Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Chief of Social Media Section plays a lead role in developing and executing UNHCR¿s social media strategy with an aim to strengthen engagement with key audiences in support of UNHCR¿s operational, advocacy, media and fundraising objectives. This entails developing comprehensive plans to leverage social media content, platforms, networks and partners in line with the key priorities and audiences for the Division of External Relations (DER). In making these judgments, the incumbent will report directly to the Head of Global Communications Service, and work closely with other Chief of Sections within DER.

This role includes directly managing the global social media managers; working closely with the rest of the Multimedia Content Section, the News and Media Section and other teams across DER; and coordinating with all other relevant actors across the Organization, including field-based PI and social media managers for other languages and within Country,- and Regional Offices. The incumbent will also build relationships with the social media platforms themselves (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Snap, etc.) and with social media editors at leading news and media organizations, helping to secure external placement of UNHCR content and enhance coverage of UNHCR¿s work and the plight of refugees. The Chief of Section will also support social media activities for the Senior Executive Team.

The incumbent will also lead the development and refinement of UNHCR¿s global social media presence, ensuring that our accounts are structured and used in ways that are effective at engaging target audiences and that an appropriate social media crisis communications protocol is in place to address and avert potentially damaging conversations about UNHCR. This includes strengthening coordination and editorial planning among UNHCR social media managers around the globe to support media relations, advocacy, awareness-raising and fundraising objectives as well as strengthening analytics to inform the social media strategy and work-plans. The incumbent will also lead the development of social media guidelines and training for staff, helping them to use their personal accounts appropriately and effectively to communicate about refugees and UNHCR.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Establish, through a clear consultative process, a social media strategy for UNHCR that focuses on DER¿s primary audiences (news media, targeted public audiences, public and private donors, host countries, partners, etc.) and includes a forward-looking assessment of UNHCR¿s global social media presence; outline resources needed, expected outputs and clear implementation plans for proposed changes.

• In accordance with DER¿s communications objectives, drive production of high-impact social media content that effectively informs and engages external audiences and supports media and advocacy campaigns.

• Provide vision and leadership for the use of UNHCR¿s core social media accounts (notably the global English accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and support the Digital Engagement Section and Private Sector Partnerships with regard to social media marketing. Provide additional support where relevant and needed to social media accounts of other languages, Divisions and Teams.

• Manage, according to clear principles, access to UNHCR¿s core social media accounts, ensuring their security and accountability.

• Develop, in collaboration with the News and Media Section and other key stakeholders in DER, an appropriate social media crisis communications protocol to address and avert potentially damaging conversations about UNHCR.

• Establish and nurture relationships within global media partners (including news organizations, social media companies and relevant technology leaders) to strengthen UNHCR¿s social media content and help it reach a wide audience.

• Develop, in collaboration with the News and Media Section and other key stakeholders in UNHCR, guidance on the use of social media in the context of new emergencies to help UNHCR provide credible, real-time information that supports media and fundraising objectives.

• Participate in relevant professional meetings and events to build active relationships across the industry; represent the Organization externally when required.

• Coordinate and manage strategic consolidation of UNHCR social media accounts and update, as needed, UNHCR¿s guidance for staff use of social media.

• Guide and support social media activities and coordination for the Senior Executive Team.

• In cooperation with DER and GCS teams, ensure high-level message and branding consistency in social media content and platforms.

• Establish clear performance and measurement metrics for all social media accounts and campaigns to effectively inform results-based decision making and to monitor and drive the effective use of resources.

• Support and help shape clear social media guidelines, advice and training programmes to support the production and sharing of high-impact social media content by staff performing various external relations functions.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P5 – 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Communication; Journalism; Public Information;

International Relations; Public Relations; Political Science;

or other relevant field.

(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

• Minimum 8 years developing, managing and evaluating social media platforms for public engagement and communications, at least five of them in an international context.
• Sophisticated understanding of the social media landscape, including trends in new tools and platforms, and particularly those gaining traction among news companies and international organizations.
• Established relationships with social media editors at leading news and media organizations who can be called on to help share UNHCR content.
• Proven track record in managing large social media accounts (over 250,000 followers, and ideally over 1 million followers), including advanced knowledge and experience with strategy, posting, influencers and evaluation.
• Experience managing reputational risk on social media, ideally through the development of a crisis communications protocol.
• Demonstrated ability to write and edit social media posts to a standard high enough for immediate publication.
• Experience using advanced tools for social media publishing, monitoring and marketing, such as Social Flow, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Radian6 Buddy Media Social Studio.
• Experience producing and interpreting social media analytics to inform strategy and work plans.
• Experience developing, launching and evaluating social media campaigns.
• Proven experience in delivery of social media content and engagement in support of media relations, public awareness, advocacy and fundraising goals.
• Substantial experience of working in sensitive and fast-moving news, communications, advocacy and/or fundraising contexts.
• Strong diplomatic skills, highly developed political skills and judgment, understanding of UNHCR¿s external relationships, solid grasp of the news business, and ability to discern when the Organization¿s credibility is at stake.

Desirable

• Experience and understanding of the role of brand in building audience.
• Experience and knowledge of the principles of organizational change management.
• Experience training and advising senior leadership to use social media.
• Experience working in an international non-profit context, or ability to demonstrate experience of an equivalent working context that required delivery of both financial and non-financial objectives.

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are requested to apply at www.unhcr.org/careers by clicking on ‚Vacancies‘ and entering job ID 25111.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

Closing Date

Please note that the closing date for vacancies advertised in this addendum is Thursday 4 March 2021 (mid-night Geneva time).