Senior Communications Officer, Rome, Italy
Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Country: Italy
City: Rome
Office: FAO Rome
Closing date: Thursday, 9 March 2023
2300465
Senior Communications Officer
Job Posting: 16/Feb/2023
Closure Date: 09/Mar/2023, 10:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit : OCCC
Job Type: Staff position
Type of Requisition : Professional
Grade Level : P-5
Primary Location: Italy-Rome
Duration : Fixed term: two years with possibility of extension
Post Number : 0979473
CCOG Code : 1A08
FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
Organizational Setting The Office of Communications (OCC) is responsible for both external and internal communications of the Organization. It aims at making FAO’s communications strategic, coherent, focused and impactful, while ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in communication-related operations.
Reporting lines The Senior Communications Officer reports to the Director, OCC
Technical Focus Internal corporate communication.
Key Results Leadership, technical and policy expertise for the planning, development and implementation of office work, projects, products and services in accordance with FAO’s Communication Strategy and in line with the FAO Strategic Framework.
Key Functions
Leads multidisciplinary team(s), leads and/or participates on teams/committees, leads and/or participates inn organization-wide committees and represents FAO at interagency meetings;
Analyses strategic/business/service objectives, reform priorities and the latest trends in communication to provide critical input into plans and strategies, functional stream work plans and priorities as well as support to operational, policy, system, tools and reporting frameworks;
Supervises staff, oversees the delivery of multidisciplinary programmes, policies, products and services and prepares a variety of plans, strategies, reports and proposals;
Promotes and pilots new concepts and initiatives, manages related projects and consultants and plays a lead role in the implementation process of communication strategy and policy;
Plans and develops consultation/communication/information/training programmes and products to promote understanding of programmes, services and policies as well as increased capacity development.
Performs other duties as required.
Specific functions
Plans and coordinates programmes and activities of the Internal Communications Branch, including the development of work plans, allocation of financial resources and supervision of staff;
Leads the ongoing elaboration and implementation of the intranet and internal communication platforms, in line with FAO’s communication strategy, technical programme priorities, crisis and change management initiatives and sectoral developments;
Leads staff engagement and staff advocacy campaigns, including internal global staff events, town halls and internal celebration ceremonies in virtual, physical and hybrid modalities;
Leads as Editor-in-Chief for the coordination, production of, and publication to, the Organization’s intranet and internal communication platforms;
Provides direction and recommendations to offices and streams (in headquarters and Decentralized Offices) to support the strategic development and effective delivery of corporate internal communications over multiple platforms;
Coordinates implementation of the Organization’s policies and procedures through established internal channels;
Leads the strategy, development, implementation and evolution of internal communication channels in close collaboration with relevant internal partners to find appropriate digital and hybrid solutions;
Advises on strategic placement and dissemination (including official distribution) and impact evaluation of FAO’s internal communication content.
CANDIDATES WILL ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum Requirements
Advanced university degree in communication, social science, journalism, political science or a related field
Ten years of relevant experience in communications and public information with a strong emphasis on building intranets and internal communications in a UN specialized agency
Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish)
Competencies
Results Focus
Leading, Engaging and Empowering Others
Communication
Partnering and Advocating
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Strategic Thinking
Technical/Functional Skills
Work experience in more than one location or area of work.
Extent and relevance of experience in in coordinating and managing complex internal communication outputs including crisis communications.
Extent and relevance of experience in event production, including virtual and hybrid events, for a global internal audience.
Extent and relevance of experience in creating and managing intranets and internal communications platforms aimed at global internal audiences, within a UN specialized agency.
Extent and relevance of experience in creating and producing internal campaigns with proven track record in furthering staff engagement, within a UN specialized agency.
Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.
Demonstrated ability to manage a wide range of internal platforms and related messaging including crisis and change management operations as well as staff engagement methods.
FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries allowances/salary.htm Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include:
Dependency allowances
Rental subsidy
Education grant for children
Home leave travel
30 working days of annual leave per year
Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
International health insurance; optional life insurance
Disability protection
FAO encourages a positive workplace culture to increase inclusivity and diversity within its workforce. FAO applies measures in which all staff members contribute equally and in full to the work and development of the Organization. This includes:
elements of family-friendly policies
flexible working arrangements
standards of conduct.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
Incomplete applications will not be considered
Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
Link to the organization’s job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1676577135171
