Communications Officer - UNFPA SROC, Jamaica

The Communications Officer will be responsible for the development and implementation of a Humanitarian response communications plan, working closely with the Humanitarian Coordinator and sub-regional Communications and Partnerships Specialist.

THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND

Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean invites applications from suitably qualified individual consultants.  

JOB TITLE: Communications Officer - UNFPA SROC, Jamaica

CLOSING DATE: Monday, December 15, 2025

CATEGORY: Indivual Consultancy

POST TYPE: Non-rotational

DUTY STATION: Kingston Jamaica

DURATION: Six (6) months

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: UNFPA Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean for the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean  

About UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency

Around the world, at least one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence. Almost half of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended. Nearly a third of women in developing countries become mothers while still children themselves. And every two minutes, a woman or girl dies from causes linked to pregnancy or childbirth — most of them preventable. 

These risks become even greater during humanitarian emergencies and among people from marginalized communities, such as refugees, persons with disabilities, and individuals from LGBTQ+ or ethnic minority groups.

UNFPA (or United Nations Population Fund) is the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, ensuring the rights and choices of women, girls, and young people across more than 150 countries. Through our work, we do whatever it takes to make sure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person can fulfill their potential.

Our goals: These goals guide our work and reflect our commitment to a world where rights and choices are respected for all. We aim to:

1. Eradicate gender-based violence and harmful practices;
2. Protect women from preventable maternal deaths;
3. Enable people to choose, freely and responsibly, whether and when to have children;
4. Enable governments to plan for changing population needs, so people can thrive today and in the future, regardless of fertility trends.

Background information

The Communications Officer post is located in Kingston in the UNFPA Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean (SROC) and is under the overall supervision of the Sub-Regional Director with day-to-day technical guidance from the SROC Communications and Partnership Specialist. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the Humanitarian Coordination for the tasks related to support to communications, visibility, representation and reporting for Hurricane Melissa support. The Officer will work in an integrated manner with 50 % of the time dedicated for the Humanitarian response and the remaining time for other strategic initiatives for SROC.

Overall objective

The Communications Officer will be responsible for the development and implementation of a Humanitarian response communications plan, working closely with the Humanitarian Coordinator and sub-regional Communications and Partnerships Specialist, as well as providing technical support and capacity strengthening to the communications team as required. The consultant will also provide communications and visibility support to strategic SRO initiatives such as the upcoming Feminist Convening event and related partnership developments.

Deliverables and timeframe (overview)

Under the overall guidance of the Director of the SRO, technical guidance of the Communications and Partnerships Specialist and close collaboration with the Humanitarian Coordinator, the incumbent will:

Visibility and Media content 

• Prepare written materials, including key messages, talking points, articles, press releases, etc, based on information and input from the UNFPA Deputy Director of the Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, the Humanitarian Coordinator and related programme colleagues.
• Work with the Communications Specialist to help identify UNFPA stories of interest relevant to our work and work with MCB to proactively pitch them to regional and global media.
• Support the Communications and Partnerships Specialist in the development of social media content.  
• Produce high resolution, good quality photographs of events and activities related to the UNFPA SROC humanitarian response and for the Feminist Convening event.
• Produce high quality video interviews and B-roll from humanitarian response events and the Feminist Convening event.
• Production of (scripting and editing) of videos based on interviews and b-roll content captured at the events.
• Support the development of a visibility plan for the humanitarian response and the feminist convening and other strategic external communications for the SRO. 

Representation and Reporting

• Where required and possible, represent UNFPA in humanitarian-related or other event communications meetings.
• Participate in field missions as needed to assist in providing coverage of field activities; collect human interest stories; and contribute to the development of pieces of strategic importance for the mission. It is expected that the Communications Officer will travel frequently to the Hurricane Melissa Affected Areas, which can be, in some cases, for more than 1 day trip.
• Draft and/or contribute to regular UNFPA regional SitReps.
• With input from the Humanitarian Coordinator and programmes team, develop fact sheets related to needs in the region, funding estimates, target population etc.
• Compile key learnings and recommendations for future crisis communications responses for the sub-regional team.
• Perform other duties related to communications, visibility and representation as may be assigned by the Director of SROC.

Capacity Building 

• Support in identifying, developing and delivering resources, tools, and training necessary to operationalize crisis comms strategies for UNFPA in the Caribbean.
• Support capacity building of UNFPA staff on all aspects of communication, provide advice and guidance within area and level of expertise, to ensure that all comms activities meet desired standards of consistency, quality, and impact.
• Support the Communication Specialist, acting as a point of referral for crisis communications.
• External partners include UN agencies and programme countries; international financial institutions; donors; sub regional and international organizations and counterparts on substantive issues including, Government organizations, NGOs, community-based organizations and peer-organizations of vulnerable communities, and research institutions, professional associations, and international experts;
• Internal partners include Regional and sub-regional programme and technical staff, and the UNFPA technical network, in ensuring integrated programme and technical support in line with the needs of countries.

Budget

TBC - we will select the supplier which will provide what we need, at the best possible price.Applying for the contract

Criteria for applying

The contracted [agency, supplier, vendor] should be available to work at times suitable for the Subregional Office for the Caribbean schedule, and occasionally outside of standard hours, to meet with individuals worldwide. In order to complete above tasks in a satisfactory way the bidders are to comply with the following requirements: 

Education:

Bachelors Degree in Communications, Media, journalism or other field directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post.

Knowledge and Experience

• 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience within the Caribbean in communication. Knowledge of the UN system or related humanitarian work is desirable.
• Fam
• iliarity with UNFPA is an asset.
• Demonstrated strong photography skills
• Demonstrated strong videography skills
• Strong, demonstrated scripting and video editing skills.
• Technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Strong verbal and written communications skills in English;
• Demonstrated ability to network within the development community; 
• Good knowledge of and experience working with national and regional agencies supporting integrated health and gender programmes especially in Jamaica will be a benefit
• Experience mobilizing key national and regional stakeholders around resource mobilization initiatives; and
• Familiarity with management and monitoring tools is desirable;
• Familiarity with the Jamaica media landscape

Required Competencies:

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results
• Being accountable
• Thinking analytically and strategically
• Working in teams/ managing ourselves and our relationships
• Communicating for impact

Functional skill set

• Developing and implementing conceptually innovative approaches to the provision of technical expertise conceptual innovation;
• Job knowledge /technical expertise - expert knowledge of own discipline.
• Adaptation and application of knowledge /innovations in different contexts; and
• Integration in a multidisciplinary environment.

Languages: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local sub-regional dialects (Patois, Creole, Bajan, etc) will be a plus.

Other Desirable Skills:

• Initiative, strong conceptual abilities, sound judgment, strong interest in development work, especially the mission of the United Nations Population Fund and dedication to the principles of the United Nations.