UN Women: Communications and Advocacy Associate, Seoul, Republic of Korea, G7, Fixed-Term Appointment

* This local post opens for Nationals of Republic of Korea and applicants with a valid work permit.

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre in Seoul operates as a specialized regional applied knowledge hub under the strategic oversight of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP). In Phase 2 (2027-2032), the Centre bridges UN Women’s expertise with the Republic of Korea’s policy innovations, digital governance, and networks. It delivers adaptable knowledge products and tools, validated through Regional Technical Policy Labs and deployed via ROAP and Country Offices, focused on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) and Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW). 

The Centre embraces innovation, including as it relates to new technologies and partnerships, to increase the breadth and impacts of its work, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Pact for the Future, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and its transformative promise to leave no one behind. Prioritization is given to supporting at the regional and global level: enhanced knowledge, responses and strategies on the Care Economy as a cornerstone of women’s overall empowerment; strengthened knowledge, policies and tools to end technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV); and increased emphasis on advancing multistakeholder partnerships for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Reporting to the Centre Director, the Communications and Advocacy Associate supports the formulation and implementation of the communications and advocacy strategies to increase the standing and awareness of UN Women with partners, the media and the public in the Republic of Korea and across the Asia-Pacific region. The Communications and Advocacy Associate promotes a client-oriented approach in UN Women.
 

Key Functions and Accountabilities :

1.  Provide coordination support in the development of a coherent Centre communications and advocacy strategy

• Provide substantive inputs to the development of the Centre’s communication and advocacy strategy;
• Provide coordination support to advocacy efforts and regional campaigns by organizing technical roundtable discussions, press conferences, and publicity events, and preparing briefing materials and press releases;
• Provide guidance and support to the Centre’s thematic pillars and personnel on UN Women corporate communications guidelines and printing norms;
• Track and monitor local and regional print, digital, and social media coverage and report relevant insights to senior staff to inform strategic positioning;
• Provide inputs to thematic pillars to ensure regional advocacy and knowledge sharing strategies are integrated into workstream formulation from the outset.  

2.  Provide coordination support to the development and production of the Centre’s advocacy and knowledge materials

• Identify storylines, research milestones, and institutional achievements within the Centre for online, digital, and printed publications;
• Prepare high-quality press releases, specialized key messages and other advocacy materials;
• Oversee the translation, cultural adaptation, or professional rewriting of complex technical materials for the local and regional context, ensuring alignment with host-country nuances;
• Manage the production and publication processes of knowledge assets for final approval, establishing and maintaining relationships with specialized printers, designers, and publishers;
• Maintain an organized library and database of reference materials, photos, and digital assets;
• Ensure all publications strictly follow corporate visual identity and branding guidelines from ROAP and Headquarters (HQ). 

3.  Provide substantive support in the management of the Centre’s social media presence and webpage

• Identify compelling human-interest and institutional stories and develop or review multimedia content for the Centre’s dedicated web presence and official social media channels, as well as contributing to ROAP’s official channels;
• Update the webpage and social media channels regularly, ensuring strict consistency in branding, accessibility, and corporate messaging;
• Research, compile, and produce regular analytical reports on web traffic statistics and electronic engagement surveys to optimize digital reach;
• Maintain digital files, databases, and assets relevant to the Centre’s digital presence and online knowledge repositories within the Centre as well as ROAP and corporate ecosystem.

4.  Provide media relations support to the Centre Director

• Serve as the communications focal point for the Centre during public launches, workshops, and activities open to the press; 
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with national press corps, regional media outlets, and specialized journalists; maintain and update a comprehensive database of relevant media contacts; 
• Respond efficiently to media requests for information and arrange press interviews for senior leadership; 
• Draft talking points and media briefs for the Centre Director’s review.

5.  Facilitate knowledge management, sharing, and technical capacity development 

• Contribute to the identification and documentation of best practices, promising policy models, and lessons learned across the WEE and EVAW pillars;
• Conduct internal and external trainings, peer-learning sessions, and practical workshops on communication practices, media engagement, and digital safety packaging;
• Facilitate the continuous exchange of information, visibility assets, and knowledge products with HQ, ROAP, and field-based Country Offices. 

6.  Other

• Provide specialized communications support on cross-cutting web, multimedia, or digital campaigns undertaken by the Centre. 

7.    The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Centre and the Organization.
 

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to establish, build, and sustain effective relationships with partners, media representatives, and institutional counterparts;
• Ability to create, edit, and present complex information in clear and visually compelling formats using advanced IT and digital design functionality;
• Excellent event planning and coordination skills to manage technical roundtables, high-level launches, and press conferences;
• Excellent knowledge of social media platforms, digital communication strategies, and public advocacy methods;
• Ability to identify relevant research milestones and stories, translating them into engaging content for diverse audiences;
• Strong multimedia skills, including experience managing digital assets, website platforms, and visual content production;
• Solid knowledge of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and the prevention of violence against women. 

Qualifications :

Education:

• Completion of secondary education is required;
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations or Journalism is an asset.

Experiences:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience providing support to the formulation and implementation of internal and external communications and advocacy strategies is required;
• Experience in planning or executing high-visibility public advocacy campaigns is required;
• Experience in media relations, including building relationships with press corps, drafting press releases, arranging interviews, and tracking media coverage, is required;
• Experience in content creation, digital storytelling, and the professional management of social media platforms or institutional website content is required;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required;
• Experience in the design, coordination, and logistical management of advocacy events, such as policy launches, press conferences, and roundtable discussions, is desirable;
• Experience adapting communications or advocacy materials for different cultural or regional audiences is desirable;
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Korean is required;
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish);
• Knowledge of another Asian language is desirable.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.