Communications and Outreach Assistant

Host entity: UNV

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Administration, Communication, advocacy, public information, Digital and social media

Application deadline: 11/10/2026

Mission and objectives

The UN Volunteers China Field Unit, which is administered by the UN Development Programme, oversees all UNV programmes and operations in China to fulfill UNV’s strategic priorities in mobilizing UN Volunteers, integrating volunteerism into UN and national government development initiatives, and advocating for voluntary civic engagement.

Assignment context

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. We work with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated and well supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and reports to the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board.

Under the dual reporting line to UNV Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) and the External Relations and Communications Section (ERCS) in the Headquarters, the UNV Field Unit (FU) in China oversees all programme and partnerships initiatives and operations in China, to fulfill UNV’s strategic priorities through the engagement of empowered UN Volunteers to support the functioning of the UN System and promoting evidence-based volunteerism to be integrated by the Government of China and the United Nations system in China for implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Task description

Under the primary supervision of the Programme and Partnerships Specialist, the National UN Associate Volunteer will:

a) Support communication and advocacy
· Support implementation of UNV country-level communication and advocacy strategies and campaigns, including International Volunteer Year 2026 (IVY 2026), International Volunteer Day (IVD), high-level missions and partnership engagements.
· Develop, edit and adapt audience-specific content across formats (social media, stories, briefs, presentations, graphics, photos, videos) in line with UNV brand guidelines.
· Manage and operate UNV China's social media presence, with a focus on Weibo and WeChat offcial accounts, coordinate with the Regional Office and Headquarters to feed China content into global channels (LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram), or vice versa.
· Produce and disseminate external products, such as press releases, features, campaign materials, and monitor communication and social media performance to inform future outreach.
· Liaise with UN partners, UN Volunteers, and field teams to source high quality stories, visuals, and testimonials. Contribute to joint communications products and regional or country specific editorial pieces.
· Provide communication support to programmes, partnerships, Full Funding initiatives, Assignment Preparation Training and knowledge-sharing events, including multimedia coverage and visibility materials.
· Support logistics for communications initiatives—such as missions, events, and content production—by coordinating procurement, field arrangements, consultants, and multimedia coverage.
· Assist with English–Chinese translation, editing and proofreading; maintain communication assets to support knowledge management.

b) Support outreach and operation
· Support online and onsite talent acquisition and partner outreach, including campaigns, recruitment communications, career events and engagement with universities and professional networks.
· Support volunteer mobilization outreach through targeted materials to attract qualified, diverse candidates.
· Maintain and engage UNV talent pools and alumni networks, and support talent community activities.
· Provide cross-functional support across the volunteer engagement cycle — recruitment, selection, onboarding and induction — in collaboration with Field Unit colleagues.
· Support corporate events, learning sessions, townhalls and other Field Unit initiatives.
· Perform other related duties as requested by the supervisor.

Skills and experience

· Fluency in English and Chinese (written and spoken) is required.
· Experience in communications, advocacy, media, or public relations is preferred.
· Prior experience with the UN system, international organizations, or volunteerism is an asset.
· Experience in developing multi-format content (social media, stories, briefs, graphics, video) and managing social media platforms is an asset.
· Knowledge of graphic design, multimedia production and social media analytics tools is an advantage.
· Strong writing, editing and translation skills with attention to detail and brand consistency.
· Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and collaborate across teams and stakeholders.

Competencies and values

· Commitment and Motivation
· Communication
· Empowering Others
· Ethics and Values
· Integrity
· Knowledge Sharing
· Planning and Organizing
· Respect for Diversity
· Self-Management
· Working in Teams

Living conditions

The duty station of the national UN Volunteer is located in Beijing. The volunteer will receive a standard volunteer living allowance (VLA) as well as other entitlements. You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.