Communications Specialist

In Latin America and the Caribbean, UNOPS operates across 23 countries, delivering high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure—including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing—to enhance quality of life and foster inclusive growth. UNOPS also supports public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development stakeholders, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.

Based in Panama City, Panama, the UNOPS Office of the Regional Director (ORD) for Latin America and the Caribbean provides strategic leadership and coordination across the region, enabling effective delivery of UNOPS’ mandate. Through portfolio oversight, integrated risk management, and the mobilization of expertise and resources, the ORD ensures regional coherence and operational excellence. The office supports country teams in aligning activities with organizational goals, strengthening the impact and efficiency of development efforts. It also leads regional positioning and representation in high-level forums, advancing visibility and engagement with key stakeholders. In close collaboration with other regional offices and headquarters, the ODR fosters cross-regional learning, promotes innovation, and drives strategic initiatives that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Communications Specialist reports to the Head of Partnerships and Communications and leads the strategic communications and public positioning agenda of the Regional Office. Through functional leadership and technical guidance of communications focal points across LCR, this role ensures the effective and disciplined regional implementation of global communication strategies, corporate branding guidelines, and reputation management, translating organizational priorities into consistent digital engagement, impactful regional campaigns, and proactive media relations, in close coordination with HQ Communications and country-level teams. 

• Previous experience in similar roles in Latin America is required.

• Experience leading teams is required.

• Experience applying emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve communication workflows, content development and audience engagement is highly desirable.

Only candidates with advanced proficiency in both Spanish and English will be shortlisted.

The Communications Specialist leads the design and implementation of internal and external communication strategies to enhance the visibility, positioning and impact of organizational  (i.e. UNOPS/Partner/project/portfolio) initiatives. The incumbent is responsible for managing communication plans, digital engagement, content creation, knowledge management, and event coordination, ensuring consistent and compelling messaging across platforms. The role also supports partnership development and external outreach, helping to foster strong relationships with key stakeholders to advance organizational objectives. Working closely with project leadership, team members and partners, the Communications Specialist ensures communications are strategic, integrated and aligned with organizational goals. 

Strategic Communications and Positioning 

• Develop, implement and monitor communication strategies and work plans aligned with organizational priorities.
• Support reputational positioning by preparing briefs, talking points and communication materials for senior leadership.
• Align messaging with corporate communication standards and cross-organizational guidance. 
• Identify target audiences and stakeholders, tailoring outreach strategies accordingly.

External Communications and Media Engagement

• Develop and manage communication materials, campaigns, publications and events to strengthen visibility.
• Manage digital presence, including websites, social media platforms, and content calendars.
• Produce high-quality content such as web stories, blogs, op-eds, videos and social media assets.
• Cultivate relationships with media outlets, coordinate responses, and support media outreach.
• Manage external contractors for communication products, ensuring quality and cost-effectiveness.

Internal Communication and Knowledge Management

• Coordinate internal communications, updates and content on organizational platforms
• Facilitate knowledge sharing, document lessons learned, and support the dissemination of best practices.
• Ensure availability and organization of communication assets, branding guidelines and templates.
• Build internal communication capacity, including training and guidance on tools and standards.

Partnerships, Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement

• Support senior management and teams with partnership communication, background research, and outreach materials.
• Coordinate communication and visibility efforts for fundraising and donor engagement.
• Engage partners and stakeholders through events, consultations, and outreach activities.
• Develop visibility guidelines and provide guidance to partners to ensure consistent branding.

Knowledge Building and Sharing 

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on internal and external communications topics.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned from the implementation of communications projects/initiatives.
• Conduct research on communications-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with 7 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 5 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in communications, journalism, or digital and social media communications is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in communications, public relations, media, journalism or related fields.
• Experience in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems is required.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
• Experience in developing and monitoring content for grassroots-level audiences is desired.
• Experience in use of graphic design, video production, and content creation tools is desired.

• 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.