Internal Vacancy Announcement: Communication Officer

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to hope

Visit our UNICEF Malaysia website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF locally.

How can you make a difference? 
The Communication Officer (Advocacy) is responsible for assisting in the planning implementing, monitoring and evaluating of integrated advocacy and communication strategies to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people.

The role involves executing advocacy and communication plans, building and maintaining relationships with advocacy partners and stakeholders, and supporting project implementation through monitoring, evaluation, and budget oversight. It also includes strengthening advocacy and communication capacities within the team and engaging key stakeholders to ensure alignment and impact across initiatives.

Key Functions/ Accountabilities

Execution of Advocacy and communication plans

• Assist in the development process, planning co-ordination and execution of advocacy and communication strategies supporting the achievement of SMART outcomes.

• Support the implementation of offline/online advocacy and communication strategies, contributing to a range of approaches, including the production of assets, writing advocacy briefs, developing narratives, delivering creative campaign activations, organizing events, and cultivating new strategic partnerships.

1. Advocacy Contacts and Partners
   
   • Ensure effective and timely professional assistance and support is provided in developing, drafting and maintaining contact information, materials and relationships with internal and external advocacy stakeholders (CSO's, government partners, academia, private sector, media and other relevant bodies) to communicate the story of UNICEF's work to a wider audience.
   
   • Assist in researching current and potential partners.
   
   • Support the flow of information to key stakeholders.

Monitoring and Evaluation
Support the establishment of baselines against which advocacy and communication results are regularly monitored; analyze the effectiveness of the strategy, approach and activities; produce and disseminate M&E results on a regular basis.

Project and budget support

• Support the day-to-day delivery of key projects/ workstreams, developing and tracking project plans to ensure progress and address obstacles and bottlenecks.

• Support effective budget management, projections and tracking.

Advocacy and communication capacity building
Document and disseminate advocacy good practice to build internal UNICEF capacities in advocacy and communication.

Stakeholder engagement

• Assist in researching current and potential partners and maintain a database of formal and informal partnerships and networks whose support is essential in achieving objectives.

• Support the flow of information to key stakeholders.

Other roles and responsibilities
Undertake other key responsibilities to support the performance and impact of
advocacy and communications work, as required.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Classified JD_Communication Officer

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: A university degree (Bachelor) in one of the following fields is required: International Relations, Political Science, International Development, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Communication or related fields
• Work Experience: At least one (1) years of professional experience in advocacy, communication or campaigning, at a national, regional or global level is required.
• Experience in supporting the development of clear theories of change with specific, measurable and timebound objectives and performance indicators is required.
• Demonstrated experience in supporting and/or managing projects to completion, including developing and implementing clear processes, and budget management.
• Experience in supporting digital communications is an asset.
• Experience in supporting the effective functioning of a team. Knowledge of children's rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues are an asset.
• Experience working for an advocacy or campaigning organization e.g. national or international NGO, UN or other multilateral organization is an asset.
• Experience in supporting training and facilitation is an asset.
• Experience working in a developing country or an emergency environment is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Bahasa Malaysia is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or another local language is considered an asset

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per 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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidate with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.