Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Office/Unit/Project Description   

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP's development programmes.  BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data-driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP has achieved significant progress in making gender equality and women’s empowerment integral to its work on human development. Building on lessons and significant results to date, UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 aims to help governments shift systems and power structures that generate and perpetuate gender inequalities and women’s disempowerment. UNDP works through its six signature solutions on poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality; and promote integrated approaches in each thematic area, stronger investments in data and analysis, the implementation of innovative solutions to transform social norms, stronger partnerships with UN agencies and with civil society, and communications for advocacy.  The Gender Team (BPPS) has the leading role in the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, including through the implementation of UNDP’s Gender Integrated Offer 2022-2025.

Institutional Arrangement

He/she will report to the Head of the Gender Team (Primary Supervisor) and work in close coordination with the Senior Gender Advisor of the Gender Team (Secondary Supervisor).

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work  

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Gender Team, the Communications Specialist will:  

1) Promote gender equality as one of UNDP’s primary signature solutions, elevating visibility of BPPS Gender Team, the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 and thought leadership across themes: 

• Support the Gender Team to build a public profile, including through working with traditional media and social media, and highlighting priority themes and accelerators of the new Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025.
• Lead the development and maintenance of different corporate platforms, including the public website gender pages and complementary internal and external sites.
• Translate the results of the Gender Team’s work into impact stories, blogs, op-eds, think pieces and other communications assets for amplification of the work.
• Support the Gender Team to develop and implement an annual campaign focused on strategic priorities in the framework of the new Gender Equality Strategy (2022-2025).
• Promote senior leadership as media spokespeople, conduct media outreach and facilitate interviews.

2) Plan, coordinate and implement processes to produce strategic high-quality communications outputs:

• Draft quarterly/ biannual communications strategies and plans for continued implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, including identifying strategic target audiences, milestones, tools, platforms and campaigns, and coordinating across sub-teams for joint and effective implementation.
• Identify concrete services needed to implement the communications strategy and plans, coordinating procurement processes to ensure the Gender Team has timely access to adequate providers. 
• Coordinate within the Gender Team and with UNDP regional, country office and other communications colleagues to align on communications launches and initiatives, to prioritize and maximize outreach.
• Work across Bureaus with UNDP senior communications colleagues to align efforts on strategic gender equality priorities, ensuring strategic planning, quality key messages and visibility for high-level events.
• Build communications partnerships with UN Women, other UN agencies, media organizations, academia, leaders and influencers, including young feminists’ organizations, to undertake joint advocacy and communications efforts.

3) Develop and produce innovative, data-rich and timely communications outputs:

• Keep track of and provide quality assurance to all communications content produced by the Gender Team, ensuring alignment to the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025.
• Produce key messages, fast facts, social media packages and other communications materials for the various milestones in the Gender Team’s Communications Plan.
• Oversee, produce and edit communications products, including the public-facing Annual Report on implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy.
• Support media coverage for the launch of reports, thought leadership products, flagships initiatives or other high-level events, including drafting press release, coordination of media requests and interviews for senior management.
• Support the Gender Team with preparation and editing of speeches, talking points, presentations and statements.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience