Job Description

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12, 2026

H (no hardship)

Family

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Communications Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In line with its Global Communications Strategy, UNHCR requires skilled communications professionals to conceive and execute a range of activities that help us lead the narrative on forced displacement, generate empathy and mobilize action. This body of work spans communications strategy and coordination, news and media relations, multimedia content production, social media engagement, Goodwill Ambassadors and other influencers, public outreach and campaigns, fundraising, analytics and brand.
UNHCR's Communications Officers need to cultivate a keen understanding of our target audiences' including an up-to-the-minute grasp of the methods and tone of voice that resonate deeply, win trust and spark quality engagement. They must be vigilant about editorial and journalistic standards, attentive to protection concerns and political sensitivities, and focused on communicating successfully with key demographics. These audiences will vary by location, language and platform, among other factors, as well as whether the aim is to inform, advocate or raise funds.
Communications Officers' functions, working relationships and skills specializations differ depending on language, location, grade, and whether they sit within a country operation, a regional bureau or the Global Communications Service. UNHCR's primary target audiences include public, media and policymakers, while our main partners and influencers include peers and private sector, trusted figures and our own workforce. Some communicators will focus mainly on news and media relations, for example, while others will produce multimedia content, manage social media accounts or lead advocacy campaigns. Forging partnerships with media outlets that reach target audiences is a central role for all Communications Officers.
All Communications Officers are expected to work strategically in support of UNHCR's operational and communications objectives for their geographic area of responsibility (AoR) as well as global priorities. Communications approaches should reflect our core values as an organization that is caring, trustworthy, proactive, outcome-focused and responsive. This will reinforce UNHCR's role as the lead agency that protects refugees, internally displaced and stateless people and mobilizes action to provide solutions.

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
- Support the development and implementation of communications strategies for countries, situations and special projects; identify thematic priorities and target audiences to meet UNHCR's global communications objectives.
- Monitor news and popular trends to insert UNHCR's messaging into ongoing conversations; identify key moments for proactive communications.
- Forge strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations who can help produce and promote UNHCR content, activities and messaging as well as provide research insights to improve communications; promote the work of engaged businesses and civil society actors.
- Contribute to development of news-driven and authoritative content to lead the narrative on forced displacement and show UNHCR's impact (e.g. interviews, press releases, flagship reports, speeches), create emotive storytelling to generate empathy (e.g. stories, multimedia content) and mobilize action by signposting concrete steps people can take to help refugees (e.g. digital diplomacy, action-driven campaigns, fundraising).
- Ensure content created reaches maximum impact by developing strategies for distribution from the outset, boosting the visibility of our content on relevant UNHCR channels and placing it on external channels.
- Closely monitor the implementation of communications projects and adjust accordingly. Benchmark the results of communications projects against set success indicators; build on communications successes.

Additional duties for news and media roles:
- Develop and implement communications strategies, campaigns, events and other initiatives in support of UNHCR's strategic objectives, including its need for leading share of voice on refugee and related matters, and ensure coverage of refugee situations in their country or region in global and domestic media.
- Research, prepare, fact-check, edit and produce professional media and communications materials for target audiences and ensure their timely dissemination via UNHCR's communications channels, ensuring highest quality standards.
- Draft media releases, statements and media briefing notes, and secure clearances, working in conjunction with relevant focal points and keeping sensitive to needs of both internal and external audiences.
- Act as a spokesperson for UNHCR, organizing press events, handling interviews requests and providing responses to requests from media relating to UNHCR and its work.
- Engage with journalists and public audiences via social media channels.
- Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior staff of UNHCR.
- Undertake missions and field trips with media and other official visitors in support of UNHCR and its work.
- Actively maintain media relations for UNHCR, ensuring that media (and other important external stakeholders, such as governments, embassies, NGOs etc.) are briefed regularly on issues of importance to UNHCR, and have access to information and UNHCR expertise.
- Prepare and manage communications budgets.
- Ensure alignment with UNHCR's global branding and messaging.
- Continually maintain and upgrade communications skills, keeping abreast of emerging platforms and tools, and systematically reviewing media impact results and other measurement tools for learning purposes.

Additional duties for news and media roles within the Global Communications Service
- Oversee coordination of communications work for their designated regions and thematic issues, working closely with communications staff in bureaux and country offices and in collaboration with the senior communications officers/advisers in that region.
- Manage a wide network of relationships at all levels across bureaux, divisions and offices (including the Executive Office) to ensure timely internal information sharing as a foundation for grounded communications, and to build consensus around communications proposals.
- Maintain close involvement in communications recruitment and training needs for assigned regions, keeping in mind UNHCR's goals of employing and retaining the world's leading humanitarian communications expertise.

Additional duties for news and media roles within Country Offices
- Act as the primary interface on communications matters between their country office and the Global Communications Service.
- Act as the lead for crisis communications work for their country, alerting the GCS/News & Media Section's crisis communications lead to risk issues and ensuring close coordination.

Additional duties for news and media roles within Regional Bureaux
- Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior Bureau staff and Representatives of Country Operations overseen by the Bureau.
- Oversee data and information gathering and sharing of information with a view to ensuring the Bureau's authority as a centre of up to date knowledge and expertise relating to its region.
- Assist the Senior Management of the Bureau to implement advocacy objectives for the Bureau, and oversee development of supporting communications strategies for these, working in conjunction with staff of the Global Communications Service and communications staff in the region.
- Ensure Bureau staff are aware of UNHCR's global positioning needs.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Journalism; International Relations; Political Science;
Communications; Public Information; Media
Film / Video; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 4years of professional experience in journalism and/or communications, mainly at international level.

Desirable
Experience developing and implementing communications strategies. Strong social media presence. Experience working on advocacy campaigns. Experience working with goodwill ambassadors and other high-profile influencers. Experience with brand management. Experience with measurement and evaluation, especially providing analysis of media coverage, social media engagement, web traffic, etc. Experience reporting, writing, editing for magazines, newspapers and websites. Experience using digital asset management systems. Experience with digital analytics and performance reporting.

Functional Skills
Required skills will vary according to the precise nature of the role, location, etc. but may include:
CO-Drafting and Documentation
CO-International Media Contacts
CO-Preparation of key messages/talking points/speeches
CO-Spokesperson skills
CO-Strategic Communication
CO-Public Speaking
CO-Video production for digital platforms (including news organizations)
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
CO-Editing
CO-Digital content production
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Essential Attributes:
- Strong experience leading the strategic direction, management and optimization of large-scale, multi-language websites in a complex organizational environment, delivering impact on audience engagement and organizational visibility.
- Extensive experience in content governance and editorial oversight for web platforms, ensuring high-quality, audience-first content aligned with strategic organizational priorities.
- Proven track record in writing and editing high-quality, optimized digital content for multi-language websites, with a proven ability to drive audience engagement through compelling storytelling and optimized user journeys.
- Extensive hands-on experience and expert knowledge working with enterprise-level content management systems (CMS).
- Demonstrated ability to gather and analyze user and stakeholder needs, translate them into actionable development briefs and drive prioritization of website features based on business value, technical feasibility and resource limitations.
- Excellent understanding of SEO/GEO/AEO principles, data-driven content strategies, digital analytics and leveraging data to inform content, UX and information architecture decisions.

Desirable Attributes:
- Highly organized, able to prioritize, think creatively and analytically, with a strong background in digital product management in a fast-paced and time pressured environment.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a high level of organizational awareness, good judgement, flexibility and the ability to liaise effectively between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.
- Excellent project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and lead cross-functional collaboration in an agile environment.
- Demonstrated leadership in managing teams, vendors and cross-functional stakeholders.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

This position will operate within the Global Communications Service (GCS), which sits in the Division of External Relations (DER).

The Communications Officer - Global Web Manager leads the strategic direction, evolution and performance of the global unhcr.org website. The role works closely with colleagues in GCS, technical specialists, development teams and subject matter experts across the organization to ensure that the website is effectively managed, secure, digitally competitive and user-centred. The Communications Officer - Global Web Manager is responsible for developing and implementing a website strategy that enables unhcr.org to effectively fulfill its role as a key communications channel, achieve clearly defined goals that align with the vision of the organization, successfully engage target audiences with high-quality, optimized content and reinforce UNHCR’s authoritative voice on refugee issues.

This is a special role that requires a professional who can operate as an experienced web strategist, product owner and content expert, balancing user needs and organizational priorities with technical realities.

The role is accountable for the strategic direction and editorial management of UNHCR’s global website, ensuring it operates as a user‑centred, accessible and digitally competitive platform that meets organizational priorities, delivers high‑quality content, and effectively engages target audiences while maintaining strong alignment between stakeholder needs and technical realities. It serves as the strategic lead and product owner for global unhcr.org, overseeing both its technical development and editorial management, and acting as the primary point of contact for content publishing and editorial oversight. The position provides expert guidance to internal stakeholders on content planning, publishing and optimization, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and editorial standards. It maintains the product roadmap and backlog for website improvement and evolution, aligning these with communication priorities and stakeholder needs while balancing available resources and technical constraints. The role gathers, analyzes and translates needs—based on data, stakeholder input and industry trends- into actionable briefs for development teams, leads feature prioritization and manages trade‑offs to maximize value delivery and support strategic goals. It participates in sprint planning sessions to define sprint goals, review backlog items and ensure alignment between stakeholders, developers and organizational expectations. The role implements strategic content approaches to strengthen the organization’s voice as the authoritative leader on refugee issues while delivering satisfying user journeys and optimizing the multi‑language website architecture. The position implements robust SEO/GEO/AEO strategies to improve content performance, crawling and visibility, and creates conversion‑focused landing pages where needed. It leads systematic website audits to assess content quality and quantity, UX performance and technical complexity, with particular attention to the editorial experience. It initiates and oversees UX and content audits to drive continuous improvement and evaluate content quality and quantity, and leverages data‑driven analytics and user insights to inform content decisions and continuously optimize the website experience. Additionally, the role represents the communications function in governance fora such as the Web Presence Board, provides strategic advice to senior leadership, and manages the global web team responsible for implementation and ongoing platform performance.

Living and Working Conditions:

This position is located in Madrid. Living and working conditions are consistent with an H-level duty station.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Communication, Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Public Professions

Certifications

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance