Individual Consultancy: Publications Consultant, International Consultancy

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Hiring Office:

Communications Unit

Purpose of Assignment:

UNFPA is committed to producing high-quality, visually compelling publications, reports, and digital assets that amplify the organization’s impact and communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences, including governments, donors, partners, and the public.

To maintain institutional excellence, UNFPA requires the services of a Publications Layout and Graphic Designer with extensive agency experience, strong project management skills, and the ability to deliver innovative and professional-level design products under tight deadlines.

The purpose of this consultancy: to support the design, layout, and production of publications and digital assets, ensuring alignment with UNFPA branding and corporate identity guidelines, while introducing creative and fresh approaches that enhance visibility and impact.

The consultant will play a key role in reimagining UNFPA’s visual storytelling – turning data and insights into engaging, accessible, and human-centered communication materials. The role is ideal for a creative professional who thrives in multicultural, virtual, and fast-paced environments.

Scope of work:

The selected consultant will be expected to :

Design and Layout:

• Conceptualize and execute innovative, professional designs for publications and knowledge products (reports, policy briefs, infographics, toolkits and posters).
• Develop engaging layouts and templates that strengthen institutional branding and ensure clarity, accessibility, and visual impact.
• Produce digital communications materials including social media assets, multimedia graphics, and web-optimized layouts.
• Develop PowerPoint presentations for high-level meetings and events.

Project Management:

• Establish and implement a simple project management process to track progress, ensure timely delivery of outputs, and flag potential risks or delays.
• Coordinate closely with communications and technical teams to ensure content and design workflows are streamlined.
• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously within strict deadlines.

Templates and Capacity Building:

• Create standardized templates and design toolkits for use by project teams and country offices, ensuring consistency with corporate identity guidelines.
• Provide guidance and light training to staff on the use of templates and best practices in layout and design.

Branding and Quality Control:

• Ensure all products align with UNFPA branding, tone, and corporate visual identity standards.
• Copyedit and lightly edit content to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency in final outputs, as well as the ability to incorporate edits and changes from editors and proofreaders into designed documents.
• Ability to provide support to technical focal points through a communications lens in developing content for background documents, social media materials and others.

Duration and working schedule:

The duration of the Consultancy is for six months from 15 November 2025 to 15 May 2026

Place where services are to be delivered:

The completed work is to be submitted electronically to the hiring manager at UNFPA ESARO office. Hybrid/ Remote work arrangement.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered:

The selected consultant will be expected to deliver work electronically at the end of each month:

• Professionally designed and print-ready reports, briefs, and publications.
• Digital communications products including social media cards, infographics, and multimedia assets.
• Web-ready graphics and layouts for different knowledge products for online platforms.
• Standardized templates and toolkits for country office use (PowerPoint, Word, InDesign, etc.).
• A simple project management process document for tracking publication workflows.
• PowerPoint presentation decks for internal and external events.
• Regular progress updates and final delivery of assigned products within agreed deadline

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

The selected consultant will be required to provide regular updates via email to monitor adherence to tight production schedules.

Supervisory arrangements:

The selected consultant will work under the supervision of the hiring manager, the Regional Communications Advisor.

Expected travel:

The consultant will not be expected to travel.

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Profile: A proactive designer who can merge creativity with organizational discipline, someone equally comfortable conceptualizing bold visuals and managing multiple deadlines. Experience in communicating complex development issues to diverse audiences is a strong advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 4 years (with Master’s degree) or 6 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience at the national or international level in

generating publications design and layout, preferably at agency level or international organization.

• At least 4 years of proficiency and experience) in graphic design, video editing and relevant softwares such as Adobe Creative Suite in particular Illustrator.
• Demonstrated experience of graphic production from conceptualization to

published/printed product with knowledge of printing processes.

Desired skills and competencies:

• Experience working with international organisations or the UN system, and familiarity with UN editorial guidelines and templates.
• Familiarity with UNFPA’s mandate and understanding of sustainable development issues.
• Experience providing support and guidance on the production and dissemination of communication products, including reports/publications, newsletters, and other desktop publishing products
• Familiarity with graphic design and AI-assisted design tools especially for rapid concept development and campaign prototyping.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools, and digital publishing formats (interactive PDFs, StoryMapJS, Figma, or Canva Pro).
• Experience working remotely with international teams, demonstrating excellent virtual collaboration skills.
• Understanding of gender equality, reproductive health, or sustainable development themes is an advantage.
• Proven experience in project management, including ability to establish tracking processes and ensure deliverables remain on time and within scope.
• Experience developing templates and toolkits for organizational use.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments with rapid turnaround requirements.
• Skills in copyediting and light editorial work.

Languages required

Essential:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge ofFrench is highly desirable.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

• A portfolio containing visual samples, examples of previous work containing designs and visual communications content.
• A technical assessment will be conducted.

Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA, if applicable:

UNFPA will provide all relevant background documents to help inform the communications processes, as well as guidance for clarification purposes.

Required Competencies:

Values:

• Exemplifying intDemonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results
• Being accountable
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen
• Thinking analytically and strategically
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

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