Communication Specialist (Strategic Advisory Executive Communications and Donor Reporting) P TA ( s) # Gulf Area Office MENAR📣 Job Ad

About the Role: Communication Specialist

UNICEF MK is seeking a Communication Specialist for a temporary appointment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This contract role, requiring 5-10 years of experience, will provide dedicated strategic advisory, executive communications, reporting, and quality-assurance support to the Gulf Area Office (GAO) Director. The assignment is scheduled from September to December 2026, supporting an intensive period of major events, high-level partnership meetings, and donor-reporting requirements. UNICEF works globally to advance children's rights, with the GAO strategically repositioning itself as a globally influential hub to maximize impact for children domestically, regionally, and globally.

Key Responsibilities

The Communication Specialist will be responsible for a range of functions critical to the strategic positioning and external engagement of the UNICEF Gulf Area Office. Key responsibilities include:

• Contributing to strategic planning and positioning initiatives.
• Managing executive communications and external engagement activities.
• Ensuring evidence-based donor reporting and quality assurance processes.
• Supporting knowledge management and institutional learning efforts.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates should meet the following requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, International Relations, Political Science, Marketing, or a related field is required. A first university degree combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Work Experience: A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic communications, advocacy, executive communications, or a related field. This includes demonstrated experience supporting senior leadership through speeches, briefing notes, talking points, and other executive communications for major international events and high-level meetings. Experience working with governments, development partners, and other high-level stakeholders, as well as reviewing or producing high-quality donor reports and partnership materials, is essential.
• Skills: Expertise in strategic communications planning, speech writing, editorial and quality assurance processes, and the ability to deliver high-quality outputs independently within tight deadlines.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English, with excellent drafting and editing skills, is mandatory.
• Desirable Attributes: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. Experience working with multicultural and multidisciplinary teams, knowledge of the Gulf region, field work experience, and familiarity with emergency situations are also desirable. Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings, and humanitarian contexts, is a plus.

UNICEF Values and Competencies

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS) guide all actions. Candidates are expected to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Diversity and Inclusion at UNICEF

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce that protects the rights of every child, everywhere. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process and offers a range of benefits to staff, including paid parental leave and breastfeeding breaks.

Additional Information

In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity is paramount for employment. Government employees considered for employment with UNICEF are typically required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment. UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment. Mobility is a condition of international professional employment, and all staff may be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.