Communications Lead, Digital Transformation

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

Office/Unit/Project Description 

Emerging and future digital technologies are one of the most profound drivers of change globally.  Recognizing that these technologies bring both opportunities to accelerate progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals as well as presenting challenges to development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been undergoing an organization-wide digital transformation since 2019. UNDP’s digital transformation seeks to help create a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and planet. 

UNDP is the development arm of the United Nations. Present in 170 countries with over 17,000 people, UNDP works on the world’s biggest challenges, from rising poverty and inequality to a rapidly changing climate, the emergence of crises and the continued degradation and destruction of our natural world.  Our UNDP Digital Strategy 2022 – 2025 aims to support our partner countries to unlock the power of digital to tackle these pressing issues.  The strategy lays out UNDP’s ambition to use a rights-based approach to digital technologies to improve our development results and help build inclusive digital ecosystems globally that leave no one behind.  These aims are supported by the transformation of our internal, operational systems and building an agile, digitally capable workforce.

Scope of Work

The Communications Lead, Digital Transformation will promote and communicate UNDP’s digital agenda, strategically and globally, playing a dynamic and cross-cutting role, working across various teams within the Chief Digital Office (CDO) and supporting external partnership engagement to deliver results. In overseeing and coordinating the work of the Communications team, duties and responsibilities will be focused on building, implementing and managing multi-stakeholder communications and advocacy strategies for the CDO, in addition to developing work plans, assessing quality of outputs and overseeing team resources. The Digital Transformation Lead will be part of the Partnerships, Engagement and Communication pillar and report to the Head of the pillar. 

 Purpose

 The Digital Transformation Communications Lead will play a key role in strategizing to achieve impact and synthesizing results across CDO and its various capability areas to build narratives, strengthen positioning and articulate CDO’s value proposition. 

Duties and responsibilities include:  

Lead process of building Communication Strategy and Engagement 

• Develop communication strategies that support UNDP and CDO objectives and translate into them agile annual and quarterly workplans.  
• Lead the development of internal and external communication narratives and contribute to ongoing high-level communication efforts (including but not limited to senior management speech and talking points, integrating digital into corporate key messages and main reports, etc);  
• Oversee/supervise overall communications efforts online (including social media) and offline (e.g. events) to ensure the activities serve the strategy and directions; Lead on planning, deploying and evaluating resources that support communications and advocacy efforts, including strategizing on needs, overseeing day-to-day activities and assessment outputs. 
• Manage and coordinate the Communications team, including internal and external consultants (for example, external research partners, firms, etc.) to establish a clear direction for the work and quality and on-time submission of deliverables.
• Work with various CDO workstreams to target key stakeholder groups to grow awareness and engagement with the UNDP digital transformation agenda, both interna