UNDP Jobs - 56030- Communications Specialist

Communications Specialist

Location :

GSSC, Cyberjaya, MALAYSIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

27-May-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

12 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations Development Program Global Shared Service Centre (UNDP-GSSC) officially commenced its operations at Cyberjaya, Malaysia, in January 2012. The UNDP-GSSC serves over 160 Country Offices, Regional Bureaus and Headquarters in support of the adoption of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) namely in in the areas of asset management, expense management and revenue recognition. Operated by approximately 70 locally recruited staff (majority of whom are certified accountants), as well as 12 international staff, the UNDP-GSSC provides business process standardization, timely and effective transactions and value added customer services which reduces the burden of IPSAS in the Country Offices.

Currently the UNDP–GSSC is undergoing an expansion plan that will provide further back office support to the Country Offices and Headquarters in the areas of finance, human resources, procurement and administration processes. This decision to expand the services offered by UNDP-GSSC will mean an enlargement of its size and scale, an expansion and development of its organizational structure and the introduction of new processes, functions and responsibilities. It is embarking on an extensive recruiting process that will enable it to secure the most suitably qualified candidates that will fit with its Vision and Mission.

To support this expansion of the UNDP-GSSC, effective communication will be a pivotal aspect in relaying impactful messages to the various internal and external stakeholder groups e.g. government, senior management, clients, country offices/customers, potential employees, existing employees, students, vendors, etc.

As such, UNDP-GSSC is seeking a talented professional to provide marketing, communications and branding services to UNDP-GSSC. The ideal candidate is passionate about international engagement, promoting our mission and vision and creating campaigns and stories that will help build UNDP-GSSC’s reputation as an employer of choice. The incumbent will have a strong background in content development, marketing communication and digital/social media campaigns.

Based on an agreed Communication Plan, developed branding collaterals and in compliance with UNDP policies and guidelines, the selected individual will be expected to create a unified communication approach, theme and content to effectively reach the targeted audiences appropriate to each communication channel.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective

The objective of the role is for UNDP-GSSC to be able to clearly assess the information needs of UNDP-GSSC’s stakeholders and implement effective communication collaterals for maximum reach at efficient costs, in alignment with the UN guidelines, policies and procedures.
The communication collaterals expected for each stakeholder groups (but not exhaustive) are defined in Annex 1, which can be downloaded at http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/MyIC_2015_018%20Annex%20I.doc

Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop and proofread communications materials for each relevant stakeholder groups (as defined above);
Ensure the editorial integrity and message consistency of UNDP-GSSC websites (including SharePoint site);
Help develop and maintain UNDP-GSSC’s network of media contacts including handling media enquiries;
Coordinate videographers and photographers for UNDP-GSSC’s multi-media communications and campaigns;
Evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies, feeding back and providing input on the future direction of campaigns, projects and activities;
Build and maintain a sound general knowledge of UNDP-GSSC operations and work environment in order to help respond effectively to both internal and external inquiries;
Translate and/or coordinate translation of materials;
Ensure that communication materials are accurate, professional, adhere to organizational image and maintain a consistent “voice”; and other duties as assigned.

Duration:

For the period of One (1) year.

Deliverables and Timeline:

Workplans will be agreed on a monthly basis in advance subject to the Scope of Work and Responsibilities (above) and in consideration of the workload priorities at that time.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposal

Interested individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Proposal on how your qualifications and experience can lead towards the successful deliverable of this assignment within the required timeframe, and provide a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the assignment;
Financial Proposal indicating your required renumeration;
Personal CV including areas of expertise and past experience in similar projects and at least three (3) references in the format of UN Personal History Form (P11 form). The UN Personal History Form (P11) is available; at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/P11%20for%20SC%20&%20IC.doc.

Note:

Please scan, save and upload all documents (proposals and P11 Form) into one PDF file. (The system does not allow more than 1 attachment);
For clarification question, please email to procurement.my@undp.org and put the reference number MyIC_2015_018 as the Subject/Reference Title.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural skills and ability to convey messages clearly, succinctly and accurately;
Highly productive self-starter with excellent organizational and time management skills;
Able to manage multiple projects and effectively manage competing priorities and tight deadlines;
Well-developed interpersonal, negotiating and communication abilities;
Ability to work within teams, to speak publicly, to interact with different stakeholders and sectors, to gain new allies and to promote coalition work;
Exceptional attention to detail and thorough command of editorial and proofreading skills;
Skillful project leader with good judgment who can provide direction in planning, organizing and coordinating communication projects and project teams;
Resourceful and analytical problem solver with a well-developed ability to research, evaluate information, plan strategies and assess risk;
Skilled planner with the flexibility to develop new, creative approaches to advance UNDP-GSSC’s communication goals and objectives; and
Tactful and enthusiastic with a “can-do” attitude;
Able to function effectively in a fast-paced environment under public scrutiny.
Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Demonstrated understanding of the principles, terminology, procedures and best practices of communications, public relations and editorial content;
Demonstrated ability to synthesize and coordinate materials from multiple resources;
Demonstrated ability to edit complex stories for both style and substance.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

At least a minimum, third level (Degree) in English, Journalism, Communication or any related field.

Experience:

Minimum of five (5) years of work experience in a media organization, agency environment and/or a corporate or institutional setting;
Experience with communication tools and social media channels;
Knowledge of UN systems and processes is highly desirable;
Good network of media contacts and well-developed ability to work effectively with them is highly desirable;
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and a variety of other computer and internet based tools for communication, analysis and networking; deep knowledge of internet culture, systems and tools is essential;
Knowledge and practical experience with UNDP and/or other international organizations is an asset;
Proven success writing for publication in print, web and other platforms.

Language:

Excellent English proficiency in both written and speaking.

Eligibility:

Candidates must be Malaysian Citizen or Resident (with valid work permit). People with disabilities and other rightly qualified people are encouraged to apply.