Organizational Setting

FAO Ukraine is a project management Office headed by the Regional Programme Leader (RPL) under the operational responsibility of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. FAO Ukraine is contributing to the development of national policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. 

Reporting Lines

Under the overall responsibility of the FAO Regional Programme Leader for Europe and Central Asia and the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator in Ukraine, the FAO-RPP Communications Assistant will contribute to raising the visibility of FAO’s ongoing work in eastern Ukraine, working under the technical guidance of the Communications Associate in Ukraine and REU Communication Officer for Europe and Central Asia, in close collaboration with FAO Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (RPP) team in eastern Ukraine, and in accordance with FAO’s corporate communications policies and practices.

Tasks and responsibilities 

Within delegated authority, the FAO-RPP Communications Assistant will perform the following duties:

•    Assists in developing and updating a Communication Plan for FAO-RPP projects that defines target groups, indicators, and budget. The Plan will focus on external visibility, communication for development, and implementation;
•    Drafts news stories and media advisories for dissemination to national and regional media, when appropriate, in a timely and professional manner;
•    Increases FAO social media coverage of FAO-RPP project activities, in close cooperation with FAO Communication Associate, using the existing FAO social media channels;
•    Serves as FAO’s communication focal point in Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, addressing queries from editors and journalists, and facilitating media field visits to FAO project locations;
•    Helps strengthen FAO’s media relations and public visibility, as well as FAO relations with other multilateral, national development partners, institutions, donors, governments;
•    Builds up and maintains an up-to-date and detailed list of media stakeholders and partners in Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and shares this information with FAO Country and Regional Offices;
•    Promotes FAO activities and donors’ visibility, in line with FAO communication policy and donors’ requirements;
•    Develops a variety of communication and promotional materials for projects (project briefs, brochures, leaflets, success stories, video and photo materials, printed banners and backdrops, etc.), in accordance with FAO corporate brand guidelines and donors’ visibility guidelines;
•    Contributes to development of video courses and other training materials;
•    Reviews materials and presentations for the workshops and trainings, and any other related documents;
•    Ensures that all communication materials are appropriately targeted and gender-sensitive;
•    In regular consultation and coordination with the Communication Associate, ensures coherence with FAO’s corporate communication policy and operational guidelines for all communication and information outputs;
•    Collates good photos on FAO projects and submits them for inclusion in the corporate photo database; liaising in advance with FAO photo library to ensure compliance with technical specifications and guidelines.
•    Maintains regular contacts and exchanges information with other projects and programmes, in particular lessons learned on communication;
•    Liaises with local technical teams to select appropriate communication channels and messages for farmers;
•    Contributes to planning and organizing public events (conferences, presentations, training events, visits of officials, field visits, etc.) to ensure consistency of messages and enhance FAO and donor visibility;
•    Reviews drafts of communication materials developed by field technical experts (task reports, letters, surveys) targeting external audience, and ensures they adhere to FAO and donors’ visibility guidelines;
•    Performs other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Public Relations or Journalism, or a related field.
•    At least 2 years of relevant professional experience at the national or international level.
•    Excellent knowledge of English, Ukrainian and Russian.
•    National of Ukraine.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Hands-on experience in developing and implementing communication and visibility plans in the field of development.
•    Press release writing, project visibility, outreach and presentation delivery skills.
•    Experience with producing video and photo materials.
•    Good understanding of agriculture-related issues.
•    Experience of working with local media.
•    Availability to travel within the region, as required. 
•    Knowledge and experience with the UN system is an asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions. 

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2101175&tz=GMT%2B02%3A00&tzname and complete your online profile.
• Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.
• If you need help, or have queries, please contact: [email protected]