SENIOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), based in Naqoura, South Lebanon. The Senior Public Information Officer reports to the Deputy Head of Mission/Director of Political and Civil Affairs. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Senior Public Information Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Conceptualize, design, and execute the overall public information strategy programme and activities for the section; Serve as lead Chief of Strategic Communications and Public Information and Spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); provide technical and policy advice on highly complex public information and communications issues; develop and disseminate best practices. • Use data-driven tools and techniques to monitor and test the efficacy of messaging, making adjustments to be responsive to stakeholders and public opinion. Develop and implement mission crisis communication activities; oversee the Mission's social media presence and lead digital media campaigns to enhance public outreach and engagement activities using a range of digital media platforms, leveraging emerging technologies and trends. • Formulate and update, in consultation with mission leadership, the substantive work programme of the Strategic Communications and public information section of the mission, coordinate with various mission components, and with UN agencies, funds and programmes and partners, as appropriate. • Advise mission leadership, senior staff, and other mission personnel, including in the military, on strategic communication matters. • Ensure regular, timely, and professional communications on all traditional and digital media platforms. Provide pertinent communications advice and input for mission leadership interactions with all key stakeholders, such as non-governmental and civil society organizations. • Develop and implement a regular system of media monitoring and bulletins to meet the needs of the Head of Mission and senior leadership. • Oversee public information outputs to ensure that they meet high-quality standards, in accordance with UN policy objectives and rules and regulations, and are evaluated for their effectiveness. • Maintain liaison and coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces at the Directorate of Orientation. • Oversee the work and outputs of international military information officers based in the UNIFIL area of operations. • Oversee the work and outputs of an Integrated Outreach Unit and a Military Community Outreach Unit. • Give press briefings, background briefings, and interviews to national and international media; draft and/or edit and issue press releases, official statements, and communication materials on behalf of the mission as necessary. • Interact with local, regional, and international media and establish and maintain cooperative relationships. • Consult with and provide UN Headquarters communication entities with regular updates on mission activities. • Maintain regular interaction and consult with public information personnel at UNHQ. • Manage, guide, develop, and train staff under his/her supervision. • Other related duties that may be assigned. CompetenciesPROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of different aspects of public information and communication. Ability to address a range of issues in the context of political developments, public attitudes and local conditions. Ability to advise on high profile and sensitive communication challenges. Ability to assess world-wide communication environments, develop communication strategies and manage implementation of public information campaigns with various promotional and publicity techniques. Ability to produce a variety of written communications products in a clear, concise style. Ability to present and defend difficult positions to senior officials. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. • COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. • LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; Empowers others to translate vision into results; Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; Drives for change and improvement, does not accept the status quo; Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field; A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in public information, external communications, journalism, international relations, public administration or related area is required. Experience in overseeing Strategic Communication coordination mechanism/s is required. Experience working closely with civilian and uniformed personnel is desirable. Experience working in an inter-State (across international borders) conflict environment is desirable. Experience working in a field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds and programmes, similar international organization or non-governmental organization) is desirable. Experience in media communications and outreach in the Lebanese and Israeli context is desirable. Experience in managing multidisciplinary team is required. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other UN official working language is desirable. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice• This position is temporarily available for an initial period of six (6) months, with the possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. • While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. • Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. • Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. • Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as \"retirement.\" Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. • The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. • At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. 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.