NATIONAL POST: Communications Officer, Freetown, Sierra Leone, NOB

The Position:

The Communications Officer fosters a dynamic and visible presence for UNFPA Sierra Leone, facilitating a narrative environment that drives advocacy and maintains high levels of stakeholder engagement to meet the strategic goals of the country office. By serving as a supportive bridge between UNFPA and the public, you ensure that the impact of our work is communicated with clarity and purpose. You will report directly to the Representative.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Working within a Country Office environment, you will document UNFPA’s work in project sites, facilitating media briefings and trainings, sharing press releases and other media material.  You will influence the media to create visibility for UNFPA’s mandate and activities in the country, including major programme events and breaking news on UNFPA achievements at national, regional and global level.

You would be responsible for:

• Monitor and analyse the political, social, and economic landscape in Sierra Leone to identify trends relevant to UNFPA’s mission and recommend and implement high-impact interventions to enhance UNFPA’s visibility and maintain a positive corporate image.
•  In liaison with programme teams, design and implement programme communication strategies aligned with corporate strategic goals and country programme milestones
• Creating relationships with media houses, individual editors and journalists to influence their analysis of reproductive health, gender and youth issues and regular coverage in the public media;
• Planning and executing media campaigns on UNFPA mandate via electronic (radio, television, cyber), social media (Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter), or print (newspapers, newsletters, books, brochures, flyers);
• Mobilizing for paid and donated space and airtime in the media including writing and circulating press statements, generating op-eds and sharing statements related to UNFPA’s work for publication in local media, radio and TV programmes, talk-shows, news items and interviews with designated country office senior staff;
• Engaging in public events including public dialogues, public events, International UN Days commemoration in order to ensure accurate messaging and visibility of UNFPA’s mandate;
• Coordinating the drafting and editing of media articles, press releases, human interest stories and other advocacy/information materials for both the web and media, as appropriate;
• Preparing background communication and promotional materials for briefings and visits of media, celebrities, donors, international advisors and other special interest groups, and assisting in the planning arrangements;
• Maintaining an updated data base of writers, journalists and media contacts;
• Ensuring regular analysis of media reporting and media reviews in order to assess the effectiveness of the country office media activities;
• Coordinating the production and ensuring quality assurance of media materials (films, video, audiovisual), to complement media packages for communicating UNFPA’s mandate, messages for media, web, events, and campaigns.
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Supervisor in line with the position.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education: 

Master’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations, or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Three years of increasing responsible experience in the field of public relations and communication;
• Excellent oral and written communication and editing skills;
• Strong interest and deep understanding of development work, especially the mission of UNFPA and of the UN system in general;
• Familiarity with communication approaches related to UNFPA’s mandate;
• Excellent skills in computer and information systems.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required

Knowledge of local languages (e.g., Krio) is an advantage.

Required Competencies: 

Compensation and Benefits: 

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, rental subsidy, education grant, home leave, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer: 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.