Design appealing communications and learning materials

Organizational Context

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global entity dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building futures for displaced individuals. Established in 1950, it operates in 136 countries, providing essential aid and advocating for refugee rights. The Regional Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa focuses on projects at the humanitarian-development nexus, including refugee inclusion and systems strengthening across nine countries. This role supports the Bureau's efforts to map national social protection systems and derive learning.

Job Purpose

This role supports UNHCR's Regional Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa by transforming complex research and data on refugee inclusion and social protection systems into visually engaging materials. The Visual Design Online Volunteer will create country profiles, learning tools, and communication assets for governments, development partners, and UNHCR staff. The objective is to enhance staff capacity, support advocacy efforts, and foster a shared understanding of how forcibly displaced populations can be integrated into national systems, contributing to UNHCR's vision of a better future for all those forced to flee.

Responsibilities

The Online Volunteer will provide visual design and communications support for initiatives focused on self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion across the East and Horn of Africa. Key responsibilities include designing high-quality country profiles, infographics, and data visualizations that synthesize policy and institutional analysis findings. The volunteer will create PowerPoint presentations, Canva publications, and dashboards to support learning, advocacy, and donor engagement. Developing visually consistent and branded templates for various knowledge products, and assisting with the creation of simple videos or animated visuals are also required. The role involves packaging lessons learned, best practices, and case studies, and contributing to shared visual content libraries while adhering to UNHCR branding and accessibility standards. Collaboration will occur remotely with regional supervisors and teams via MS Teams, email, and shared platforms.

Work Experience

Required experience includes strong proficiency in Canva, PowerPoint, and other visual communication tools. Experience in designing reports, briefs, slide decks, infographics, and data visualizations is essential. Basic video editing or animation skills and experience developing dashboards are considered strong assets. Familiarity with visual storytelling techniques and a keen eye for design are important. Experience working remotely and managing multiple design tasks with minimal supervision is also required.

Skills

Key skills include proficiency in Canva, PowerPoint, and visual communication tools. Strong abilities in graphic design, data visualization, and visual storytelling are necessary. The role requires the ability to translate complex technical content into engaging visuals, collaborate effectively with non-designers, and manage multiple tasks remotely with minimal supervision. Strong organizational and communication skills are also important. Familiarity with branding and accessibility standards, and experience with humanitarian or development issues are advantageous.

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