Senior Public Information Officer

The Senior Public Information Officer leads the Communications and Mobilization Section at OHCHR, driving advocacy and communications strategies aligned with High Commissioner priorities. The role involves strategic leadership, overseeing communication products, building partnerships, and managing a diverse team to ensure impactful human rights campaigns and outreach globally.

Responsibilities

• Drive OHCHR's advocacy and communications strategy in line with High Commissioner priorities, ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the section and lead the development and implementation of communications strategy for staff and leadership at HQ and in the field, collaborating with relevant departments.
• Oversee and assure the quality of all communication products and services.
• Build broad strategic partnerships-including private sector- to strengthen outreach and advocacy impact.
• Identify and integrate innovative tools, data, and trends into office communications.
• Ensure high-quality human rights campaigns and stories have global reach and measurable benefits.
• Conceptualize, design and execute OHCHR's communication strategy, programme, activities and budget for the Strategic Communications Section, including social media, content development; multimedia, web, campaigns and graphic design.
• Provide technical and policy advice on highly complex public information and strategic communications issues; oversee development and dissemination of Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs), guidelines and best practices and ensure OHCHR's strategic communications outputs are relevant, strategic, innovative and aligned with OHCHR's branding and vision.
• Lead and direct a diverse team; plan and allocate work assignments; coach, mentor, and evaluate staff; participate in recruitment and selection of new staff and in the development of training programs.
• Pursue effective substantive engagement with senior OHCHR staff in the field and at headquarters to ensure smart messaging and amplification of communication approaches across OHCHR field presences; create and maintain networks of high-level communications contacts with broadcast media, the press, governmental agencies, international institutions, and other groups and organizations in civil society (non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, community organizations, women's groups, etc.); represent the organization in important meetings, conferences, events, etc.; promote joint public relations ventures.
• Lead on the development of innovative institutional communications products, ensuring they are of high quality and coherent with OHCHR's strategic directions, including fundraising.
• Regularly report on impact and effectiveness of communication activities based on detailed analytics and oversight.
• Provide diverse materials (briefings, speeches, questions and answers) for use by OHCHR's senior officials, and oversee the development of high-profile multimedia communications campaigns; set quality and production standards for information dissemination.
• Oversee organization of flagship campaigns and events like Human Rights Day, ensuring reach and impact.
• Perform other related duties as relevant.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in communications is required.
• A first-level university degree in communications, in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible work experience in public information, strategic communications, journalism, international relations, public administration or related area, is required.
• A minimum of five years of managerial experience is required.
• Experience in digital outreach and the use of social media is required.
• Experience working within the United Nations common system or similar international organization is required.
• Proven track record of excellent management, including results-based management and experience managing staff, budgets and planning, is required.
• A minimum of three years of experience in human rights, development, humanitarian or any other relevant areas is desirable.
• A minimum of three years of experience in the field is desirable.

Skills

• Public Information
• Strategic Communications
• Journalism
• International Relations
• Public Administration
• Senior Managerial Experience
• Digital Outreach
• Social Media Communication
• United Nations System
• Result-Based Management
• Staff Management
• Budget Management
• Planning
• Human Rights Communication
• Advocacy Activities
• Communications Strategies
• Partnership Building
• Team Leadership

Languages

English, French, Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish, Russian, Arabic