DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS8 May 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 Central European Time (Rome)
WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the worldโs largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
WHY JOIN WFP?
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Global Media Unit is responsible for WFPโs news and media relations work. The team manages and coordinates media engagement โ providing guidance to WFP leadership, experts and spokespeople โ to ensure there is clear, consistent messaging about WFPโs operations.
The Global Media team identifies and seeks opportunities to position WFPโs core narratives, work and successes in the media. The team develops, prepares and signs-off news releases and messages to help deal with media inquiries, interviews and related engagement. It provides strategic guidance and orientation on messaging and media relations to the Regional Bureau, Country Office and HQ teams, as necessary, and leverages WFPโs network of Global Offices for positioning in support of fundraising goals.
THE ROLE
The Senior Communications Officer reports to the Director of Communications and Media at WFP and leads the Global Media team to develop, plan and implement communications strategy, working closely with senior leadership to align communications plans with business objectives.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):
- Develop communications strategies aimed at promoting the identity and profile of WFP and its commitment to food assistance.
- Plan, design, implement and monitor the communications plan for assigned area, implementing the corporate communications strategy, in order to ensure cost effective results, enhance the reputation of WFP, and support fundraising activities, ensuring alignment with WFP strategy.
- Provide advice and support to RBs on the design and implementation of regional strategies and plans, ensuring compliance with wider WFP and communications strategy and taking into account the specific regional context and audience to develop appropriate, effective communications.
- Develop, supervise and evaluate complex communications campaigns that favorably impact the views of the public, opinion leaders and donors in order to raise WFPโs profile and generate donor support.
- Ensure contact lists of journalists and media outlets are maintained, a regular flow of news/information about WFPโs work is distributed to the media, and reputational risks are identified and managed.
- Ensure that social media plans are defined and followed which leverage social media content, platforms, networks and partners to enhance coverage and support of WFPโs activities.
- Oversee the development of a range of donor specific visibility content including, text, photos, videos and audio for use across a range of integrated online platforms, in order to support global and country fund-raising activities, ensuring consistency with corporate messages.
- Oversee the design and delivery of internal communications plans so staff understand and engage with WFPโs strategy and how they contribute to meeting WFPโs mission.
- Continuously monitor and evaluate unit performance in order to ensure results meet objectives, and to identify, recommend and oversee changes to improve the effectiveness of communications strategies.
- Lead and manage a team of Communications Officers, develop work plans, set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure appropriate development to enable high performance.
- Define performance indicators, and monitor and oversee accurate and timely reporting, ensuring a WFP wide view of communications activities that enables informed decision making, evaluation of objectives and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
- Lead capacity building of WFP staff on all aspects of communication, ensuring appropriate training is delivered to staff, and providing advice up the senior management level in order to ensure consistent, quality communications that deliver the desired impact.
- Identify and build effective collaborations and partnerships internally and externally to align activities, and ensure a coherent approach to communications.
- Take responsibility for an equitable and inclusive workplace which incorporates all dimensions of the WFP diversity and inclusion framework.
- Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of communications specific risks.
- Other as required.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: Advanced University degree in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with two additional years of related work experience.
Experience:
- Minimum eleven years of relevant professional work experience in communications roles of which at least seven years of journalistic experience.
- Extensive experience in specialized communications practices and expert knowledge of the external context in which these apply
- Multi-functional and cross-geography team leadership experience in the delivery of innovative communications projects
- Proven experience in advising senior leadership on strategies to improve the organization's approach to communication support services
- Proven experience in creating media strategies, plans, and materials, and ensuring their successful implementation across a highly matrixed global organization.
- Experience supporting senior leadership in vertical collaboration, contributing to high-level strategic positioning of the organizationโs voice and narrative.
- Demonstrated experience managing reputational risk and developing effective crisis communication plans and strategies.
Language: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).
โMORE ABOUT YOU:
You have:
- Strong knowledge of digital and social media platforms, with an understanding of multimedia content gathering and digital engagement trends.
- A deep understanding of the global media landscape, and experience managing and directing globally dispersed teams.
- Impeccable editorial and writing skills with a sharp eye for detail, along with experience as a spokesperson and strong public speaking capabilities.
- The ability to combine a strategic and planning mindset with the resilience to work under pressure and respond effectively to unplanned demands and events.
- The ability to act as a frontline spokesperson for WFP, confidently responding to media requests and representing the organizationโs voice.
- A collaborative mindset, with the ability to work horizontally across the Communications and Media function and other teams.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Geographical Mobility is and continues to be, a core contractual requirement in WFP. The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term International Professional position as well as a rotational contract with a probationary period of one year.
WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel, visa and shipment allowances, 30 daysโ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance. For more information, visit https://icsc.un.org/.
The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy which is a family duty station to take up this assignment.WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.