JOB DESCRIPTION

The country programme document, 2025-2030, aligns with the 2030 Agenda, the African Union Agenda 2063, and the UNDP Strategic Plan, 2022-2025. It represents UNDP contributions to the National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

It focuses on two pillars: (a) People-centred sustainable development and resilience, prioritizing people’s well-being and planetary health (aligned with Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework outcomes 1 and 2 and UNDP signature solutions 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6); and b) Inclusive governance, peace, and prosperity, embodying harmonious development, effective resource management, and equitable governance (aligned with Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework outcomes 2 and 3 and UNDP signature solutions 2, 3 and 6).

The role of the Country Office Communications Unit is to adopt UNDP’s global communication strategy to a local context and the Country Office development priorities. Through the production of high-quality communication materials and innovative use of relevantly targeted communication channels (internal and external), the communications team works collaboratively to position UNDP as a leader in the development arena, promote visibility of UNDP program outcomes/development results, mobilize support for Sustainable Development Goals in the country, and practice delivery as one UN.

Scope of Work

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Resident Representative (with support from Deputy Resident Representative), the Communications Analyst will implement the corporate communications strategy, as well as provide inputs to the design, management and implementation of the Country Office communications and publication strategies, which are geared to influence the development agenda, promote public and media outreach, and mobilize political and financial support for UNDP.

The Communications Analyst will work under the technical direction of the Communication Specialist and maintain a regular working relationship with the Regional Communications Adviser. The Communications Analyst would also work in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations teams, staff of other UN Agencies, will be an active member of the UN Communications Group, the UNDP Communications Regional and HQ staff, government officials, international and local media, subject matter experts, donors, and civil society to ensure successful implementation of UNDP’s communication strategy in the Country Office.

We are seeking a strategic and creative Communication Analyst with expertise in internal and external communications, stakeholder engagement, and digital content production. The ideal candidate is a skilled communication strategist and with hands-on experience in graphic design, videography, photography, and social media management. They will have a proven ability to craft compelling multimedia content and campaigns that align with visual identity standards, amplify programme results, and engage diverse audiences across platforms, including donors, government, media, and the public; with strong cross-functional coordination skills to align messaging and deliverables across programme teams, UN agencies, and external partners.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Summary of Key Functions

• Develop and implement internal/external communication strategies and outreach as well as UNDP’s campaign initiatives to engage different stakeholders (i.e. Government, donors, media and public).
• Implement UNDP’s campaigns and advocacy initiatives to increase public awareness and development priorities and engage key stakeholders (i.e. Government, donors, media and public) as part of UNDP’s mandate and goals.
• Support partnership visibility and resource mobilization efforts through donor communications, advocacy campaigns, and packaging of programme results.
• Support the country office’s knowledge management and dissemination efforts to enhance internal learning, institutional memory, and visibility of development impact.

Key Results Expected:

Specific tasks and responsibilities:

1. Develop and implement internal/external communication strategies and outreach as well as UNDP’s campaign initiatives to engage different stakeholders (i.e. Government, donors, media and public):

• Prepare and conduct communications needs assessments for the country office (e.g., for projects, the country programme, and corporate change initiatives);
• Draft and edit the country office communications and outreach strategy based on country office strategic priorities and the UNDP External Communications Action Plan;
• Lead strategic communication integration during the project and programme formulation stage to integrate branding, visibility, and stakeholder engagement components in all aspects of UNDP development program;
• Enhance media coverage and public awareness of UNDP’s work through strategic storytelling, developing human-interest features, photo essays, videos, and branded multimedia content in line with UNDP guidance;
• Lead the implementation of the country office digital communication strategy, ensuring consistent, creative and audience relevant content across all platforms and channels;
• Develop and implement a strategic social media content plan, aligned with UNDP’s communication priorities and campaign calendar, to increase engagement, audience reach, and visibility across platforms;
• Generate high-quality multimedia content (social media graphics, videos, infographics, reports, web stories) in compliance with UNDP and UN visual identity guidelines to improve digital reach and visibility.

2. Implement UNDP’s campaigns and advocacy initiatives to increase public awareness and development priorities and engage key stakeholders (i.e. Government, donors, media and public) as part of UNDP’s mandate and goals:

• Promote and maintain public information campaigns on UNDP activities leveraging social media platforms to amplify reach, drive engagement, and communicate key development messages;
• Collect, design and package information for donor review in collaboration with programme staff and supervisor to support campaign and advocacy initiatives;
• Plan and coordinate stakeholder engagement events, including roundtable discussions, press conferences, briefing sessions, interviews, and campaign launches;
• Support “One UN” agenda in line with UNDP’s Campaign and Advocacy agenda;
• Ensure access of journalists to subject-matter experts and UNDP spokespeople; and provide newsworthy information to the national public;
• Identify and develop storylines for publications, and draft substantive articles that contribute to and generate conversations on key development issues;
• Coordinate and manage the country office publication activities, such as content management in line with corporate guidelines;
• Liaise with and maintain a database of contact details for journalists.

3. Support partnership visibility and resource mobilization efforts through donor communications, advocacy campaigns, and packaging of programme results:

• In close coordination with Programme colleagues and direct guidance of SMT, lead on partnership management in the CO including keeping a good and timely track record of all fundraising opportunities in the office, following up on due diligence of the new partners as well as other activities related to effective management of UNDP partners in the country;
• Packaging and submission of programme initiatives for donor review through branded, visually compelling materials such as reports, infographics, photos, videos and slide decks, in collaboration with programme staff and UNDP senior management;
• Promotion and maintenance of public information campaigns on issues including UNDP activities and Sustainable Development Goals;
• Design, and dissemination of corporate communication and advocacy materials for launching flagship initiatives and publications such as the Human Development Report as well as any other reports;
• Maintenance of increased coverage and understanding of the UNDP’s work in the country or practice area through local and global media stories as guided by the UNDP External Communications Action Plan, provision of newsworthy information to national public and, where possible, donors;
• Draft and produce regular donor updates and visibility content, including human-interest stories, project highlights, and visual summaries aligned with branding guidelines;
• Preparation of donor reports, civic education and community awareness where appropriate to support projects;
• Effective responses to inquiries for public information materials.

4. Support the country office’s knowledge management and dissemination efforts to enhance internal learning, institutional memory, and visibility of development impact:

• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country goals outcomes, for both internal learning and external visibility;
• Contribute to knowledge platforms and communities of practice, including uploading communications materials to corporate repositories and shared drives;
• Provide training, consultancy, and advice to UNDP staff on internal and external knowledge management;
• Maintain UNDP’s Intranet on country office activities for internal knowledge sharing platforms; and share relevant knowledge products with external stakeholders through corporate website and social media channels.;
• Work with the Programme teams to ensure knowledge products (reports, briefs, publications, social media toolkits) are regularly updated, accessible, and appropriately archived for both internal and external use.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Impact of Results

The key results of this role directly enhance the visibility and public perception of UNDP-Sierra Leone, contributing to the successful implementation of communication strategies and effective social media engagement. Through timely and targeted delivery of communication services, the Specialist ensures high levels of satisfaction/supports the execution of UNDP Programmes and Projects. These efforts play a critical role in strengthening stakeholder partnerships and reinforcing UNDP’s position as a trusted development partner in Sierra Leone.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Resident Representative (with support from Deputy Resident Representative), the Communications Analyst will implement the corporate communications strategy, as well as provide inputs to the design, management and implementation of the Country Office communications and publication strategies, which are geared to influence the development agenda, promote public and media outreach, and mobilize political and financial support for UNDP.

The Communication and Partnership Analyst works in close collaboration with Operations, Programme and project teams in the CO, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials to successfully deliver Communication Unit services.

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Communication: Creative direction and copywriting. Multimedia writing/editing

• Ability to creatively communicate concepts in an engaging and simple way.
• Ability to create and/or edit written content for multimedia

Communication and Partnership: Brand & quality management

• Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality.

Digital & Innovation : Data storytelling and communications

• Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.

Communication: Stakeholder Management

• Ability to work with incomplete information and balance competing interests to create value for all stakeholders

Business Direction and Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Communication: Digital Asset Management

• Ability to use digital asset management (DAM) systems to effectively store, share and organize digital assets such as images, videos and other media

Communication: Crisis and reputational risk

• Ability to prepare for and respond to potential issues that may negatively impact UNDP”s reputation

Required Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Mass Communications, Journalism, Media Studies, Public Relations, International Relations, Public Administration, or a related field is required; or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience

• Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in Communication is required.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to tell engaging stories through video, photography, and multimedia, translating complex development themes into accessible, audience-friendly formats.
• Experienced in designing reporting and presentation materials, including branded report publications, PowerPoint decks, fact sheets, one-pages, and visual templates in alignment with institutional guidelines.
• Proficiency in digital media production, including videography, photography, motion graphics, and publication design, with a strong eye for brand alignment and visual identity.
• Hands-on experience in managing social media accounts, including strategy development, content creation, and engagement analysis.
• Proficient in digital media production, including videography, photography, graphic design, and publication design with a strong eye for brand alignment and visual identity.
• Excellent understanding of international development issues and knowledge of the UN system.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Desired skills

• Work experience with developing countries is highly desirable.
• Relevant Communication experience/knowledge related to one or more of the UNDP Practice areas (such as Democratic Governance/Elections, Health- related projects, Crisis prevention and recovery, Energy and Environment) will be an added advantage.
• Proven ability to effectively coordinate a large, multi-stakeholder project.
• Demonstrated experience of UN/UNDP/international organization’s Communication Unit policies and procedures is highly desirable.
• Knowledge and experience in UNDP’s ERP (Quantum) will be a definite advantage.
• Proven experience in creating and designing a variety of content (articles, press releases, news article newsletters, blog posts, platform-optimized social media content to support campaigns and visibility efforts.) is required.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English (Spoken and written) is required,
• Fluency in Krio as national language? is required
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.