Community and Outreach Specialist

Since opening in 2019, the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) in Vienna has served as a hub for operations across 12 countries in South-East Europe, Türkiye, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. AUMCO delivers technical expertise, operational support, and sustainable infrastructure solutions for governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Flagship initiatives include Blueing the Black Sea—a GEF and World Bank partnership to reduce pollution and promote sustainable development—and Türkiye’s post-earthquake recovery programme, enhancing protective services for women and children. In Albania, projects revitalise cultural heritage and advance digital justice, while in Kosovo, new university infrastructure supports higher education. In Georgia, AUMCO facilitates the Eastern Partnership European School and strengthens rule of law and digital health access. Across Central Asia, activities range from health system strengthening in Uzbekistan to hazardous waste management in Tajikistan. AUMCO also supports UNOPS’ global Water, Environment, and Climate portfolio, reinforcing its role as a regional and thematic centre of excellence.

Established in 2020, the UNOPS Office in Albania supports national efforts to improve economic and social conditions in the wake of the November 2019 earthquake. Through its flagship initiatives, UNOPS is contributing to the rehabilitation of cultural heritage sites and the digital transformation of the justice sector. By combining project management, infrastructure development, and technical expertise, UNOPS aims to strengthen Albania’s resilience, enhance public services, and promote sustainable development. The Albania office also plays a role in fostering connectivity and advancing healthcare standards across the country.

This position operates within the "EU for Property Rights" project, which aims to transform Albania's land administration system. The project focuses on enhancing land governance, transparency, and economic development through the modernization of cadastral records, first-time property registration, and the implementation of an EU-compliant Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). Despite progress in digitalization, Albania faces challenges in data accuracy, incomplete registration, and legal inconsistencies. The project, implemented by UNOPS over three and a half years, will build capacity within national institutions, digitize cadastral maps, and enhance data quality, ultimately contributing to Albania's EU accession goals.

The Community and Outreach Specialist is responsible for independently managing and adapting community engagement and outreach strategies to ensure the inclusion and participation of women, vulnerable groups, and marginalized communities within the 'EU for Property Rights' project. This role involves integrating gender equality and social inclusion considerations into project activities, providing authoritative advice, and building capacity within national institutions to foster accessible and responsive services.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• For the "EU for Property Rights" project, and reporting to the UNOPS Senior Project Manager, the Specialist will support the Project Manager on the key activities of the project for the successful implementation of the project.
• The primary objective of this role is to ensure the inclusion and participation of women, vulnerable groups, and marginalized communities by integrating gender equality and social inclusion considerations into relevant project activities.
• Among their specific responsibilities, the Specialist will:
• Support the Business Process Review (BPR) Expert to ensure that redesigned services are accessible, inclusive and responsive to different user needs.
• Provide targeted capacity building to SCA and Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA), based on identified needs, to strengthen the integration of gender and social inclusion considerations, particularly the needs of vulnerable and underrepresented groups, into relevant services and processes.
• Support the Communications Expert in developing inclusive and gender-responsive communication and outreach approaches, ensuring that information is accessible and relevant to different groups of citizens.
• The Specialist is expected to work closely with the Communications Expert and Business Process Review Expert. The number of days will depend on the tasks in line with the project implementation as identified by the Project Manager and agreed with the consultant.

Impact of Results

The Specialist, under the supervision of the Project Manager, will contribute to ensuring that gender equality and social inclusion considerations are appropriately integrated into relevant project activities. The Specialist’s work will support more accessible and inclusive service processes, strengthen the capacity of SCA and ARDA to contribute to socially inclusive and gender-responsive communication and outreach.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in Communications, Public Relations, Social Sciences or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Required

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in community engagement, outreach, or public relations, preferably in the context of development projects.
• Experience working with local communities, particularly in rural or cadastral-related sectors is required.
• Experience in organizing and managing public consultations, outreach campaigns, and awareness-raising initiatives is required.
• Experience in working with national authorities, government agencies, and international donors in EU accession countries is required.

Desired

• Familiarity with land management reforms or cadastral systems is an advantage.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.