Job Description
| Organization | United Nations Volunteers |
| Description of assignment title | Communications Officer – Social Media |
| Host Entity | UNOCHA |
| Country | Sudan |
| Duty Station | Khartoum |
| Type | Onsite |
| Start Date | 02/03/2022 |
| Duration | 12 months (with possibility of extension) |
| Volunteer category | National UN Volunteer Specialist |
Details
Mission and objectives
The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the UN Secretariat department responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. OCHA also ensures that there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA Sudan addresses and facilitates issues relating to coordination, policy, advocacy, information management, and humanitarian financing, and serves the entire humanitarian community. In doing this, OCHA works with Government counterparts and the Sudanese Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC). OCHA provides support to the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in Sudan. Working with the entire humanitarian community, OCHA looks to foster a conducive operating environment that facilitates the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance (both material assistance and protection assistance). Crucially, OCHA promotes compliance with humanitarian principles in the humanitarian response. This is an essential element of effective humanitarian coordination and is central to establishing and maintaining access to affected populations, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Sudan
Context
• As an active OCHA team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to OCHA and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including those mentioned in the task above outlined.
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace, development and humanitarian action during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Communication and Analysis or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Communications Officer will:
• Develop an overall social media strategy.
• Come up with new and creative ways that OCHA Sudan can use social media.
• Develop social media strategies and campaigns around the Sudan Humanitarian Needs Overview and Humanitarian Response Plan and other key events, including World Humanitarian Day.
• Creatively portray the Sudan Humanitarian Country Team’s key messages and humanitarian priorities on social media, catering for the different audiences of OCHA Sudan.
• Adapt content from OCHA and UN products into social media content.
• Produce social media content from the field, including photos and short videos that showcase critical humanitarian needs, responses, and gaps.
• Monitor and moderate comments on social media posts, intervening as appropriate to answer questions and guide the conversation.
• Support that the OCHA Sudan website is up to date with creative content.
• Support reporting and communications assignments, including articles for the website and for the Sudan Humanitarian Fund.
• Perform other duties as required. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible
Eligibility criteria
Age
27 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in • Experience in communication, humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency, relief management, or other areas preferably with experience with a UN organization or an NGO.
• Experience working in sensitive and fast-moving communications, advocacy and/or fundraising contexts.
• Experience producing and interpreting web or social media analytics to inform strategies and work plans.
• Strong editorial judgement, including ethical, and socio- political awareness.
• Ability to work with multi-cultural teams and international professions.
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, reporting skills.
• Fluency in oral and written English and Arabic is required. Candidates will be tested on their linguistic ability
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in social media platforms.
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
Area(s) of expertise
Communication, Crisis and emergency response, Social work
Driving license
–
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required Arabic, Level: Fluent, Required
Required education level
Master degree or equivalent in Communications, political science, international relations, development, humanitarian affairs or a related field.
Competencies and values
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Teamwork and respect for diversity
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards OCHA mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy
