Advocacy Officer at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Advocacy Officer

Requisition #: 123747
Location: Abuja

Organizational Context

• These jobs are found in Headquarters (HQ) and Country Offices (COs). Job holders operate with minimal supervision, and are heavily involved in day–to-day activities, analytical work and provide advice on less complex issues.
• In HQ, job holders report to the Director of Communications or the designate. These roles work in a specialist area of communications.
• In RBs, job holders report to the Regional Director or the designate, with functional supervision from the Director of Communications or the designate.
• In COs, these roles report to the Country Director, with functional supervision from the Regional Communications Officer, to ensure that the CO communications activities serve WFP needs in the country of assignment, taking into consideration the overall regional communications plan and WFP’s corporate communications goals.

Job Purpose

• The Advocacy Officer (Multimedia) supports the implementation of communication and advocacy plans for brand building and understanding of WFP’s mission to end hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria.
• The position holder manages the CO’s social media channels.
• This includes writing, editing, and posting content across platforms and managing the editorial calendars & cultivating social communities based on trust and high-quality content.
• The Advocacy Officer (AO) reports to the International CAM Officer and Head of CAM.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive)
Advocacy and Campaigns:

• Support CAM unit develop and maintain partnerships through extensive networking and proactive collaboration with the media, advocacy groups, and other critical partners (UN entities, NGO) and key influencers, whose support is essential to achieving WFP objectives
• Seize opportunities for WFP’s thought leadership on food security and nutrition with tactics and messaging to impact appropriate audiences
• Develop and implement advocacy and marketing campaigns

Digital and Social Media Account Management:

• Serve as strategist for the CO corporate social media channels
• Determine areas of opportunity, identify trends and champion new ideas around creative formats, tools and tracking
• Create engaging, platform-specific high-impact content deliverables including copy, photos and multimedia content
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Bureau and HQ on content ideas with the aim of creating dynamic, impactful and differentiated content
• Create and update social media tool kits and databases for social media campaign

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive) 2
Content production support:

• Support the CO in producing or outsourcing the production of compelling content including, text, photos, graphics, videos and audio for use across a range of integrated online platforms and media, to support advocacy, brand building, as well as illustrate and demonstrate impact of WFP’s work for fund-raising activities
• Edits content for publication on WFP digital platforms
• Supports CO units produce content for external communications and manages databases

4Ps Core Organizational Capabilities
Purpose:

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People:

• Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance:

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership:

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

Functional Capabilities

• Capability Name: Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level
• Specialised Knowledge in Communications: Uses sound theoretical knowledge of communications concepts to generate or facilitate the generation of effective communication materials across various media. Applies this to define work plans aligned to identified areas of WFP’s communications strategy.
• Sociopolitical Contextual Understanding: Demonstrates deep understanding of the multilateral/interagency environment and the dynamics in which WFP operates which influences approach to working, policy development and decision making.
• Media and Influencer Relationship Management: Demonstrates ability to build and sustain effective collaborative relationships with key media contacts and influencers in area of expertise to raise the profile of WFP, build relationships and further organisational aims.
• Media and Communication Expertise: Facilitates open verbal or written communication with media and influencers as required (i.e. through preparation of tailored written or visual materials presentations, and official documentation) to convey tailored messages. Engages in mutually informative discussion with media and influencers.
• Communication Strategy and Planning: Applies advanced understanding of WFP communications strategy and best practice to effectively develop strategies to engage with media and other significant external stakeholders within area of responsibility. Oversees implementation, providing recommendations for improvement.

Competencies:

• Ability to work independently in a timely and organised manner
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills and the ability to liaise effectively with international media, private sector, civil society, academia and influencers, when required
• Effectively, and in a timely manner, liaises and interacts with colleagues and concerned parties internally and externally
• Willingness to explore and experiment new ideas and approaches in own work
• Ability to work in a team and multi-task as needed

Standard Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Advanced University Degree in Journalism, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications or other relevant fields, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
• National Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.
• Language: International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese.

Desired Experiences for Entry Into the Role
Education:

• Advanced University Degree in Political Science, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations or other relevant areas, or First University Degree with relevant courses and additional years of experience

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional work experience including in International development or Humanitarian work.
• Has gained experience in strategic communications techniques
• Has previous experience in digital/social media account management
• Has experience in coordination roles and supervising others

Language:

• Fluency in (level C) in English.

Deadline: 8th September, 2020.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Terms and Conditions

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Only Nigerian nationals or holders of valid residence and work permits are eligible to apply for this position
• Applications are to be submitted and recieved online and in English language only.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  Canvassing is strictly prohibited. Canvassing of any sort will lead to automatic disqualification of the concerned applicant.

Note

• WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
• Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.
• WFP will apply a rigorous and transparent selection process including thorough assessment of technical skills to ensure the best candidates are selected for the job.
• Please ensure that your application contains accurate and complete information on academic qualifications, employment record and language skills.