National Post: Media and Crisis Communications Specialist, ESARO, Johannesburg, NOC

UNFPA's East and Southern Africa Regional Office covers one of the most complex and dynamic communications environments in the world, encompassing active humanitarian crises, significant development challenges, and rapidly evolving media landscapes. This position sits at the intersection of strategic communications, high-stakes media relations, and crisis response.

The Media and Crisis Communications Specialist will serve as the primary architect of UNFPA's external communications posture across the region, building the organization's credibility with media, managing reputational risk, and ensuring that UNFPA's voice is present, coherent, and compelling in both routine and emergency contexts.

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 (2026–2029) is a roadmap for resilience and renewal, built around four interconnected outcomes: ending preventable maternal deaths; eliminating the unmet need for family planning; eradicating gender-based violence and harmful practices; and ensuring demographic changes are understood and addressed in a rights-based manner. It aims to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health and realize reproductive rights for all, leaving no one behind across the humanitarian, development and peace continuum.

In a region where these issues are acutely felt, communications is not a support function, it is a strategic instrument. This role will shape how governments, donors, media, and communities understand and engage with UNFPA's mission.

Under the guidance of the Director of ESARO and under the direct supervision of the Regional Communications Adviser, the Specialist will lead the development and execution of UNFPA's regional media and communications strategy. The incumbent will be responsible for positioning UNFPA as a credible, authoritative voice in the region,  managing relationships with media at all levels, driving proactive storytelling, and leading communications in humanitarian and crisis contexts.

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French or Portuguese is an asset.

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

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 [link removed] to learn more.
 

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.