By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy

Communications Associate, G6, FTA

San Jose

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: San Jose
  • Grade: Administrative support - GS-6, General Service - No need for Higher Education - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Administrative support
    • Communication and Public Information
  • Closing Date: Closed

CANDIDATES MUST BE LEGALLY PRESENT IN COSTA RICA AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION, RECRUITMENT, AND HIRING.

This is internal/external advertirse position.

As reflected in paragraph 36 a) and b) of the Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS), this Job Opening is open to internal candidates (Group 1 and Group 2), based in the country, at all grade.

Group 1 Candidates: comprises current GS staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment who, at the date of the deadline for application, are serving in the country of the vacancy at the grade of the position or one grade below or above.

Group 2 Candidates: comprises candidates from the categories listed in the RALS after completion of one cumulative or continuous year of service in the country of the vacancy. The Group 2 status should have been confirmed by the HR Unit in Costa Rica before the application is submitted.

EXTERNAL CANDIDATES:
External Candidates are candidates who are not in Group 1 or Group 2. 4. Duties

- Support the implementation of communications strategies for countries, situations and special projects within the area of responsibility; help identify thematic priorities and target audiences to meet UNHCR¿s global, regional and country-level communications objectives of leading the narrative, generating empathy and mobilizing action for forcibly displaced and stateless people.
- Monitor news and popular trends to insert UNHCR¿s messaging into ongoing conversations; identify key moments for proactive communications.
- Help forge strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations who can help produce and promote UNHCR content, activities and messaging as well as provide research insights to improve communications; promote the work of engaged businesses and civil society actors.
- Support the development of news-driven and authoritative content to lead the narrative on forced displacement and show UNHCR¿s impact (e.g. interviews, press releases, flagship reports, speeches), create emotive storytelling to generate empathy (e.g. stories, multimedia content) and mobilize action by signposting concrete steps people can take to help refugees (e.g. digital diplomacy, action-driven campaigns, fundraising).
- Help ensure that content created reaches maximum impact by supporting the development of strategies for distribution from the outset, boosting the visibility of out content on relevant UNHCR channels and placing it on external channels.
- Help monitor the implementation of communications projects and adjust accordingly.
- Assist in research, preparation, editing and production of professional media and communications materials for target audiences and ensure their timely dissemination via UNHCR's communications channels, ensuring highest quality standards.
- Continually maintain and upgrade communications skills, keeping abreast of emerging platforms and tools, and systematically reviewing media impact results and other measurement tools for learning purposes.
- May be required to assist in implementation of campaigns, events and other initiatives in support of UNHCR's strategic objectives, including its need for a leading share of voice on refugee and related matters.
- May be required to undertake missions and field trips with media and other official visitors in support of UNHCR and its work.
- Manage the national social media channels to promote UNHCR operation's work and give visibility to donor's contributions.
- Prepare informative materials for persons of concern on UNHCR's programmes, operational changes, and upcoming activities.
- Implement the operation's strategy against xenophobia and fake news.
- Manage UNHCR¿s National High-Profile Supporter.  
- Perform other related duties as required.


5. Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher


Field(s) of Education

Not applicable.

Desirable
-Bachelor's degree on journalism, public relations, social communication, or related careers.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Journalism, Social Sciences, Humanities or related fields


Relevant Job Experience

Essential
Excellent computer skills and knowledge of MS Office applications. Excellent drafting skills.

Desirable
¿ Experience implementing communications strategies. Professional writing and editing skills. Experience working on advocacy campaigns.
¿ Previous work experience with UNHCR or other UN agencies in Public Information, communications or related positions. 
¿ Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.

Functional Skills

MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
CO-International Media Contacts
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
ER-Digital channels including social media, website, mobile, email and online advertising
CO-Video production for digital platforms (including news organizations)
CO-Web publishing and content management
CO-Editing
CO-Digital content production

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

6. Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies
Not specified

Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Innovation and Creativity
Political Awareness Nature of the Position
Under the supervision of the External Relations Officer, the Communications Associate will support the operation in all Public Information issues. The candidate will be responsible for stablishing and nurturing positive relationship with National and international media and provide reliable and accurate information on UNHCR¿s work and mandate to the public. Proven experience on public information, journalism or public relations is needed and previous experience in communications with UNHCR or other United Nations agency is highly valued. The incumbent will also keep a permanent media monitoring to identify key topics of interest for UNHCR and inform the operation of any rising issues in relation to media coverage of refugee matters. A good understanding of Costa Rica¿s context and political environment is required for the position. A fundamental pillar of the Communications Associate¿s work is to showcase UNHCR¿s work in Costa Rica, prepare informative material for persons of concern on UNHCR¿s programmes and to ensure donor¿s visibility; these tasks will require basic knowledge and experience on multimedia production and social media management.  Additionally, the Communications Associate will develop and implement communication strategies and campaigns to generate empathy towards people of concern and fight xenophobia, this includes organizing events and managing UNHCR¿s National High-Profile Supporter. Proven experience in developing social communication strategies is required and knowledge on humanitarian communications will be highly valued. 

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity. Language Requirements

For General Service jobs:B2 - C1 English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Spanish C2
========================================================================================================
See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Costa Rica, historically a human rights champion, has a favourable framework for the protection and integration of asylum-seekers and refugees. The country has ratified the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1978), the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (1978), 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (1977); the 1961 Convention for the Reduction of Statelessness (1977); and it also developed national normative on refugees: Executive Decree No. 32.195-G in 2004. The determination of refugee status is carried out by the Costa Rican State through the Migration Authority with assistance from UNHCR.

In light of the recommendations included in the Annex I of the New York Declaration (2016), Costa Rica engaged in the development of its own Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework national chapter in 2017. This national chapter, locally known as MINARE, was the result of a broad based consultation process with different stakeholders that identified the protection gaps for refugees and asylum seekers and outlined specific commitments to address those needs, strengthen the asylum system and facilitate the integration of refugees and asylum seekers. The same year and with the MINARE in place, Costa Rica signed the San Pedro Sula Declaration that set the grounds for the establishment of the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS), as regional coordination platform to develop regional cooperation and responsibility sharing mechanisms among its members.
By adopting the MINARE as a guiding strategy, the country has organized its response to refugee situations by implementing a whole-of-society, whole-of-government approach.

Recently, Costa Rica is facing challenges stemming from the significant increase in the number of asylum-seekers in the past 5 years, particularly from Venezuela and Nicaragua,  and despite the Government¿s efforts, this recent influx has posed serious strains on the national systems of response including education, health, social protection, and legal assistance. This situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over security. The Refugee Unit¿s capacity to receive and process cases was exceeded causing significant delays on delivering asylum-seeker documentation and work permits which affected the access of people of concern to rights and services and ultimately increased their vulnerability.

For 2021, new challenges in the political front are expected. In November 2021, Nicaragua¿s elections will take place, raising concerns of a possible increase in PoC attempting to enter Costa Rica. Shortly after, Costa Rica¿s own elections will take place in February 2022. There is a distinct possibility that refugees and migrants will be presented as political scapegoats. In consequence, a xenophobic rhetoric is expected to increase in 2021.

UNHCR in Costa Rica has maintained a continuous presence since 1978. In 2018, UNHCR opened a field office in Upala, in the north of the country. The team perform regular missions to regular and irregular border crossings and to border communities to ensure early identification of cases, timely referrals and to provide humanitarian assistance to those in greater need. UNHCR will continue to support the national authorities and key partners to respond to the situation of PoC, strengthen and guarantee protection and solutions. UNHCR will also continue to support the Government of Costa Rica to reach its pledges to eradicate statelessness, through staffing and technical aid to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the statelessness determination procedure; to Civil Registry for birth registration and naturalization solution; and to identify persons at risk of statelessness. HOW TO APPLY
Internal candidates:
- Your application must be submitted by: MSRP - Self-Service - Recruiting - Careers - Costa Rica -NAME OF THE POSITION

- (In case of technical problems, please login with a different browser).
For any technical problems encountered during the online application, please contact the Global Service Desk (hqussd@unhcr.org) prior to the deadline to allow sufficient time to resolve the issues. For any questions regarding the selection process, please contact Human Resources (cossarrhh@unhcr.org).

CVs will not be accepted by email. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.
We are committed to maintaining diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and culture.  Persons belonging to minority groups, persons with special abilities, men and women, are encouraged to apply for vacancies. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
We do not confirm receipt of applications or report on the status of the process. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview and possibly a written test.

CLOSING DATE:
Closing date for submissions or applications is 5 October 2021, (midnight Geneva time) 16:00 hours (Costa Rica time). No late applications will be accepted.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
This vacancy is now closed.
However, we have found similar vacancies for you: