Social Marketing Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) advances the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. This effort promotes better production, improved nutrition, a healthier environment, and enhanced livelihoods, ensuring no one is left behind.

The Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing strategies and projects that drive the transformation of food, agriculture, and rural development. It also fosters and maintains relationships with subregional institutions.

The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

The ‘Resilient Islands, Resilient Communities’ project (GCP/KIR/009/GFF) is a five-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Kiribati Government.  FAO is the Implementing Agency (IA) and is providing the technical support to the Kiribati Government in implementing the project.  The Ministry of Environment, Land and Agriculture Development (MELAD), the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development (MFMRD), and the Island Councils are the main executing partners and national counterparts for the project.  The project is working closely with other partners within the public and private sectors as well as with members of the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The project aims to improve biodiversity conservation and landscape level management to enhance socio-ecological resilience to climate variability and change.

Under the overall technical and operational supervision of the FAO SAP office in Samoa and of the Resilient Islands, Resilient Communities (GCP/KIR/009/GFF) project Technical Advisor in close consultation with the Project Manager, Kiribati Solid Waste Management Programme Phase III (KSWMP3), and the Director, Environment and Conservation Division of Kiribati, the Social Marketing Specialist will support the Environment & Conservation Division’s (ECD) Kiribati Solid Waste Management Programme (KSWMP) in developing an evidence-based social marketing strategy to promote behaviour change in beach litter reduction.

This work will contribute to the Pacific Ridge to Reef (R2R) Programme’s goal of addressing land-based environmental pressures on coastal and marine ecosystems, ensuring that improved waste management supports both community well-being and ecosystem health.

Reporting Lines

The Social Marketing Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands and the direct supervision of the Technical Adviser, who is the project team leader, in close consultation with the Director of the Environment and Conservation Division of Kiribati.

Technical Focus 

Provide support to the Resilient Islands, Resilient Communities project (GCP/KIR/009/GFF) activities towards addressing land-based environmental pressures on coastal and marine ecosystems by developing an evidence-based social marketing strategy to promote behaviour change in beach litter reduction by the Kiribati Environment & Conservation Division (ECD).

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Finalise the “Our Beautiful Beach, Our Beautiful Ocean” KAP Survey and Stakeholder Report, including supporting KSWMP in completing and summarising stakeholder interviews;
•    Conduct and summarise background research on social marketing, behavioural economics strategies and relevant case studies in litter reduction overseas;
•    Deliver a one-day training workshop with R2R, ECD and other relevant stakeholders on social marketing and behaviour change strategies for waste management and conservation;
•    Work closely with KSWMP to develop the 2025 Social Marketing Strategy and Implementation Plan, outline audience segmentation, messaging, outreach channels, and recommended interventions;
•    Support content creation and activity implementation as identified in the strategy to engage target audiences and encourage voluntary action;
•    Provide ongoing training and mentoring to R2R and KSWMP staff to strengthen their capacity to design and implement social marketing campaigns;
•    Guide the development of a project video as a hands-on training exercise, support KSWMP staff in planning, filming and editing to document Phase 2 of the programme;
•    Prepare and submit an end-of-consultancy report.

FAO Standards and guidelines:

•    Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
•    All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en  
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia    
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en 
FAOSTYLE https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en 
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm 
FAO Names of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en    
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff). 
•    Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements 

•    University degree in social marketing, behavioral science, media, or a related field
•    At least 5 years of experience in social marketing, behaviour change campaigns, or environmental communications in small island developing states (preferably in the Pacific)
•    Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Efficiency, competence and integrity as well as negotiating skills, tact and diplomacy are essential.
•    Able to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural project partners at regional and international level;
•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable.
•    Extent of knowledge of FAO standard operational rules and procedures and project/programme administrative management procedures
•    Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience liaising between diverse project stakeholders.
•    Extent of knowledge of FAO’s corporate systems and database, or knowledge of other accounting or financial modules or applications relevant to accounting procedures or project budget management would be considered an asset.
•    Demonstrated analytical and judgment skills and ability to apply rules and regulations in the subject field.
•    Demonstrated experience in social marketing, behaviour change campaigns, or environmental communications in small island developing states (preferably in the Pacific)
•    Strong understanding of behaviour change principles and their application to waste management and conservation