UN-Habitat Public Information Officer Job in Nairobi

Public Information Officer, P-4

United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT)

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat

Closing date: 10 Feb 2011

Location: Kenya - NAIROBI

ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION: UN-Habitat

FUNCTIONAL TITLE: Public Information Officer

LEVEL:P-4

DURATION:11 months

CLOSING DATE:10 February 2011

BACKGROUND

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The post is located in the Information Management Unit of Information Services Section, Office of the Executive Director, UN-Habitat

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Chief, Information Services Section, the incumbent's responsibilities will be to:

1. Take the lead in developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to raise global awareness of UN-Habitat and help position the agency as a world leader in promoting sustainable urbanization. Advise senior management and information officers throughout the agency on public affairs issues, methods and approaches. This includes market analysis to identify the profiles, needs, perceptions of the agency's target audiences and clients, and develop strategic partnerships and information networks with key constituencies including those in the private sector, to increase support for UN-Habitat's work, maximize impact of promotional and public outreach objectives and ensure that the agency is reaching its target audiences effectively.

2. Take the lead in planning, developing and implementing, in close collaboration with units at Headquarters and in the field, the communication dimension of the large campaigns including the agency's World Urban Campaign which unifies under one consolidated framework the bulk of UN-Habitat's outreach activities including special and recurrent events such as World Habitat Day, the World Urban Forum, the Governing Council, regional ministerial meetings, awards and recognition systems, and other activities;

3. Carry out market analyses to find out the profiles, needs, perceptions of the agency's target audiences and clients, and develop strategic partnerships and information networks with key constituencies including those in the public and private sector, to increase support for UN-Habitat's work, maximize impact of promotional and public outreach objectives and ensure that the agency is reaching its target audiences effectively;

4. Assess and help apply innovative initiatives including social networking tools, Goodwill Ambassadors, development of multi-media, multi-language materials, and other methods that exploit new information and communication tools and technology to promote global interaction on the substantive focus areas of the organization's strategic plan ;

5. Coordinate and support the agency's key events, including World Habitat Day celebrations around the world, World Urban Forum and Governing Council among others. Assist in all aspects of event coordination ensuring the greatest visibility of the events globally and the highest participation of the right audiences;

6. Contribute to policies, tools and marketing materials that promote consistent messaging that is in line with one unique UN-Habitat brand, ensuring that the organization speaks with one voice and has a consistent look and feel for all its communications. Coordinate the preparation of standard marketing materials that can be used on all UN and other relevant local languages and other information and communications marketing products in print, audio-visual and electronic formats, as required, working closely with other units including Press and Media, Editorial Units, Resource Mobilization and Publications units.

COMPETENCIES

Professionalism - Knowledge of different aspects of public information and communications. Ability to conceptualise, design and implement major information and publicity campaigns. Ability to organize, promote and coordinate large scale global events. Ability to rapidly analyse and integrate diverse information from varied sources, and to translate complex technical material into clear and concise reader-friendly layman's language. Ability to make presentations verbally and in writing to senior management and external constituents. Effective and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, achieving quality results, solving problems, dealing with stressful situations calmly and gaining consensus.

Communication - excellent written and verbal communications skills required to develop communications strategies and convince management to implement these strategies, to present the organization's vision and mandate to different target audiences, to mobilise partners through campaigns and other communications to take positive action toward sustainable urban development.

Creativity - to conceive innovative ways of packaging and communicating UN-Habitat's messages so that they are picked up and acted on by target audiences. Ability to think outside the box and to persuade others to consider new ideas that are not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Planning and Organizing - ability to set clear goals, identify priorities, delegate appropriately, monitor and adjust plans to meet deadlines for strategic projects, campaigns, meetings and events and other marketing related work, and to foresee risks and develop contingencies to mitigate those risks Vision - ability to create inspirational visions based on the organization's strategic goals and to motivate UN-Habitat's managers and partners to own the vision in order to achieve the organization's goals related to sustainable urban development

Judgement and Decision-making - Ability to analyse complex situations including those with political implications, to gather relevant information before making a decision, to consider positive and negative impacts of marketing decisions to the image of UN-Habitat in the eyes of the public and its key stakeholders is essential.

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Marketing Management, Public Relations, Business Administration or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

WORK EXPERIENCE

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, public relations, marketing management, campaign management, e-marketing, social networking, some of which at least 3 should be at the international level.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English and French is required. Oral and written fluency in Spanish is desirable.

OTHER SKILLS

Proven client relationship management and communication experience.

Remuneration

See UN website http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/index.html

How to apply

Applications in electronic format should include:

• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)

• PHP (Personal History Profile); CV (maximum 2 pages), indicating the following information:

• Educational Background (incl. dates)

• Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)

• Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)

All applications should be submitted to:

Ms. Helen Odera

UN-Habitat

P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya

Email: helen.odera@unhabitat.org

Deadline for applications: 10 February, 2011

UN-Habitat does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org

Reference Code: RW_8DHK8H-6