UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, hope!
Vacancy Announcement: Consultant
Consultancy Title: Senior Communications Consultant
Section/Division/Duty Station: United Hosted Funds, Education Outcomes Fund, New York HQ
Duration: June 1, 2025, to May 30, 2026
Home/ Office Based: REMOTE
About UNICEF
If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.
BACKGROUND
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
We are seeking to recruit an exceptional consultant to provide support for a period of 12 months to develop and implement EOF’s communication strategy across the breadth of its work.
Scope of Work:
The consultant will support EOF’s Chief of Operations to develop and implement EOF’s communications strategy, plan and write communications content for EOF’s programs, codify EOF’s approach to writing and publishing content online, and optimize EOF’s website. The consultant will report directly to EOF's Chief of Operations.
Terms of Reference / Deliverables
In close consultation with the Chief of Operations, produce a communications calendar for EOF in 2025, which includes all EOF’s external comms activity, including proposed content (EOF news, programs, partnerships activity etc.), audience (e.g., donors, Board members), and timelines, such as social media, newsletters, website updates, blog posts, knowledge products.
Deliverable 1: A communications calendar for EOF in 2025.
30 June 2025
Draft communications content for EOF to support with the implementation of its implementation calendar in 2025, including an estimated 8 newsletters updating EOF’s network of existing and prospective partners on our work, 12 emails written and sent to prospective partners about EOF’s programmatic work and pipeline, and an estimated 8 press releases for public announcements
Deliverable 2: Written content in support of EOF’s communications calendar - 4 newsletters, 6 emails and 4 press announcements by 30 September 2025 ( The remainder by the end of the assignment)
Optimize EOF’s website - writing blog posts of approximately 500 words to support the distribution of select publications (deliverable 1f – estimated 4 blogs required) and updating pages to reflect changes to EOF’s team, board, or programs (estimated 6 changes required).
Deliverable 3: Optimize EOF’s website by writing blog posts and updating relevant pages when team or programmatic changes occur.
31 October 2025
Identify strategic events for EOF’s participation in 2025 and 2026 and coordinating the application process (estimated 5 applications).
Provide light-touch comms support for an estimated 12 events, by planning the comms coverage and visibility around EOF’s participation in the events – for example, by writing social media posts, emails, and invitations.
More substantial comms support for 4 other events, including developing EOF’s communications objective for attending events, drafting talking points for keynote addresses and panels, developing key messages, liaising with other organizations, developing a run of play.
Examples of events include EOF’s attendance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Conference of the Parties (COP), and senior EOF governance events.
Deliverable 4: Event support and planning.
Support 6 events by 30 November 2025 and the remainder by the end of the assignment.
Develop and implement, in consultation with EOF Program Managers, comprehensive communications plans for programs that EOF is launching, spanning international and national media sources, traditional and digital media, including blogs, articles, interviews, press releases and social media.
Deliverable 5: Develop and implement three comprehensive communications plans around the launch of three new programs by EOF in 2025 and 2026.
28 February 2026
Consulting with EOF’s leadership team, codify an approval process for EOF publishing content online (including guidance on tone of voice), with a checklist for staff to follow.
Review content before it is published externally by members of EOF’s team.
Deliverable 6: Codify EOF’s approach to writing and publishing content online.
30 December 2025
Travel
Estimated 3 mission travels, each of 4 working days
Qualifications
(1) Education
• An advanced degree is required (Master’s or above) in political science, economics, finance, business, education, international development, or a related field, is required.
• A Bachelor’s degree will be considered with an additional 2 years’ relevant experience.
(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in a relevant area is required. This includes communications, marketing, public relations or a related field.
• A proven background in developing and executing communication strategies within complex, politically nuanced environments.
• Experience leading international advocacy campaigns; utilising both traditional and digital media.
• Exceptional writing abilities, able to distil intricate concepts into clear, compelling content tailored to diverse audiences.
• Fluency in English is required.
Desirable
• Experience with innovative finance, particularly the design and implementation of outcomes funds, is preferred.
• Experience with education, early childhood care and education (ECCE) or skills-for employment is preferred.
• Experience working in Africa or the Middle East is preferred.
• Fluency in French, Arabic or Spanish is preferred.
Requirements:
Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and
- Upload copy of academic credentials
- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
o the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
o travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
o Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
o Indicate your availability
- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.
U.S. Visa information:
With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
