Consultant - Strategic Communication for UNEP's GEF Portfolio

Job Description

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is seeking a consultant to assist the GEF Coordinator in managing strategic communication, content production, online presence, event coordination, and providing training and support to ensure effective dissemination of UNEP-GEF initiatives and policies. The consultancy will focus on delivering tasks such as coordinating and providing strategic input on UNEP-GEF communication, supporting the production and dissemination of stories, press releases, and multimedia content, managing and improving the UNEP-GEF online presence, providing advice and guidance on communication best practices, and substantive support in the coordination and organization of communication activities for key events. The consultant will work in the GEF Coordination Unit under the direct supervision of the Head of the GEF Coordination Unit.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the GEF Coordinator and in collaboration with the UNEP Communication Division to coordinate and provide strategic input on UNEP-GEF communication at the corporate and portfolio level, including strategy, branding, and communication outputs.
• In collaboration with focal area communications focal points, support the production and ensure maximum dissemination and impact of stories, press releases, and multimedia content on UNEP-GEF initiatives and priorities.
• Assist in managing and improving the UNEP-GEF online presence, including the UNEP corporate website, intranet, and project and Programme sites.
• Provide advice and guidance on communication best practices to UNEP-GEF portfolio and project staff, ensuring compliance with UNEP and GEF policies.
• Provide substantive support in the coordination and organization of communication activities for key events, such as the UNEP/GEF brown bags, GEF Replenishment, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), Multilateral Environmental Agreement Conferences of Parties (COPs), and other targeted regional and international events.
• Review relevant documents and reports; identify problems and issues to be addressed and propose corrective actions; liaise with relevant parties; identify and track follow-up actions.
• Support strategic communications development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of briefs, or other informative documents.
• Assist in survey initiatives; design data collection tools; review, analyze, and interpret responses; identify problems/issues and prepare conclusions.
• Prepare various written outputs, e.g., draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications.
• Provide substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, and preparation of documents and presentations.
• Undertake outreach activities; make presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• If needed, participate in field missions.
• Collect and analyze data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables, and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation, and reporting.
• Provide strategic communications coordination to support the implementation of UNEP-GEF priorities, ensuring alignment across portfolio teams, communications focal points, and the UNEP Communications Division.
• Develop and disseminate high-impact communications materials that strengthen the visibility of UNEP-GEF priorities and results.

Qualifications/Special Skills

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in journalism, communication or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in communication, journalism or the media at an international level is required.
• Working experience in strategic communication for environmental projects is required.
• Experience in development and implementation of communications strategies is required.
• Experience in producing and managing the production of written and multimedia content on environmental or development projects is required.
• Experience working with the Global Environment Facility policy and/or other multilateral environmental or development funds is desirable.
• Previous experience is producing/managing social media is desirable.
• Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consulting position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of another UN language is desirable.