Communication Specialist (Field Content Gathering)

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Under UNICEF’s mandate to promote the rights and well-being of every child, communication plays a critical role in making the situation of children visible, documenting results, and mobilising support for programmes that protect and advance children’s rights in Afghanistan. In a complex and rapidly changing operating environment, high-quality, ethical and timely field content is essential to show how UNICEF and partners are reaching children and families, particularly in hard-to-reach, emergency-affected and underserved areas.

Field missions and story gathering are central to the work of the Communication and Advocacy section. The section leads the planning, production and dissemination of human-interest stories, photographs, videos, social media content, web stories, donor visibility materials and other communication products that explain UNICEF’s work, amplify children’s voices, and demonstrate results for children.

To support these efforts, UNICEF Afghanistan is seeking a UN Volunteer to join the Communication and Advocacy team. The UNV will have a strong field orientation, with a primary focus on planning, coordinating and carrying out content-gathering missions across Afghanistan.

The role will include identifying compelling story opportunities, preparing mission plans and interview guides, coordinating multimedia production, gathering accurate and child-sensitive content, and ensuring that all materials are consent-based and aligned with UNICEF communication standards, safeguarding principles and office priorities.

- Plan, coordinate and undertake regular field content-gathering missions to UNICEF field offices, outposts and programme locations, in line with office priorities, security guidance and operational feasibility.

- Develop mission plans and content packages, coordinate content gathering by photographers, videographers and field colleagues, including preparation of briefs, mission schedules, interview guidance, quality control of captions and stories, and follow-up on missing information.

- Gather, draft and produce high-quality human-interest stories, photo essays, captions, web stories, short-form video concepts, social media content and donor visibility materials that document UNICEF-supported results for children and families.

- Work closely with programme sections and field offices to identify strong story leads, verify technical details, document results, secure clearances, and ensure that produced content reflects UNICEF's programme priorities and the realities of communities served.

- Contribute to the section's editorial planning by tracking upcoming field opportunities, maintaining a pipeline of stories and multimedia products, and supporting the timely dissemination of content across UNICEF channels and with regional and global teams.

- Monitor donor visibility efforts and performance and support the identification of areas for improvement to ensure quality, strategic prioritization (e.g., major donors), and alignment with office-wide communication priorities.

- Facilitate internal communication on donor recognition, working with programme sections to ensure awareness of and compliance with donor visibility requirements. Track follow-up on allocation emails and contribute to internal coordination platforms such as programme and management meetings.