Communications and Advocacy Specialist

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency dedicated to achieving food security for all and leading international efforts to defeat hunger. Working in over 130 countries, FAO supports the transformation to efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. For over four decades, FAO has partnered with the Philippine government and various sectors to address challenges in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, focusing on sustainability, modernization, and resilience to natural disasters and climate hazards.

Job Purpose

The Communications and Advocacy Specialist will be responsible for documenting, producing, and disseminating information and communication materials that effectively highlight project results, best practices, and human-interest stories. This role is crucial for enhancing the project's visibility among stakeholders and strengthening coordination efforts with partners. The specialist will play a key role in communicating the project's impact and fostering engagement with a wide range of audiences, ensuring that project achievements are effectively conveyed and understood.

Responsibilities

Lead the implementation of the project's communication, visibility, advocacy, and knowledge management strategy, adhering to FAO, donor, and UN branding guidelines. Provide strategic communication and advocacy advice and technical support to FAO, government counterparts, implementing partners, and stakeholders to promote project objectives and best practices. Develop, write, edit, and produce diverse communication materials, including news articles, human-interest stories, social media content, brochures, infographics, press releases, and donor reports. Design and execute advocacy campaigns and communication initiatives to raise awareness and promote anticipatory action and disaster preparedness. Document project milestones and field activities through high-quality photography and videography, ensuring compliance with FAO privacy and data protection protocols. Coordinate with various government agencies, UN partners, media, and other stakeholders to enhance communication and public engagement. Monitor and analyze media coverage and social media engagement, recommending improvements as needed. Conduct field missions to gather compelling stories and translate them into advocacy products. Maintain an organized repository of communication and knowledge products. Prepare communication inputs for donor and project reports, documenting results and achievements.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in communication, documentation, or media work is required. Experience gained within development, humanitarian contexts, or UN projects is highly preferred. This experience should demonstrate a strong ability to produce and disseminate communication materials effectively and support project visibility and advocacy efforts.

Skills

Proficiency in developing and implementing communication, visibility, and advocacy strategies. Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills in English and Filipino are essential. Experience in preparing press releases, news articles, and advocacy messages for various media outlets. Familiarity with web content management, editing software, and desktop publishing. Ability to work under pressure in complex environments and collaborate within diverse teams. Proficiency in photography, videography, and basic graphic design is advantageous. Working knowledge of relevant local dialects is a plus. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Tagalog are required. General knowledge of standard office software (MS Office) is necessary.

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