Background:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
UN Womenโs South Sudan Country Office plays a critical role in supporting the government and national stakeholders to implement gender-responsive policies, prevent and respond to gender-based violence, promote womenโs political participation, and ensure that women are meaningfully included in peace and security efforts. The Country Office operates in a complex humanitarian and development context where women and girls face disproportionate risks due to ongoing conflict, displacement, and structural inequalities.
As part of its strategic priorities, UN Women South Sudan seeks to enhance its visibility and influence through impactful communication and advocacy. The Country Office implements a wide range of programs that require effective communication strategies to reach diverse audiences, including government partners, donors, the media, civil society, and the broader public. Strengthening public awareness of gender equality issues, profiling program results, and amplifying womenโs voices are central to achieving UN Womenโs mandate in South Sudan.
By supporting the development of a coherent communications strategy, maintaining strong media relations, and managing digital platforms, the Communications Associate will contribute significantly to positioning UN Women South Sudan as a leading advocate for gender equality and womenโs empowerment in the country. This role is crucial for ensuring that the achievements and challenges in advancing gender equality are effectively communicated to stakeholders and the public, thereby strengthening support for UN Womenโs mission and mobilizing partnerships for transformative change.
Given the increasing demand for strategic communication and public engagement, the Country Office is seeking to recruit a Communications Associate, reporting to the Deputy Country Representative. This position is essential to support the planning and implementation of the Officeโs communications and advocacy efforts. The Communications Associate will play a key role in enhancing the visibility of UN Womenโs work, coordinating the production of communication materials, managing media and digital engagement, and ensuring alignment with corporate branding and messaging standards.
Provide coordination support in the development of a coherent Country Office communications and advocacy strategy:
Provide support to advocacy efforts and campaigns by organizing roundtable discussions, press conferences, and other publicity events, and providing inputs to briefing materials and press releases;ย Provide support to the programme and other Country Office staff on UN Women corporate communications guidelines and printing norms;ย Track and monitor print and social media, and report relevant information to senior staff to inform strategy development.ยProvide coordination support for the development of the Country Officeโs advocacy materials:
Identify storylines and achievements within the Country Office for online and print publications;ย ย Draft press releases, articles, key messages, and other advocacy materials; Coordinate the translation, adaptation, or rewriting of information received for the local context; disseminate materials to appropriate stakeholders; Coordinate the publication of materials for final approval; maintain relationships with printers/ publishers;ย ย Maintain library/database of reference materials, photos, and digital assets;ย Follow policies, procedures, and guidelines from RO/HQ.ยProvide support in the management of the Country Officeโs social media presence and website:
Identify stories and provide input to the development of content for the Country Office website hosted at the East Africa Regional Office and social media channels; Update the website and social media channels, ensure consistency in branding;ย ย Research, compile, and produce reports on web statistics on a regular basis and electronic surveys, as required; Maintain files, databases, and systems relevant to the Country Office digital presence;ย Provide support on special web/digital/media projects undertaken by the CO/ MCO.ยProvide media relations support to the Country Office head of office:
Serve as a focal point for UN Women activities open to the press, as necessary; Maintain and update the database of relevant press in the country; Respond to requests for information and arrange interviews, as delegated;ย Provide substantive inputs to the talking points.ยFacilitate knowledge management and sharing:
Contribute to the identification of best practices and lessons learned; Organize training and workshops on communication practices;ย Provide/exchange information with HQ and RO, MCO, and COs.ยThe incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.Core Competencies:
Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Ability to create, edit and present information in clear and presentable formats, using appropriate IT functionality; Strong event planning skills; Strong knowledge of social media and communication strategies and methods; Ability to identify relevant events and stories and communicate them to a mass audience; Strong multimedia skillsยMinimum Qualifications:
Education and Certification:
Completion of secondary education is required; A bachelorโs degree in communications, public relations, or journalism is desirableExperience:
At least 6 years for secondary education holder and for a bachelorโs holder, at least 3 years of progressively responsible experience in providing support to the formulation and implementation of internal and external communications and advocacy strategies and related plans is required; Experience in the use of computer applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) as well as web-based management systems is required; Experience in the use of social media and digital communications is required.Languages:
Fluency in English is required; Fluency in Arabic is desirable; Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.Application:
All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from:ย https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
Statements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.
If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.