Senior Public Information Officer
Organizational Context
This position is within the Communications and Mobilization Section of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland. The role reports to the Deputy High Commissioner, contributing to the organization's external outreach and advocacy efforts.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this role is to drive and lead OHCHR's advocacy and communications strategy, ensuring consistent messaging aligned with High Commissioner priorities across all platforms. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership for the Communications and Mobilization Section, overseeing the development and implementation of comprehensive communication strategies for both headquarters and field staff. This includes ensuring the quality of all communication products, building strategic partnerships, integrating innovative communication tools, and conceptualizing and executing the organization's communication program, budget, and activities. The role also involves providing expert advice on complex public information issues and ensuring all outputs are strategic, innovative, and aligned with OHCHR's branding and vision.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include driving OHCHR's advocacy and communications strategy, ensuring consistent messaging and alignment with High Commissioner priorities. The role involves providing strategic leadership for the Communications and Mobilization Section, developing and implementing communication strategies for staff at HQ and in the field, and overseeing the quality of all communication products and services. Building strategic partnerships, including with the private sector, to enhance outreach and advocacy impact is crucial. The incumbent will identify and integrate innovative tools and trends into office communications, and ensure high-quality human rights campaigns achieve global reach. This includes conceptualizing, designing, and executing the communication strategy, program, activities, and budget, covering social media, content development, multimedia, web, campaigns, and graphic design. Providing technical and policy advice on complex public information issues, developing and disseminating best practices, and leading a diverse team through planning, coaching, mentoring, and performance evaluation are also key duties. The role requires engaging with senior staff, maintaining high-level communications networks, representing the organization, and developing innovative institutional communications products, including for fundraising. Reporting on the impact and effectiveness of communication activities based on analytics is essential, as is providing materials for senior officials and overseeing multimedia campaigns.
Work Experience
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in public information, strategic communications, journalism, or related fields is required, including at least five years of managerial experience. Experience in digital outreach, social media, and within the UN common system or a similar international organization is also required. Experience in human rights, development, or humanitarian areas, and field experience, are desirable.
Skills
Professionalism, Communication, Creativity, Managing Performance, Empowering Others, strategic communications, public information, digital outreach, social media, leadership, team management, partnership building, content development, multimedia production, campaign management, fundraising, analytics.