Communications Specialist Contractor

Turn complex Digital Inclusion work into clear, targeted communication outputs that influence decisions and drive action. This role owns the end-to-end delivery of editorial and content products—from shaping audience-specific messaging and drafting materials to managing production, distribution, and performance tracking across channels. Working across multiple workstreams, you will translate technical inputs into compelling narratives, apply AI to increase speed and scale, and ensure that every output is aligned to a defined audience, purpose, and measurable outcome.

The Communication Team is a lean, multidisciplinary unit located in the Digital Inclusion section and supports the work of UNICEF’s Digital Impact Division. The team is led by a Communication and Advocacy Manager (P4) with three P3-level roles; Communication Specialist, Multi-media Specialist and Engagement Specialist. The team members operate as both a functional communication unit as well as individually being part of multiple matrixed project teams, which include Giga, Digital Inclusion and Digital Impact Division deliverables.

Team members are expected to be able to deliver quality, hands-on communication outputs themselves. This unit is also expected to establish and maintain an array of vendors and individuals covering specialties needed on various contractable modalities, and to exercise effective and cost-efficient contracting and project management if/when this additional capacity is used. These roles are Geneva-based and team members are expected to be in the office multiple days a week. 

Under the supervision and general guidance of the Communication and Advocacy Manager, the Communication Specialist Contractor (collaborating with the Multi-media Specialist where relevant), will be responsible for:

• Co-develop and continuously refine a content and audience strategy aligned to communication objectives, with primary responsibility for delivering its editorial components. Support strategic positioning through clear narrative development, targeted audience engagement, and informed communications, ensuring cohesion between technical outputs, advocacy positioning, and audience-friendly communication that articulates impact and innovation.

• End-to-end delivery of communication products, particularly editorial products and narrative components across communication products, with strong AI integration and vendor orchestration. Manage the full production lifecycle (scoping, drafting, design, iteration, approval, and final delivery) ensuring timelines and quality standards (e.g. UNICEF Stylebook) are consistently met.

• Optimization through AI-augmented execution is expected, through smart use of AI tools as a standard part of daily work across writing, editing translation, and content repurposing, applying human effort to maintain quality, voice, etc . Develop and maintain practical AI-enabled workflows (prompt libraries, templates, automation pipelines) that enhance team productivity. Stay current with emerging tools and apply them pragmatically to improve execution quality, efficiency and effectiveness.

• Project and workflow management and performance monitoring: Manage multiple communication workstreams simultaneously, ensuring coordination across stakeholders, clear timelines, and delivery against priorities. Track progress across outputs and proactively resolve bottlenecks to maintain momentum in a fast-paced environment. Execute content distribution across channels (e.g. reports, documents, websites, physical collateral, presentation materials, event materials, social media etc), ensuring outputs reach intended audiences in a timely and effective manner. Monitor and report performance metrics (such as but not limited to engagement, reach, influence, change) contributing to continuous monitoring and optimization, using performance insights to refine execution approaches and improve future outputs.

The contract will be valid until 31 December 2026, and may be extended depending on both performance and funding availability.

Writing, Content Development & Editorial Delivery: Contribute to and execute to the editorial calendar, produce and edit high-quality content across formats, including presentation decks, donor materials, policy documents, web content, high-level talking points, partner/resource mobilization communications, and social media outputs. Translate complex technical material—connectivity systems, infrastructure financing, procurement approaches, and related infrastructure such as electricity and compute—into clear, concise, and audience-appropriate language.

Audience Strategy and CRM-Driven Engagement: Support the development and implementation of an audience strategy to support various pillars of work (e.g. tech advocacy, finance, contracting etc.) and products (e.g. ATLAS, Meter etc.) Drive the development of compelling product messaging that communicates features, benefits, and value propositions to target audiences. Use CRM tools to enable segmented, targeted, and personalised content delivery across key stakeholder groups. Adapt content across formats and channels, maintaining consistency while tailoring outputs to specific audiences and use cases.

Vendor & Resource Management: Source, onboard, and manage external vendors and consultants to support communication delivery. Maintain a roster of vetted providers across key specialisations (e.g. design, video, layout), including cost-effective options through country offices and existing UNICEF mechanisms. Manage external production end-to-end—briefing, iteration, quality assurance, and delivery—and provide clear, actionable feedback to ensure outputs meet required editorial, visual, and multimedia standards, including performance of the assets.

Brand Coherence and Voice: Contribute to and maintain the identity (narrative, voice) and brand systems across Digital Inclusion outputs — spanning Giga, DI, and DID — including co-branded materials with ITU and other institutional partners. Review programme team outputs to enforce brand standards and ensure consistency, tonal alignment, and coherence with global positioning across all channels.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Item

Outputs/Deliverables

Month/Year

1

Contribute to development of and deliver assigned outputs within a rolling 12-month plan, maintaining full visibility and control of deliverables across matrix workplans to ensure timely, prioritised execution without duplication or rework.

Ongoing

2

Communication products delivered to required quality and timelines

Ongoing

3

Performance tracked and reported, with outputs demonstrating reach, engagement, acted upon calls to action and effectiveness against objectives.

Ongoing

4

Continuous optimisation of content, workflows, and tools (including AI) to improve quality, efficiency, and impact

Ongoing