Communications Associate

Job Title: Communications Associate 

Type of Contract: National Personnel Services Agreement (NPSA)  

Duty Station: East Jerusalem

Duration of Contract: 1 year    

 

 

 

 

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) was established through a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1978, calling upon UNDP “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people”. Since its establishment, UNDP/PAPP has delivered over USD 1.7 billion in development assistance to the Palestinian People.

UNDP’s Palestinian Programmatic Framework (PPF) 2023-2025 sets out a vision of “a world in which all Palestinians can enjoy a dignified life and fulfil their own vision of a unified, peaceful and free society”.  The PPF is centred around the concept of ‘Transformative Resilience’ and its three elements: a cohesive Palestinian identity, self-reliance, and ownership and leadership.

Over the next three years, UNDP/PAPP will build on its experiences and achievements to make critical contributions to the priorities defined by the Palestinian national development plans and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), through interventions in three programmatic priority areas:  i) democratic governance and quality services; ii) inclusive economic opportunities; iii) sustainable natural resources management.

The Communications Unit at UNDP/PAPP provides communications support to the projects and programmes implemented by UNDP in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), as well as conceives the most effective communication approaches to shape the narrative of UNDP/PAPP locally, regionally, and internationally. In addition, the Unit employs innovative media and communications strategies to inform relevant stakeholders about UNDP's work in the oPt and to advocate for inclusive and gender-sensitive human rights in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Unit's communications interventions guide UNDP/PAPP's resource mobilization and partnership apparatus based on facts while emphasizing the human element of support for the Palestinian people in the oPt.

As a key communication tool for the effective promotion of UNDP/PAPP and the achievement of its communications objectives, as outlined in the Communications Strategy, the Communications Unit relies on the production of innovative digital content (written, audio, and visual) to be disseminated on various platforms, including offline and online platforms, in order to inform and inspire diverse stakeholders of UNDP's interventions in the oPt.

Under the direct supervision of the Communications Analyst, the incumbent will support the implementation of the communications strategy linked to programme priorities to increase the standing and awareness of UNDP/PAPP with its partners, the media and public, and help position the office in key development markets as a leader in ways that boost demand for various service lines and increase overall business opportunities. The communication associate promotes a client-oriented approach in UNDP and works in close collaboration with Programme and Operations staff, as well as the Business Solutions Service Centre. 
 

 The incumbent will undertake the following functions:

1. Support the development and implementation of internal and external communication strategy”.
2. Provide communication technical support.
3. Support in Business Development. 
4. Undertake the archiving of audio-visual material on UNDP/PAPP’s digital assets system.
5. To undertake any other duties as requested by the supervisor.

• Support the overall communications strategy of PAPP’s programme focusing on:
• Assist in the implementation of activities, initiatives, and programmes designed to increase public awareness of the UNDP and access to its informational and promotional materials;
• Regularly provide information to facilitate the updating of the UNDP/PAPP corporate website and intranet;
• Contribute to the Annual Work Planning process to ensure that sufficient resources are secured for the implementation of Communication Strategy activities;
• Create a database of all internal and external communication materials and a file management system to support it;
• Produce a quarterly report on communications encompassing media coverage and online metrics (website and social media).

 

• Provide communication technical support focusing on:
• Support the development and creation of in-house engaging audio/visual collaterals to be utilized in supporting blogs, feature articles, impact/human-interest stories, and social media posts regarding UNDP/PAPP programs in the oPt;
• Support the translation from Arabic to English and vice versa and the dissemination of communications assets such as press releases and other publications to UNDP country and regional offices, partners, and the mainstream media; 
• Assist in creating innovative visual assets such as infographics and animations for communications and visibility purposes; 
• Support external and internal knowledge building, management, and sharing activities related to the programme;
• Assist with the planning of events, webinars, publication launches, seminars, conferences, and global campaigns;
• Capture high-quality photos and videos as needed 
• Ensure administrative and financial arrangements for the productions are carried out in close collaboration with relevant programme and operations staff;
• Research and retrieval of statistical data from internal and external sources; for communications use.
• Budgetary and procurement support in Quantum, including creation of vendors, purchase orders, extraction of project information and budget revisions, as required; 
• Assist in the day-to-day administrative requirements of the communication unit, such as booking meetings, filling out forms, maintaining work unit files, etc.

 

• Support the business development focusing on:
• Assist in maintaining regular coverage of UNDP/PAPP activities on UNDP website and other online platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.; 
• Assist in monitoring Arabic and English media and distributing morning press briefs to relevant staff;
• Contributing to the development of content for specific stakeholders, such as presentation decks, photos, videos, programme summaries, webinar/event cards, and literature;
• Identify subjects/stories of interest related to the programmes' efforts at the country/regional level for the development of communications products, such as feature stories, press releases, videos, and social media posts;
• Provide technical support to UNDP/PAPP country teams in the development and appropriate use of communication and advocacy tools (i.e., newsletters, websites, posters, brochures, and pamphlets) in order to increase the visibility of the respective programmes and projects;
• Make arrangements as required for national and international media visits to the country in close collaboration with Communication Analyst and Senior Management. 
• Assist with effectively liaison with local media, UN Sister Agencies, NGOs, Civil Society actors, and other partners in this regard;
• Assist in maintaining an updated network of national media contacts, UNDP/UN communications contacts, and international media partners.

 

• Undertake the archiving of audio-visual material on UNDP/PAPP’s digital assets system, focusing on the following:
• Inventory management for audio-visual materials and equipment, including software, storage, equipment installation, regular maintenance, tracking, and handling. The process of archiving entails assigning filenames, retrieving technical data, determining permissions, writing descriptions, and cataloging content under the appropriate categories;
• Test the searchability of the items in the archive system, and update keywords and catalogs as necessary;
• Test native files, primarily videos and audio, to ensure they adhere to the most recent audiovisual specifications.

 

High School Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Communications, Media, Film photography, Journalism, Graphic Design or a relevant field from a recognized academic institution

 

• A minimum of 6 years of progressive professional experience with High School Diploma or 3 years’ experience with a Bachelor’s degree in the field of communications, media, public relations.

 

• Proficiency in English and Arabic languages (both written and oral)
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

• Excellent knowledge of video and photo editing; professional use of Final Cut Pro and / or Adobe Premiere, Photoshop and/or InDesign/Illustrator.  Photo/video shooting skills; including the use of different camera equipment’s and accessories.
• Experience in working with a video production team (camera crew, video/web editors, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience in managing media relations.
• Previous experience with UNDP or UN system is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in web and social media platforms management.
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Proficiency in English and Arabic languages (both written and oral)