This position is located in the secretariat of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). The International Civil Service Commission, an independent body established by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 3042 (XXVII) of 19 December 1972, is tasked with the regulation and coordination of conditions of service of the United Nations common system. Under the overall supervision of the Executive Secretary, the Programme Management/Communication Officer maintains close contact with stakeholders and partners and as appropriate, develops policies and communications strategies in the areas under his/her responsibility that contribute to the work of the International Civil Service Commission and facilitate understanding by the Member States and the common system organizations and the staff of these organizations.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:
Leads the strategy, planning, development and implementation of large, transformative and complex communications campaigns (e.g. comprehensive review of the compensation package and other initiatives with high visibility), public information programmes, broad-reaching subject-specific issues, etc.); where appropriate, partners with other departments and organizations that are part of the United Nations common system to develop and implement campaigns system-wide and to incorporate the campaign message and themes into all relevant events and outcomes of the Commission;
Prepares/revises a diverse range of information communications products related to the work of the International Civil Service Commission (including newsletters, periodicals, reports and books, speeches or remarks, op-ed articles, video messages, talking points, press statements and questionnaires), coordinating with the Divisions as needed, in support of major campaign initiatives led or supported by the Commission; guides the development of the ICSC website and the introduction of modern platforms to better serve constituents of the Commission;
Provides advice and expertise to the Chair, Vice-Chair, Executive Secretary, other staff of the International Civil Service Commission on a range of public affairs issues, methods, and approaches and prepares relevant briefing materials;
Anticipates and guides management in resolving communications/public relations issues/problems by preparing, identifying, researching, analyzing, gathering and organizing information.
Reviews reports and existing publications and proposes ways to enhance cohesion and impact, including through data visualization methods or proposing revisions to organization of content.
Makes presentations at meetings and other fora on assigned topics/activities and develops strategic partnerships with key constituencies to elicit support for and maximize impact of promotional objectives; serves as a spokesperson/principal liaison to media organizations, governmental bodies, national groups, private sector organizations, educational organizations, international organizations, etc. to raise the visibility of the assigned topics/activities in a demonstrable and effective manner.
Participates in duty station missions, drafting mission summaries;
Advises external consultants and common system organizations on projects under his/her responsibility, proposing follow-up actions;
Develops strategies to incorporate research-driven market insights by collecting and analyzing relevant data; evaluates impact and facilitates decision-making on any improvements needed by explaining trends and attitudes towards the Commission’s activities.
Performs other duties as required.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Communication, Programme Management, Human Resources Management, Journalism, International relations, Public Administration, or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in Strategic Communications, Programme Management, Human Resources Management, Journalism, International relations or Public Administration is required Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in project management, data analytics, business analytics, communications or journalisms is desirable Prior experience working on large-scale global events, or in the United Nations System or other similar international organization is desirable A minimum of two years of experience establishing and maintaining relationships with counterparts in United Nations entities or other international organizations is desirable
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of one or more official United Nations language is desirable.
