Communications Assistant

Result of ServiceThe Communications Assistant reports to the Head of Brazil Office. He/She shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under this Terms of Reference. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams. Work LocationPetrópolis, Brazil Expected durationSix (6) months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. In this context, “Inclusive and Sustainable Rio” is a project between UN-Habitat and the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - GERJ), through the Subsecretary of Water Resources and Environmental Sustainability (Subsecretaria de Recursos Hídricos e Sustentabilidade Ambiental), which aims to strengthen urban resilience in the State of Rio de Janeiro, based on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the principles of the New Urban Agenda. The project helps the State to achieve urban prosperity, while implementing global sustainable urban development agendas. Specifically, the proposal focuses on: expanding the commitment of the State's direct and indirect administration to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), complementing the Fluminense Government's global call to action - Rio2030, and establishing a culture of sustainability in the State of Rio de Janeiro that contributes to increasing urban resilience through the development of disaster prevention and mitigation policies and the engagement of local youth. Therefore, we are looking for a Communications Assistant to work specially, but not exclusively, on the “Inclusive and Sustainable Rio” project, working with non-structural actions to reduce disaster risks in the city of Petrópolis in the Mountain Region of Rio de Janeiro state. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Communications Assistant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Communications Assistant will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Communication and outreach: Assist communication needs assessments for the project, including the implementation of strategic communication plans, projects, programmes and initiatives. b) Social media: Assist in the organization and management of all the institutional social media channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.). This work includes keeping a posts calendar updated, responding to audience interactions, creating new content, supervising the creation of graphic design materials, supporting the production of analysis reports, among other activities. c) Writing: Support the production of articles and human-interest stories for institutional websites, namely UN Brazil and UN-Habitat's global page. d) Media: Help increase media awareness and assist in the relationship with the press. This work includes writing press releases, answering media queries, helping to create a mailing list focused on urban issues, maintaining the clipping, helping analyse press coverage, assist staff in giving interviews, among other activities. f) Events: Support the organization and participation of staff in events and provide coverage. g) Advocacy: Support the development and dissemination of communications products including brochures, press releases, campaigns, social media posts, audio-visual materials, and others. This work will be done with the support and guidance of the UN-Habitat Brazil Communications Manager. h) Perform other duties which may be requested by the supervisor. The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. Outputs/Work Assignment The Communications Assistant will support the implementation of project activities according to the responsibilities indicated above. The consultant shall be paid a monthly allowance, upon presentation and approval by the Head of Brazil Office of monthly activities’ report. Qualifications/special skillsEducation Required: • Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related fields is required, or additional three (3) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Desired: • Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related fields is desired. Work experience: • Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in professional communications, at national or international level, is required. • Experience in media relations and managing and producing content for social media is required. • Familiarity with and interest in urban and development issues and in the urban global agenda of the Organization is desirable. • Previous experience working in the Brazilian municipal context is required. • Previous experience working with the public sector and NGO’s is desirable. • Previous experience within or with the United Nations System is desirable. Skills: • In-depth knowledge and understanding of social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.) is required. • Good computer skills in the Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Microsoft Teams and Google (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Forms) are required. • Previous experience with the use of software such as Adobe package (especially Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop) is desirable. • Basic skills in photography and video editing and production are desirable. Competencies • Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good urban governance and local and regional development. • Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsibility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines. • Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret messages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capacity to write documents for diverse audiences. • Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guarantee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementation of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency. • The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content. Languages• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Spanish is the working language of the Regional Office. • For the post advertised, fluency with excellent writing and proof-reading skills in Portuguese and English is required. Working knowledge of Spanish is desirable. Additional InformationTravel details: The consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office. Missions will be coordinated and financed by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines. Remuneration SB-3/2 – BRL: 5.537,55 (net amount) UNDP Brazil Salary Scale Notes Appointment against this post is on local basis and only nationals from Brazil or external candidates who hold a permanent visa in Brazil may apply. The extension of this contract is subject to availability of funds and/or performance. Any contract extension is not automatic. It is required for all the curricular information to be inserted in the system, which may take a few hours. Only complete applications in English will be considered. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Due to the volume of applications received, receipt of applications cannot be acknowledged individually. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Applications should be submitted through INSPIRA and must include all documents required at the system, please be ready to include the following information at the “Candidate Profile” (CP) at Inspira: • Cover memo (maximum 1 page) • Educational Background (incl. dates) • Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months) • Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments • Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)* * Please note that Internships, self-employment and part-time count as 50%. In addition to it, note experience not relevant to the position will not be considered. All applications should be submitted to: Inspira UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning people or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.