- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the Specialized Agency of the United Nations leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to high-quality food.
Communication is at the heart of FAO’s mission to help building consensus for a world without hunger. The effectiveness and credibility of the Organization as a policy-making forum and unique multilingual centre of excellence, knowledge and technical expertise depends to a considerable degree on its ability to communicate its work to harness efforts to eradicate hunger.
The Office of Communications (OCC) is responsible for all external and internal communication activities of the Organization. It ensures coherence and consistency in FAO’s messaging and communications’ outputs, as well as enables cost-effectiveness in use of communication-related resources across the Organization.
The position is located in the Office of Communications (OCC) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Director reports to the Director-General.
Summary of Duties and Functions
Under the policy guidance and the general supervision of the Director-General, the Director of the Office of Communications (OCC) will provide strategic vision and direction to all activities of the Office. In particular, the incumbent will:
- Lead the Organization’s communication efforts, both internal and external, to support the five strategic objectives of the Organization;
- Coordinate and supervise the communication activities of the Organization, both internal and external (media relations, social media, audiovisual productions, outreach and promotion, corporate web presence, publishing, and library and knowledge services);
- Exercise overall management responsibility, including planning, for the Division’s programme of work, ensuring quality control, progress monitoring and reporting as well as cost-effective use of financial and human resources, within the framework of the FAO Strategic Framework and the Medium Term Plan, as per results-based management principles;
- Work collaboratively with Senior Managers and staff at all levels across the Organization, at Headquarters and in Decentralized Offices, to ensure efficiency and synergy and to create accurate and consistent communications;
- Build strong professional relations in the area of communication with the other Rome-based UN Agencies to ensure coherent messaging and leverage synergies;
- Maintain a motivated and effective work force by ensuring recruitment of highly qualified staff, by mentoring, coaching and supporting career development of staff, and by implementing effective approaches for performance management;
- Represent the Organization at inter-agency and external high level meetings as required, as well as at FAO’s Governing Body sessions as needed;
- Act as spokesperson of the Director-General.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Advanced university degree or equivalent post-graduate professional development in communications, journalism or related area;
- Minimum fifteen years of relevant experience in communication or related fields;
- Demonstrated professional skills and competence in the area of communication and public information, including a profound knowledge and understanding of the techniques and channels of international communication;
- Relevant international experience in communications and outreach in the UN system or similar context;
- Demonstrated political judgement in an international environment;
- Proven negotiation skills, maturity, tact and diplomacy;
- Demonstrated management and strategic leadership skills;
- Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate- level B) of one of the other FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish);
- Ability to lead and work effectively with a diverse team of people of different national and cultural backgrounds in an international setting.
Leadership Competencies
- FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
- Dependency allowances
- Rental subsidy
- Education grant for children
- Home leave travel
- 30 working days of annual leave per year
- Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
- International health insurance; optional life insurance
- Disability protection
- elements of family-friendly policies
- flexible working arrangements
- standards of conduct.
- To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
- Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
- Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
- Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
- Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
- We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
