Communications Specialist (Climate Change)

Organizational Context

The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) coordinates FAO's response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. It serves as a focal point for major environmental agreements and assists Members in addressing interlinked challenges of food security and environmental sustainability. OCB facilitates access to climate financing and hosts key programmes and secretariats. The Climate Change team within OCB provides policy advice and technical support on mitigation, adaptation, transparency, and loss and damage, developing knowledge products and tools and linking with international climate processes.

Job Purpose

The Communications Specialist will be responsible for planning, designing, and implementing external communication strategies and activities for projects and initiatives focused on climate change and agriculture. This includes adaptation, mitigation, transparency, and climate finance, aiming to support the effective implementation of the FAO Climate Change Strategy and its Action Plan. The role involves ensuring consistent messaging, enhancing visibility of results, and engaging target audiences across various communication channels to promote FAO's work in this critical area.

Responsibilities

The Communications Specialist will act as the focal point for the Climate Change team's communications, ensuring alignment with FAO's corporate standards and strategy. This involves developing and executing a comprehensive communication strategy, including defining objectives, target audiences, and key messages. The role requires leading internal and external communication activities for specific projects, researching and drafting stories of change, and coordinating communications around international events like UNFCCC sessions. Responsibilities include developing key messages, producing various communication products (brochures, fact sheets, social media content, web articles), managing external service providers, maintaining web content, and analyzing web/social media analytics to improve engagement. The specialist will also collaborate with team members and FAO divisions on outreach activities, ensure donor visibility, monitor and report on communication results, and ensure all materials comply with FAO's clearance processes and branding standards.

Work Experience

A minimum of one year of relevant professional experience in communications for development, particularly within the agriculture and climate sectors, is required. Experience in developing communication and outreach campaigns, establishing partnerships, and managing media relations is essential.

Skills

Key skills include strong communication, teamwork, and relationship-building abilities. Proficiency in developing communication and outreach campaigns, media outreach, and digital communication, including social media management, is crucial. The role requires excellent analytical and conceptual skills, gender-sensitive and cross-cultural competency, and the ability to work effectively in a team. Experience at the field/project level with international organizations is advantageous. Knowledge of FAO's climate change activities and additional UN official languages like Spanish or French is considered an asset.

Explore related opportunities