Social Media Graphic Designer

Terms of Reference

Social Media Graphic Designer DER/Global Communications Service

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is looking for a best-in-class Social Media Graphic Designer on a consultancy contract. The incumbent will sit within the Global Social Media Section of UNHCR’s Global Communications Service, and be based in New York, USA.

This exciting consultancy is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in creating visually compelling graphics and motion graphic content for use on UNHCR’s social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, and other digital properties, in support of UNHCR’s communications goals.

UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. We are present in over 125 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.

Title: Graphics Designer consultancy
Duty Station: New York, USA (home-based) Start date: ASAP
Duration: 31 December 2021
Contract Type: Individual Consultant Closing date: August 8th 2021

Organizational context

Social Media is one of UNHCR's most important channels of public communications. UNHCR's global TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat accounts have over ten million followers worldwide. The Global Social Media Section is in charge of UNHCR’s global social media strategy and managing its global accounts. It provides policies, guidance and training programmes, and provides advice on leadership, supporter and country-level social media strategies. It coordinates and mobilises UNHCR’s network of hundreds of national, regional and thematic social media accounts, and provides them with a regular flow of social content, particularly on thematic issues and for communications milestones, which can be published, translated and localised by the network for their distinct follower base.

Graphics are a key part of this content mix. Digital trends show the increasing effectiveness of graphics on social media, especially given the challenges of content gathering during a pandemic. All types of graphics, including infographics and motion graphics, are a key content-format for both proactive and reactive communications. They can help us reach new and diverse audiences, strengthen UNHCR’s brand and raise awareness around advocacy issues. They can also be used in fundraising, donor visibility and campaigns, and to represent the diversity of the refugee, displaced and stateless populations UNHCR serves.

The position

The consultant will report to UNHCR’s Social Video lead (Social Media Officer, London).

The consultant will create and deliver visually compelling graphics and motion graphics, using brand aligned templates. He/She should successfully display a knowledge for social media graphics production and a proven knowledge of industry best practices to generate optimized content for specific platforms.The consultant will be highly familiar with the digital media industry, and all of the platforms where UNHCR has a presence. They will take pride in creating memorable, easy to understand graphics that inspire action.

The work will include commissions from other communications teams which will be funnelled through an established workflow. The consultant will have strong planning, organising and time-management competencies, able to organise the workflow and manage competing requests with the help of your supervisor, in order to deliver quality work on deadline. He/She will be working in close coordination with other teams, especially the Video Unit and Digital Design Unit. Also among the consultant’s tasks is maintaining and innovating with design and editing templates for UNHCR videos, ensuring those products are creative, compelling and consistent with brand guidelines.

Duties and responsibilities

• ●  Create visually compelling social media graphics and motion graphics for UNHCR lead reports, advocacy and human-rights based messaging, international days etc

• ●  Maintain and innovate existing video templates

• ●  Creation of motion design templates to share and capacitate other UNHCR teams

• ●  Edit socially optimized videos in various formats

• ●  Provide creative input to relevant projects

• ●  Produce products for campaigns, comms milestones and donor conferences

• ●  Support bureau and country office training and capacity building

• ●  Participate in the archiving and metadata management of video within UNHCR’s digital asset management system

  The exact deliverables will be defined on the basis of the above in collaboration with the incumbent’s manager and supervisor.

  Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

  The ideal candidate will have:

• Degree or certificate in video, film and/or animated graphics production

• 5+ years of proven or demonstrated experience as a social media video editor / motion

  designer.

• 5+ years of related experience of graphic design using Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or

  Illustrator.

• 5+ years animating with Adobe AfterEffects.

• Experience using content management systems (Digital Asset Management systems in

  particular)

• Proficiency in English (additional languages, especially Arabic, French or Spanish, is an

  asset)

  Key competencies and skills:

• Technical and operational knowledge of the most popular social media platforms and a

  proven track record of delivering successful social content which performs well on these

  platforms.

• Excellent planning and organizing skills, including managing projects, working to a

  deadline, multitasking, and ability to work on time-sensitive projects with quick turnaround.

• Teamwork - communications skills to work together with team-mates on a common task or towards a common goal, listen to others, to make decisions, and address challenges and opportunities.

• Initiative - ability to understand and carry out assignments autonomously, and a commitment to cooperative, creative work

• Commitment to the values and objectives of the United Nations. Location

• The successful candidate will be based with the team in New York, USA (home-based)

   

  Monitoring and Progress Controls

  UNHCR closely tracks the performance of all social media content and identifies effective messaging, formats and strategies. Material developed by the Consultant will be measured for impact and efficacy.

  Performance will be assessed on an ongoing basis, with established goals, regular informal feedback, and a formal assessment at the end of the contract period.

  To apply

  The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

  Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

  Closing date: August 8th 2021