Associate Communications Officer - French

Deadline for Applications

March 9, 2026

Hardship Level

H (no hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

PR2

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional

Reason
Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2026-02-06

Standard Job Description

Associate Communications Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In line with its Global Communications Strategy, UNHCR requires skilled communications professionals to conceive and execute a range of activities that help us lead the narrative on forced displacement, generate empathy and mobilize action. This body of work spans communications strategy and coordination, news and media relations, multimedia content production, social media engagement, Goodwill Ambassadors and other influencers, public outreach and campaigns, fundraising, analytics and brand.
UNHCR's Associate Communications Officers need to cultivate a keen understanding of our target audiences including an up-to-the-minute grasp of the methods and tone of voice that resonate deeply, win trust and spark quality engagement. They must be vigilant about editorial and journalistic standards, attentive to protection concerns and political sensitivities, and focused on communicating successfully with key demographics. These audiences will vary by location, language and platform, among other factors, as well as whether the aim is to inform, advocate or raise funds.

The Associate Communications Officers functions, working relationships and skills specializations differ depending on language, location, grade, and whether they sit within a country operation, a regional bureau or the Global Communications Service. UNHCR's primary target audiences include public, media and policymakers, while our main partners and influencers include peers and private sector, trusted figures and our own workforce. Some communicators will focus mainly on news and media relations, for example, while others will produce multimedia content, manage social media accounts or lead advocacy campaigns. Forging partnerships with media outlets that reach target audiences is a central role for all Associate Communications Officers.

All Associate Communications Officers are expected to work strategically in support of UNHCR's operational and communications objectives for their geographic area of responsibility (AoR) as well as global priorities. Communications approaches should reflect our core values as an organization that is caring, trustworthy, proactive, outcome-focused and responsive. This will reinforce UNHCR's role as the lead agency that protects refugees, internally displaced and stateless people and mobilizes action to provide solutions.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Support the implementation of communications strategies for countries, situations and special projects; identify thematic priorities and target audiences to meet UNHCR's global communications objectives.
- Monitor news and popular trends to insert UNHCR's messaging into ongoing conversations; identify key moments for proactive communications.
- Forge strategic partnerships with individuals and organizations who can help produce and promote UNHCR content, activities and messaging as well as provide research insights to improve communications; promote the work of engaged businesses and civil society actors.
- Contribute to the development of news-driven and authoritative content to lead the narrative on forced displacement and show UNHCR's impact (e.g. interviews, press releases, flagship reports, speeches), create emotive storytelling to generate empathy (e.g. stories, multimedia content) and mobilize action by signposting concrete steps people can take to help refugees (e.g. digital diplomacy, action-driven campaigns, fundraising).
- Support the supervisor in ensuring content created reaches maximum impact by developing strategies for distribution from the outset, boosting the visibility of our content on relevant UNHCR channels and placing it on external channels.
- Closely monitor the implementation of communications projects and adjust accordingly. Benchmark the results of communications projects against set success indicators; build on communications successes.

Additional duties for news and media roles:
- Implement communications strategies, campaigns, events and other initiatives in support of UNHCR's strategic objectives, including its need for leading share of voice on refugee and related matters, and ensure coverage of refugee situations in their country or region in global and domestic media.
- Research, prepare, fact-check, edit and produce professional media and communications materials for target audiences and ensure their timely dissemination via UNHCR's communications channels, ensuring highest quality standards.
- Draft media releases, statements and media briefing notes, and secure clearances, working in conjunction with relevant focal points and keeping sensitive to needs of both internal and external audiences.
- Act as a spokesperson for UNHCR, organizing press events, handling interviews requests and providing responses to requests from media relating to UNHCR and its work.
- Engage with journalists and public audiences via social media channels.
- Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior staff of UNHCR.
- Undertake missions and field trips with media and other official visitors in support of UNHCR and its work.
- Actively maintain media relations for UNHCR, ensuring that media (and other important external stakeholders, such as governments, embassies, NGOs etc.) are briefed regularly on issues of importance to UNHCR, and have access to information and UNHCR expertise.
- Prepare and manage communications budgets.
- Ensure alignment with UNHCR's global branding and messaging.
- Continually maintain and upgrade communications skills, keeping abreast of emerging platforms and tools, and systematically reviewing media impact results and other measurement tools for learning purposes.

Additional duties for news and media roles within the Global Communications Service
- Oversee coordination of communications work for their designated regions and thematic issues, working closely with communications staff in bureaux and country offices and in collaboration with senior communications officers/advisers in that region.
- Manage a wide network of relationships at all levels across bureaux, divisions and offices (including the Executive Office) to ensure timely internal information sharing as a foundation for grounded communications, and to build consensus around communications proposals.
- Maintain close involvement in communications recruitment and training needs for assigned regions, keeping in mind UNHCR's goals of employing and retaining the world's leading humanitarian communications expertise.

Additional duties for news and media roles within Country Offices
- Act as the primary interface on communications matters between the country office and the Global Communications Service.
- Support the supervisor in crisis communications work for the country within the AoR, alerting the GCS/News & Media Section's crisis communications lead to risk issues and ensuring close coordination.

Additional duties for news and media roles within Regional Bureaux
- Regularly provide ideas for communications initiatives and considered professional communications advice to senior Bureau staff and Representatives of Country Operations overseen by the Bureau.
- Oversee data and information gathering and sharing of information with a view to ensuring the Bureau's authority as a centre of up-to-date knowledge and expertise relating to its region.
- Ensure Bureau staff are aware of UNHCR's global positioning needs.

-Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Journalism; International Relations; Political Science;
Communications; Public Information; Media
Film / Video; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 1 year of professional experience in journalism and/or communications, mainly at international level.

Desirable
Strong social media presence. Experience working on advocacy campaigns. Experience working with goodwill ambassadors and other high-profile influencers. Experience with brand management. Experience with measurement and evaluation, especially providing analysis of media coverage, social media engagement, web traffic, etc. Experience reporting, writing, editing for magazines, newspapers and websites. Experience using digital asset management systems. Experience with digital analytics and performance reporting.

Functional Skills
Required skills will vary according to the precise nature of the role, location, etc. but may include:
CO-Digital content production
CO-Editing
CO-International Media Contacts
CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video, layout & graphics)
CO-Preparation of key messages/talking points/speeches
CO-Public Speaking
CO-Spokesperson skills
CO-Video production for digital platforms (including news organizations)
IT-Web Content Management
CO-Drafting and Documentation
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

Essential Attributes
-Must hold degree in communications, journalism, international relations or similar.
-Must have excellent French writing and editing skills, including for social media.
-Must have excellent video production and editing skills, and demonstrated skills in Adobe Premier, CapCut and Canva.
-Demonstrated experience producing made-for-social media content for an international organization and managing social media accounts at the global level.
-Must have excellent industry knowledge and a great eye for predicting trends, including the ability to identify trending, influential content creators and publishers for a francophone audience.
-Demonstrated experience collaborating with French-language online media, digital publishers, content creators or other partners.
-Proven experience working on Drupal or a similar web content management system.

Desirable Attributes
-Experience using AI-supported tools for translation or content production, with demonstrated ability to provide appropriate editorial oversight and quality control.
-Awareness of emerging developments in content optimization, including Generative Engine Optimization, and understands how these tools can support discoverability and performance of content.
-Great coordination, planning and time management skills, as well as teamworking skills.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

French

Desired languages

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The Associate Communications Officer (French) is part of the Creative Services Section of the Global Communications Service (GCS) and is the French Content Producer of GCS, based in Madrid. The role is responsible for creating high-quality French content that enhances UNHCR's message and engages francophone audiences, especially donors and supporters. The role ensures that francophone operations receive timely and engaging content on UNHCR's activities and mandate, increasing visibility and supporting resource mobilization.

The incumbent reports to the Head of the Editorial and Photo Unit in a cross-cutting role that requires close collaboration with the Social Media team, the Video team, the Web team and the Media team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the UNHCR francophone community, both donor countries and field operations, proactively update on global plans and manage a Trello calendar
• Rapidly translate briefing notes and press releases to ensure one central translation that can be taken up by francophone operations
• Publish relevant briefing notes and press releases on the global French website
• Maintain a focus on what is most relevant for francophone audiences, adjusting tone of voice to suit audiences and platforms
• Translate key content where relevant based on priority objectives and audiences and produce it in French, including text, video subtitles, video text on screen, graphics, carousels, social content and more
• Make new products available swiftly to the francophone network through Refugees Media and Trello
• Collaborate with content producers in francophone field office on the production of original French content
• Liaise with communications officers in francophone donor countries on French content needs in support of fundraising
• Liaise with relevant colleagues in bureaux to address protection concerns, weigh political sensitivities and optimize messaging, especially when generating original content
• Pursue opportunities to partner with relevant francophone content creators and digital publishers, in coordination with the France operation
• Translate High Commissioner Op-Eds and interviews for francophone outlets when needed
• Ensure the core pages of the global UNHCR website are regularly updated in French, maintaining high editorial standards, including accuracy and consistency, and removing outdated content
• Produce French versions of campaigns and key moments, such as World Refugee Day and the Nansen Refugee Award
• Monitor francophone online media and social media to pick up trends and opportunities
• Strategically use AI tools for efficient content production with human editing and oversight, and make content Generative Engine Optimized
• Develop resources and training modules in French, based on existing training modules available in English, on content production, social media, digital partnerships and AI, building capacity in French-speaking operations.
• Oversee the engagement of freelance French translators when needed for publications, the website and other products

Living and Working Conditions:

Given the size of the country and the high level of decentralization, inter-regional missions within the country are frequently needed. Staff members (and their eligible dependents) are accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to perform their duties in the country.
Spain stands out in terms of quality of life, living experience for foreigners and raising children. It is a modern and welcoming country which counts on excellent infrastructures and transport networks in and out. Madrid is a city that is experiencing constant growth and over time it has developed an increasingly multicultural population. It offers high living conditions and an average cost of living, rather low compared to other Western European capital cities.

Education is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 16 and optional from 0 a 6, although widely implemented. The school year runs from mid-September to the end of June with the main holidays in December/January and July/August. Spain 's public schools have good standards and charge minimum fees . There is also a wide range of semi-private, private and international schools. Among the internationals, most follow the British curriculum, but there are some that follow the American curriculum or the International Baccalaureate. Fees are usually high and competition for places is stiff.

Spain has a very good public healthcare system that can be used by foreigners who are eligible to have a Spanish social security number. Medical staff are well-trained and often speak English. Excellent private care is also available at a price.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Bachelor of Arts: Communication, Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Journalism, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science

Certifications
HCR Learning Program - UNHCR

Work Experience

Competencies
Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium
Bi-Annual 2026 Compendium - Part B
Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position requires Functional Clearance