Communication Officer – Consultant

Grade: CST/II

Contract Type: Regular Consultant

Duration: 11 months

Unit: Communication

Duty Station/Country: Antananarivo – Madagascar

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnic or social origin, genetic information, sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting global hunger. WFP’s mission is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetime. Every day, WFP works around the world to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, especially women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

WFP’S MANDATE AND INTERVENTIONS IN MADAGASCAR

In Madagascar, WFP is supporting the government’s efforts through an assistance strategy to respond to the humanitarian emergency, strengthen community resilience and support sustainable development efforts. In collaboration with government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN system partners, WFP, organizes cash or in-kind transfers to meet the food needs of families affected by climatic hazards, provides school meals that promote access to education for girls and boys, supports the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, and provides technical and financial support to groups of small agricultural producers to improve their production and access to the market.

WFP also provides the air transport service, ensuring safe, reliable and cost-effective transport for humanitarian and development actors to other parts of Madagascar.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

These jobs are found in Headquarters (HQ), Regional Bureaux (RBs) and in Country Offices (COs). Job holders work with high degree of independence using technical knowledge and experience to analyse data, prepare reports, provide advice and solutions to problems, and identify opportunities for improvements.

In COs, these jobs report to the Country Director with functional supervision from the Regional Communications Officer, to ensure that the CO communications activities serve WFP needs in the country of assignment, taking into consideration the overall regional communications plan and WFP’s corporate communications goals.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

To develop, plan and implement communications activities that support the overall communications strategy and WFP objectives.

Why work with us?

• WFP provides food assistance to more than 86 million people in 83 countries, including Cameroon. Your work will have a positive impact on lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
• You will join a diverse team of professionals and will have an opportunity to exchange your experiences with your colleagues and continuously learning from each other.
• WFP invests in the training and development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, mentorship and other programs as well as through international mobility opportunities.
• Our team is growing nationally and internationally and the timing to join us cannot be better!

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

The incumbent will be responsible for carrying out the following tasks and responsibilities:

1. Develop, maintain and update an appropriate work plan for the assigned area, which implements the corporate communications strategy, in order to maintain and enhance the visibility and reputation of WFP, and support fundraising activities, ensuring alignment with WFP strategy.
2. Plan, manage and evaluate communications campaigns that favorably impact the views of the public, opinion leaders and donors in order to raise WFP’s profile and support fundraising activities.
3. Prepare communications products that effectively convey the desired message to targeted audience(s).
4. Maintain and develop a contact list of journalists and media outlets and manage the regular flow of news/information about WFP’s work to the media, ensuring reputational risks are identified and managed.
5. Define a social media plan for the assigned area which leverages social media content, platforms, networks and partners to enhance coverage and support of WFP’s activities.
6. Generate and/or facilitate the production of donor specific visibility content including, text, photos, videos and audio for use across a range of integrated online platforms, in order to support global and country fundraising activities, ensuring consistency with corporate messages.
7. Track and analyse traditional and online media, to identify trends and/or issues, and propose solutions and ideas to improve the effectiveness of communication strategy and activities.
8. Manage junior communications officers/team, develop work plans, monitor performance against objectives, and ensure appropriate development to enable high performance.
9. Coordinate and prepare accurate and timely reporting on communications activities that enables informed decision-making, evaluation of objectives and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
10. Build capacity of WFP staff on all aspects of external relations communication, providing advice, guidance and training to ensure consistent, quality communications activities that deliver the desired impact.
11. Work in close collaboration with counterparts to align activities and ensure a coherent approach to communications within WFP.
12. Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of communications specific risks.
13. Other as required.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Has gained experience in specialized communications practices and applies this to all activities.
• Has managed small teams of staff with related areas of expertise in the delivery of innovative communications projects.
• Has provided support in leading projects and input into function policies.
• Previous experience with WFP will be an asset.

STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education & Experience

• Advanced University degree in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications or other relevant field with 5 (five) years, or First University degree with 7 (seven) years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Languages:

• Fluency (level C) in French and English language.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: APRIL 02, 2024

QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to behaviors such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of power and discrimination. All selected candidates will be required to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore be subject to rigorous background checks either internally or by the intermediary of third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may result in disqualification or dismissal.

WFP will not seek payment at any stage of the recruitment process, including at the offer stage.