Communications Senior Assistant

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) supports Member States in strengthening the rule of law, advancing good governance, and enhancing the effectiveness, accountability, and professionalism of criminal justice and security institutions. In The Gambia, UNODC works in close collaboration with national authorities, development partners, and regional stakeholders to support reforms within the security and justice sectors in line with international norms and standards.

UNODC is currently implementing several projects which require an increased operational demand for dedicated communication and vibility support to support programme and project management procedures. The incumbent will play a critical role in supporting The Gambia programme office by ensuring accurate smooth day-to-day communications and visibility operations, thereby enabling effective and timely project delivery. The position holder will ensure the quality and accuracy of work in accordance with UN rules and procedures.

The incumbent will also work closely with the Programme Coordinators on the respective projects and with colleagues from UNODC Vienna and the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa (ROSEN) in Dakar, Senegal, to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and coherence.

The Communications Senior Assistant executes assigned communications tasks to highlight project achievements and impact. The incumbent coordinates content creation across multiple platforms, from news articles and social media to publications and press releases. The Communications Senior Assistant also possesses strong writing and organizational skills, and is able to manage project logistics, maintain records, and support outreach efforts, including pitching stories to media outlets.

Communications Support

• Gather success stories, lessons learned, and testimonials to illustrate project impact.
• Coordinate dissemination of messages and materials across platforms, ensuring consistency with project goals.
• Work with interpreters to translate/localize communication materials for diverse audiences.
• Support scheduling, budgeting and coordination with vendors and partners for communication projects.
• Maintain records and documentation of activities. Support timely reporting.
• Manage communication tools and resources (e.g. digital assets, databases, contact lists, etc).

Project Support and Communications

• Provide logistical and administrative support for communication events, workshops and campaigns.
• Assist in monitoring communication activities to measure reach and impact. 

Content Development 

• Contribute to drafting and editing content for websites, social media, newsletters, and press releases.
• Assist in producing publications, reports and other materials that highlight project achievements

Research and Analysis 

• Collect information to support the development of communication strategies, identifying trends and opportunities.
• Gather feedback from audiences to inform strategy improvement.
• Support the Partnerships team in maintaining engagement records and dashboards
• Provide administrative support for meetings, travel and partner surveys.
• Capture project achievements and ensure proper visibility through social media and events.
• Document project activities and assist with beneficiary data tracking for reporting purposes.

Media Content and Outreach 

• Produce locally relevant news articles, feature stories, interviews and media briefs.
• Translate/ adapt communication materials for national audiences.
• Identify and pitch stories to national/ regional media outlets, and support press events.
• Maintain media-engagement records and submit monitoring reports.

Knowledge Building and Sharing 

• Actively participate in communications-related training and capacity-building initiatives for personnel.
• Contribute to knowledge networks and Communities of Practice (CoPs).

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 1 year of relevant experience is required.

Desired

•  Globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in communications, journalism, or digital and social media communications 

Required

• Experience in communications, public relations, media, journalism or related fields.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts. 

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.