Chief of Communication, P-5, Dhaka, Bangladesh, #7121

Accountable for developing, managing, co-ordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on a regular and on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children's and women's rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office and at a global levei and those of the UN Country Team. Advice on the articulation of policies and strategies, with an emphasis on those that promote gender equality and equity.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Position

Accountable for developing, managing, co-ordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on a regular and on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding , support and respect for children's and women's rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office and at a global levei and those of the UN Country Team.

Advice on the articulation of policies and strategies , with an emphasis on those that promote gender equality and equity.

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks

1.   Communication strategy

Ensure that the Country Office has a clear communication strategy and associated work pian to support the country programme objectives and get children's issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives, and enhance the organization's credibility and brand.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and associated work pian. Strategy and work pian include an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences , messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact, success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.
• Draw on extensive strategy development experience and ensure optimum leverage and impact of communication activities on programme, policy and advocacy activities. UNICEF's rights- and results­ based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work pian and products. Strategy and work pian incorporate and reflect key programme priorities and processes.
• Ensure adequate and ongoing assessment of trends, social and political change and public interest. Factor these environmental variables back into communication strategy and refining its execution.
• Maintain close coordination with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall collaboration in communication strategy

2.   Media relations

Ensure that the Country Office has a well-managed country communication team that maintains and continually develops a contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media - print, TV, radio, web etc. - and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of UNICEF's cooperation to a wider audience. New ways are identified to increase positive exposure and leverage that prominence for new opportunities for UNICEF.

Duties & Tasks

• Manage a country communication team that effectively executes a proactive and comprehensive media relations work pian encompassing the elements noted below.
• Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by carrying out media, information and education activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
• Develop, maintain and update media relations contact lisUdatabase. Develop, maintain and grow partnerships with key media outlets/organizations for local and global use. Seek new ways to increase positive exposure and leverage that prominence for new opportunities for UNICEF.
• Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materiais etc.
• Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.
• ldentify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materiais in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners, public and other audiences.
• Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits , facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materiais and share results and findings with regional and HQ communication colleagues.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.

3.   Communication, networking and partnerships

Manage a country communication team to ensure that the Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of individuals, groups, organizations, whose support is essential to assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the communication strategy. Network is developed, strengthened and maintained with the UN Country Team, UN communication counterparts and high-level counterparts in key partner organizations.

Duties & Tasks

• Manage a country communication team that effectively executes a proactive and comprehensive networking and partnerships strategy encompassing the elements noted below.
• Develop, maintain and update partners contact lisUdatabase . Develop, maintain and grow partnerships with organizations for local and global use. ldentify among the partners a handful of organizations whose reach extends beyond national borders and co-ordinate closely with DOC and the regional office in extending their impact and use beyond national borders.
• Establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings , joint projects , information sharing, etc.
• Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materiais , activities , processes and messages shared with partners.
• ldentify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information , supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
• Monitor and evaluate results and effectiveness of working with partners and share results and findings with regional and HQ communication colleagues.
• UNICEF to be a reliable partner in national programme planning and development , pursuing gender mainstreaming and principies of gender equity.

4.   Celebrities and special events

Ensure that the Country Office has a well-managed national ce/ebrity relations programme with a well maintained and continually developed contact list of appropriate, nationally-known personalities who have been identified, engaged and support UN/CEF's efforts and who actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals. Among these high-profi /e individuais a handful are identified whose recognition levei extends beyond national borders and co-ordinate closely with DOC and the regional office in extending their impact and use beyond national borders.

Duties & Tasks

• Manage a country communication team that effectively develops , maintains and updates celebrities contact lisUdatabase .
• In close co-ordination with DOC's celebrity relations staff , identify, develop, maintain and grow relationships with personalities with reach beyond national boundaries for local and global use.
• Establish, document , review and refine process of working with celebrities, including special events, media opportunities, field trips etc.
• Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc. including preparing information materiais (e.g., press releases, programme summaries , country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic arrangements. Apply country communication resources to highlight the achievements of the country programme . Maintain clase collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
• Monitor and evaluate results and effectiveness of working with celebrities and share results and findings with regional and HQ communication colleagues.

5.   Global priorities and campaigns

In addition to locallnational campaigns, ensure that the Country Office has an effective process in place for integrating and taking action on UNJCEF's global communications priorities and campaigns, both disseminating these e/ements in a locally-appropriate way, as wel/ as providinglenabling coverage of the work in the country for global use.

Duties & Tasks

• Manages the work of the country communication team to include support for UNICEF's global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materiais and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns.
• Use established contacts, networks, resources and processes to support these global elements.
• Use country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to identify and draw attention to effective relevant programme activities and results.
• Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.

6.   Resource mobilization support

Ensure that global and country-level fundraising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategy and activities.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop, deploy and mobilize country office communication team capacity to support and gather/facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts that support national and global resource mobilization efforts. Use the opportunity to identify and draw attention to effective relevant programme activities and results.
• Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
• Support the CSR Specialist (P3) in the implementation and roll-out of the Ready-Made Garment Sector lnitiative and UNICEF's engagement with business on child rights in Bangladesh. Building on these experiences, support the development of the overall CSR strategy for the country.
• Support the Fundraising and Partnership Specialist (NOC) in the development and implementation of the Resource Mobílization Strategy and any related activities.

7.   Management

Ensure that the human resources (the communication team) and financia/ resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) for the communication section of the Country Office are both effectively managed and optimally used.

Duties & Tasks

• Develop a work pian for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met.
• Pian and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement of funds, make sure that funds are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds.
• ldentify, recruit and supervise communication staff , technical resources and consultants as necessary.
• Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.
• Participate in the Country Office's broader planning and budgeting exercises.

8.   Monitoring and evaluation

Ensure that communication baselines are established against which the objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuous/y improve the effectiveness of communication strategy, approach and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

Duties & Tasks

• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary These may have multiple uses in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan etc.
• Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective
• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings with country, regional and HQ colleagues so best practices and insights can benefit UNICEF's communication work.

9.   Capacity building and support

Ensure that the Representative and the country programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of communication as required; opportunities for development among the country communication team and other colleagues are identified and addressed; opportunities to build communication capacity among media and other relevant partners are identified and addressed.

Duties & Tasks

• Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building the capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training , access to information, supplies and equipment , and developing training and orientation material.
• Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.
• Build the Country Office communication capacity to independently produce, transmit and distribute content in multiple media formats - print, photos, audio , video , web etc. - for local and global use, adhering to the quality standards and production guidelines set by DOC.
• Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.
• ldentify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training , access to information , supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.

10.  Advisory support and communication for strategic results

• Implementation of UNICEF programme (regional) plans, ensuring communication on gender and equity issues are mainstreamed across all programmes.

11.  Emergency preparedness and response plans addresses gender issues that may be expected to intensify during emergencies.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

• Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or other related fields of disciplines.  A first level university degree (Bachelor's), with a combination of relevant academic qualifications and 14 years of experience in the field of journalism, communications, external relations, public affairs, public relations or corporate communications may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• Ten years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, new media.
• International and national work experience in both developed and developing countries.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.
• Fluency in English and another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies

• Communication - Level III
• Working with People - Level III
• Drive for Results - Level III

Functional Competencies

• Leading and Supervising - Level III
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts - Level III
• Analyzing - Level II
• Relating and Networking - Level III
• Persuading and Influencing - Level III
• Entrepreneurial Thinking - Level III

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.