Social Media Strategy Support - Unipod Malawi

Host entity: UNDP

Application deadline: 09/09/2026

Mission and objectives

UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience to sustain development results. UNDP has been present in Malawi since 1964.

Working closely with the Government of Malawi, civil society and the private sector, UNDP' s work aims to contribute to economic growth, sustainable environmental management, and democratic governance and accountability in Malawi.

UNDP’s Country Programme Document is closely aligned to the Malawi Agenda 2063 and supports Malawi’s aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

UNDP ‘s programme is designed to address the interlinked issues of poverty, inequality and vulnerability to shocks and is managed within two portfolios:

Responsive Institutions and Citizen Engagement which works towards strengthening effective, accountable and inclusive governance that promotes civic engagement, respect for human rights, rule of law, peace and democracy. It also works towards strengthening data generation and analysis.

Resilience and Sustainable Growth which focusses on enhancing economic innovation, inclusive business, job creation, and renewable energy access. It also works towards helping Malawi adapt to climate change and build resilience to disasters.

Assignment context

UNDP Malawi, in collaboration with the Government of Malawi, established the University Innovation
Pod (UniPod) at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in 2024. The
UniPod is a state-of-the-art facility that promotes innovation, product development, prototyping,
and small-scale manufacturing. It bridges academia, local innovators and industry by transforming
ideas into practical solutions that address Malawi’s development challenges. At the regional level,
the UniPod is connected to UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative and contributes to a growing network of
university-based innovation and entrepreneurship hubs across Africa.

The UniPod is seeking to strengthen its online presence and use its social media platforms to
increase awareness of the facilities, services and opportunities available to young people,
innovators and industry across its five specialized laboratories. In this regard, UNDP seeks to engage
a UN Volunteer to support the implementation of a social media strategy aimed at increasing the
UniPod’s visibility, expanding its audience and sustaining meaningful engagement across its digital
platforms.

Through this assignment, the UN Volunteer will gain practical experience in digital communications
and development-focused storytelling while contributing to a UNDP-supported initiative advancing
youth innovation and entrepreneurship in Malawi. The assignment will also provide opportunities for
the volunteer to develop a professional portfolio of digital and social media content, gain exposure
to UNDP initiatives and approaches to innovation and sustainable development and strengthen their
understanding of communications within an international development context. Upon successful
completion of the assignment, the volunteer will also be eligible to receive a reference letter
recognizing their contribution and experience.

Task description

Duties and Responsibilities
• Support the implementation of UniPod Malawi's social media strategy across LinkedIn,
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
• Develop, schedule, and publish engaging content aligned with the monthly content calendar
and platform-specific objectives.
• Create digital content, including graphics, photography, short-form videos, and captions
that showcase UniPod's programs, innovators, events, and impact.
• Produce youth-focused storytelling and short-form educational content highlighting
innovation, entrepreneurship, and UniPod's services.
• Coordinate content featuring student innovators, startup founders, mentors, partners, and
ambassadors, and support collaborations with local content creators during key campaigns
and events.
• Monitor social media performance, prepare monthly analytics reports, and recommend
improvements to increase reach and engagement.
• Maintain consistent branding across digital platforms and document content creation
processes to support long-term sustainability.
• Collaborate with UniPod staff, UNDP Malawi, interns, and volunteers, and provide regular
progress updates to the assigned supervisor.


Expected Outputs
• Consistent implementation of UniPod's social media strategy across all digital platforms.
• A regularly maintained monthly content calendar and high-quality multimedia content
aligned with UniPod's branding.
• Consistent output of at least 12-15 social media posts per month in alignment with the social
media calendar
• At least four recurring short-form video series promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and
UniPod's programs per month.
• Successful digital promotion of UniPod events, innovation challenges, and entrepreneurship
initiatives.
• A documented increase in social media engagement by 10-15% across platforms during the
assignment period.
• Monthly social media analytics reports with recommendations for improvement.
• A repository of reusable communication assets and a concise social media handover guide
to support long-term sustainability.
• Requirement of five posts a week and about two videos a week, totaling 20 posts and 8 videos
a month. Aim to boost UniPod’s following and engagement across all platforms.

Skills and experience

Education
• Degree or ongoing studies in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations,
Digital Media, Graphic Design, or related fields.

Experience
• Experience managing social media platforms and creating digital content for an organization,
university, nonprofit, or innovation hub.
• Familiarity with content planning, social media strategies, and tools such as Canva, CapCut,
Meta Business Suite, or similar platforms.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary or volunteer teams is an asset.

Skills and Competencies
• Strong understanding of LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, including platform
analytics and best practices.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and content creation skills, including basic graphic
design and video editing.
• Strong organizational skills, creativity, and the ability to work independently and meet
deadlines.
• Interest in youth innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and the UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of Chichewa is desirable.

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