Historique

The Communications Group works to attract positive attention for UNDP, strengthening recognition of UNDP’s work and raising the profile of the organization. Strong media outreach, public events, and other multimedia advocacy tools are an important element of that work, under the leadership of the Manager, Media and Advocacy.

Supervised by the Director, Communications, in coordination with the Deputy Director and in close collaboration with other Managers in the Communications Group, the Manager of the Media and Advocacy Team is responsible for news, story and media production and management.  S/he leads the New York-based Media and Advocacy Team with specialists in media outreach, events, photo/video/multimedia production and celebrity management.  S/he is responsible for helping to raise UNDP’s global profile and strengthen UNDP’s positioning among key donors, partners, policymakers and public audiences by leading the team to: garner significant coverage of UNDP in global media outlets; generate, organize and support major events, partnerships with media organizations, strategic use of celebrity supporters and Goodwill Ambassadors; and help to manage the public information aspects of reputational risk issues. He/she is expected to have a strong understanding of global media outlets and markets, excellent editorial judgment and leadership, great people management ability and outstanding written and verbal communications skills.

The Media and Advocacy team is one of three in Communications Group, working closely with the Online and Digital Team that has responsibility for web, mobile, and social media and the Marketing and Outreach Team that oversees branding, marketing, translation, and corporate communications products and training. The Manager, Media and Advocacy oversees a team that includes 6 Communications Analysts/Specialists and 1 Communications Associate.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Develop and implement media and related external communications strategy:

• Proactively increases the positive visibility of UNDP’s activities and results worldwide with the media and among key stakeholders, ensuring the development and implementation of a media outreach plan, key messages, and work plans to achieve Communications goals;
• Advises HQ Bureaus and country offices across the globe on media outreach and other communications activities and mobilizes Communications Group video/multi-media/drafting/editing/messaging capacity to support key communications initiatives, especially in times/issues of high potential global visibility including important public events, crises, elections and other newsworthy opportunities;
• Directly supports the Director and Deputy Director in handling Communications aspects of reputational risk issues;
• Leads, manages and motivates Media and Advocacy staff, overseeing personnel in the recruitment, performance and career management processes.

Oversees media relations and news coverage:

• Leads the Media and Advocacy Team in all media outreach activities;
• Provides leadership and oversight in order to target journalists from in donor and programme countries and to develop communications tools (press briefings, feature stories and op-eds) to implement the media outreach plan;
• Ensures that all media relations efforts are focused on improving UNDP’s positioning in priority areas as well as leading the Team to spot and take advantage of newsworthy opportunities and emerging stories;
• Provides strategic advice to Regional Communications Advisers/Specialists based in the regions and NY-based communications focal points in developing and implementing tailored media strategies.

Increases UNDP’s visibility through new and innovative partnerships with media organizations, including new media, and through Goodwill Ambassadors and celebrity engagement:

• Through the fostering of new partnerships with media, private sector and other organizations, works to increase the visibility of UNDP activities and advocacy including through Public Service Announcements, public information and profile and awareness-raising campaigns, public events;
• Provides ongoing strategic direction, advice and guidance in the organization of campaigns and advocacy activities and, working closely and collaboratively with the Manager, Online and Digital Communications and with the rest of the Online team, leverages social media and multimedia in all communications activities, including the production and dissemination of video and other digital and visual communications products;
• Working closely with the Deputy Director and the other teams as well as across the organization, support the cultivation, relationship management, and strategic deployment of UNDP’s Goodwill Ambassadors and other celebrity speakers and supporters.

Serves as Editor in Chief of news and stories produced by the Media and Advocacy team:

• Gives strong, strategic and creative editorial direction and guidance for news and feature stories, op-eds, videos, statements, press materials. Ensures that all written and multimedia external materials produced by the Team are of excellent quality.

Compétences

Core competencies:

Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

• Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional:

Primary:

Brand & Quality Management:    

• Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality.

Project Management:     

• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Public Relations:           

• Ability to manage the spread of information between the UNDP and the Public.

Strategic Planning:

• Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission.

Multimedia writing/editing:

• Ability to originate or edit written content for media and the general public to be disseminated through press or other online outlets.

Secondary:

Learning and Development:

• Knowledge of enterprise learning and development issues, concepts, and principles, and ability to apply them to enhance the fulfillment and performance of employees.

Training:

• Ability to ascertain need, plan, design, and execute training.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

• Master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, public administration or policy, or social science;
• First degree is acceptable with relevant work experience (12 years) in lieu.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in media relations or journalism, including in progressively responsible management roles with a track record of excellent personnel management and strong project management;
• Proven experience in developing and implementing media relations strategies generating significant global media coverage in a variety of major print, digital and broadcast outlets with a strong knowledge of international media outlets and a strong network of relationships in those outlets. Understanding of and facility with video/visual/multimedia/digital and social media storytelling and strategies. Outstanding editorial judgment required. Proven capacity to manage communications on reputational risk issues preferred;
• Proven experience in overseeing and developing media-related events and media organization partnerships;
• Extensive international-level experience strongly preferred; experience specifically working in the field as a journalist and/or communications professional and covering development issues is highly desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required (ability to write excellently);
• Fluency in another UN language is preferred (to work in one or more of the UN working languages (French/Spanish)).