COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER (PIO)

The temporary position is located within the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH). Pursuant to Security Council resolution 2793 (2025), UNSOH has been mandated to provide support; primarily to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), the Haitian National Police (HNP), and the Haitian Armed Forces in the context of any joint operations with the GSF. Additionally, UNSOH is tasked with delivering technical assistance to the Organization of American States (OAS). The Communications Officer is responsible for conducting a wide range of tasks, which may include developing and implementing communications strategies, crisis communications, media relations, monitoring, and analytics, as well as multimedia content development. The incumbent of the position will report to the Assistant Secretary-General for UNSOH or her/his designate. The temporary position is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and is located with the office of the Assistant Secretary-General.

Responsibilities: • Provide analysis and advice to UNSOH management on strategic communications issues such as opportunities for proactive communications, building support, managing crises and reputational risks, and strengthening information integrity. • Provide insights and analysis from traditional, social, and digital media monitoring, including public narratives and areas of reputational risk to inform communications strategy. • Develop and implement a communications strategy that raises awareness, drives engagement, builds support and has measurable impact with target audiences. • Draft compelling content, narratives and messaging on the work of UNSOH that engage target audiences across different channels and platforms. • Conduct mapping, outreach to and foster relationships with traditional and new media outlets. • Develop media lines, including in crisis situations and on sensitive issues. • Act as a spokesperson for the organization, when required. • Draft and produce multimedia products, such as press releases, press statements, web stories, reports, and infographics. • Prepare talking points, key messages, and data for media interviews to shape public perceptions of UNSOH’s work and its impact. • Create and update policy, guidance and/or training related to strategic communications, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders. • Develop and maintain UNSOH’s website, ensuring it remains up-to-date, user-friendly, and accessible. • Analyze digital media data using analytical tools to track digital media performance. • Manage the coordination of UNSOH’s crisis communications response with communications stakeholders at the local, regional, and global levels, including the crisis communications cell and UN Communications Group in country. • Manage reputational risk crises, including online misinformation and disinformation. • Keep abreast of the latest trends in communications and maintain expertise in relevant and emerging technologies. • Maintain confidentiality, integrity, and discreet handling of sensitive information in compliance with the UN data privacy, security requirements, and standards. • 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. • Manage and coordinate the activities of the team, including hiring, training, assigning tasks and responsibilities, evaluating performance, and ensuring that deadlines are met. • Plan and manage required resources to implement the responsibilities, projects, and activities. • Performs other related duties as required

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments and adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently. Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology. Judgment/Decision-Making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Not available.

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in public information, journalism, international relations, public administration or related areas is required. A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in the production of multimedia content across multiple communications platforms (radio, TV, digital, website) is required. A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in managing crisis communications, including coordination of reporting and multimedia outputs in volatile, hostile environments in real-time and under duress is required. A minimum of five (5) years’ experience working in communications in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programes) or similar international media service organization is required. Experience in undertaking media monitoring and analytics to enhance strategic communications in conflict context is desirable.

Not available.

This temporary job opening is being advertised for advance planning purposes pending formal approval of the relevant funding and staffing structures. An appointment may be terminated, or post level adjusted in accordance with the Staff Rules for such reasons as abolition of post or reduction of staff or committee funding approvals, for example in the event that the funding for the post is not approved or the mandate of the mission is not extended. The selected candidate will be expected to temporarily deploy until 30 June 2026 subject to extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.