Communications Senior Officer

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

This position requires a combination of strategic communications expertise and demonstrated hands-on technical capability in content development and multimedia production.

The incumbent will be expected to independently develop and deliver high-quality communications products across a range of formats, including editorial, digital, visual and multimedia content, while ensuring consistency with organizational branding and editorial standards. The role will also serve as a technical communications resource for ESAMCO, providing practical guidance and quality assurance support to communications interns, project teams and colleagues involved in content development.

Accordingly, demonstrated professional experience in digital content development and proficiency in professional content creation and editing tools, such as Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, InDesign and Illustrator) or equivalent software, is particularly relevant to the effective performance of this role. This requirement reflects the operational needs of the position and the level of independent technical delivery expected from the incumbent.

The Communications Senior Officer contributes to the development and execution of strategic communication initiatives. The role involves conducting research and drafting high-level reports and background papers for strategic events. The Senior Officer oversees the creation of all high-quality editorial content, including press materials, videos and knowledge products, ensuring that all messaging is consistent and targeted to the right audience. The role is furthermore accountable for building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and media partners, providing guidance on communication standards and contributing to proposal development and strategic planning.

Functions

Strategic Communication and Policy Support

• Conduct research and draft analytical reports and background papers for high-level fora and events.
• Prepare key messages, statements and presentations for strategic events.
• Provide substantive input to the implementation and monitoring of strategic plans.
• Engage with agencies and partners to document lessons and facilitate knowledge exchange.
• Follow up on key recommendations and reporting deliverables from major events.

Communication Strategy and Planning

• Contribute to developing comprehensive communication strategies and ensure alignment with corporate priorities.
• Contribute to the day-to-day implementation of the strategy, ensuring timely, high-quality outputs.
• Monitor and analyze communication context and recommend adjustments.
• Contribute to communication budget tracking and ensure compliance with corporate standards.
• Collaborate with specialists on proposal development and methodological improvements.

Content Development and Editorial Standards

• Lead development of high-quality editorial content – press materials, digital media, videos and knowledge products.
• Oversee processes of capturing, analyzing and packaging content for strategic communication.
• Draft and refine messaging for targeted audiences and ensure brand coherence.
• Manage multiple content deliverables and ensure timeliness and quality.

Stakeholder Engagement and Representation

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders and media partners.
• Support organization and representation at external events, ensuring professional alignment with UNOPS principles.
• Provide guidance to teams on stakeholder messaging and communication standards.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

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

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