), ensuring alignment with visibility guidelines;
• Support organization of ReLOaD3 related events both in BiH and the Western Balkans region, from the communications and PR perspective;
• Provide logistical and communication support for events involving project donor(s), local stakeholders, and other partners;
• Assist in coordinating media tours and ensure proper documentation and promotion of outcomes through donor(s) and UNDP channels;
• Monitor the performance of communication professionals engaged through UNDP rosters and PR companies to ensure high-quality and timely delivery of communication products;
• Coordinate and oversee tasks performed by external communication resources to ensure alignment with project communication plans and adherence to UNDP and donor visibility guidelines;
• Provide feedback to external communication professionals to maintain the quality of outputs and ensure they align with the projects’ and UNDP’s standards;
• Capture high-resolution photos and videos of project activities, ensuring proper archiving for future use;
• Support production and editing of videos, reports, and presentations that highlight project results and beneficiary stories;
• Support ReLOaD3 awarded civil society organizations in producing visibility materials by ensuring alignment with the project communication and visibility guidelines which include donor visibility requirements;
• Propose creative and innovative communication and visibility products and actions, compatible with the general communication guidelines and approach of UNDP and intervention donors, to enhance the effectiveness of the communication impact of both interventions;
• Regularly report progress and communication outcomes to the Project Managers and the Head of Communications, including regular media reports and media clippings for donor reporting purposes;
• Ensure all communication outputs produced by both projects and their external partners (awarded CSO and partner local governments) are reviewed and approved per established UNDP and project donor(s) guidelines before dissemination;
• Proactively identify and report to respective project managers and Head of Communications any reputational risks or communication challenges that could impact the visibility of UNDP or project donor(s);
• Establish and maintain an archive of photo and video materials;
• Provide support to the design process for reports and presentations to be published by the projects, using a wide range of media.

Support facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Participate in training on the UNDP Country Office communications and PR procedures;
• When necessary, under guidance of designated sectoral communications person and Head of Communications provide guidance to UNDP staff, in BiH and participating WB COs, on the interventions’-relevant Communications Strategy and PR procedures;
• When necessary, under guidance of designated sectoral communications person and Head of Communications organize training for the staff of both interventions on effective communications and advocacy;
• Under guidance of designated sectoral communications person and Head of Communications organize tailored PR & Communication trainings for ReLOaD3 programme partners (local governments and CSOs) based on needs; 
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Administer sub-websites and social media platforms for both interventions:

• Administer sub-websites and social media platforms for both projects in compliance with UNDP and project donor(s) guidelines;
• Produce engaging content for digital channels, including photos, videos, infographics, and written posts, tailored to specific audiences; 
• Develop plans for online communications aligned with the approved communication plans and guidelines.

Support gender equality mainstreaming;

• Ensures gender equality mainstreaming in every communication related to the implementation of the projects;
• Ensures that all communications material and media relate to sector are gender sensitive and evaluated from the gender point of view.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Communications Associate works under direct supervision of Project Managers and in close collaboration with the Country Office Communications Unit.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results:    
  • LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively:    
  • LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 
• Learn Continuously:    
  • LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility:    
  • LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination:     
  • LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner:    
  • LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:    
  • LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management:  
  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 
  • Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
  • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
• Communication:
  • Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
• Digital Awareness and Literacy:
  • Ability to monitor new and emerging technologies, as well as understand their usage, potential, limitations, impact, and added value. 
  • Ability to rapidly and readily adopt and use new technologies in professional activities, and to empower others to use them as needed.
  • Knowledge of the usage of digital technologies and emerging trends.
• Digital Asset Management:  
  • Ability to use digital asset management (DAM) systems to effectively store, share and organize digital assets such as images, videos and other media.
• Social Media Management:
  • Ability to represent and promote the UNDP brand in virtual communities and networks.
• Writing and Editing:
  • Ability to produce and/or edit written content in different BCS and English.
• Multimedia Writing/Editing:
  • Ability to create and/or edit content for multimedia.
     

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Communications, Journalism, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field will be given due consideration but is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years (with Secondary Education) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in public relations, communications or advocacy.

Required Skills:

• Experience in producing communication materials for print and online media; 
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP; 
• Experience and excellent knowledge of the media landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Desired Skills:

• Proficiency in Multimedia Tools: Experience with multimedia tools and software for creating and editing visual and audio content (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Premiere or Final Cut Pro, Canva);
• Social Media Management: Proven experience in managing social media accounts, including content creation, community engagement, and analytics;
• Prior UN experience.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

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