Senior Communications Officer, P5

• Organisation: DCO - UN Resident Coordinator System
• Location: New York
• Contract: J
• Deadline: 6 November 2026

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the UN Development Coordination Office’s (DCO) Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Division, where the incumbent heads the Strategic Communications and Information Integrity Section, in New York, and reports to the Director, Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Division/DCO Deputy Director. The incumbent works closely across DCO and with partners across the wider United Nations system, including relevant Secretariat offices and departments such as the Department of Global Communications (DGC) and the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. The Chief of Section, Strategic Communications and Information Integrity, leads DCO’s strategic communications, information integrity and communications innovation functions across the DCO/RC system. The incumbent sets the strategic direction for communications that strengthen public trust in the United Nations development system, advance coherent, evidence-based narratives on UN priorities, including SDG acceleration, and position the RC system as a credible and trusted source of information in increasingly complex digital and information environments. The Chief of Section provides strategic advice to DCO senior management on communications opportunities, reputational risk and crisis communications, and oversees the development of system-wide communications strategies, policy guidance, campaigns and partnership approaches, driving innovation in how the United Nations development system communicates. The incumbent leads DCO’s support to Resident Coordinators and United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) in addressing misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, polarization and declining trust in institutions, including in fragile, crisis and politically sensitive contexts. This includes guiding the development of integrated communications strategies, crisis communications approaches, messaging frameworks, guidance materials and training initiatives aligned with UN principles and system-wide priorities, and overseeing the research, monitoring and analysis of information risks that inform prevention, mitigation and response at country, regional and global levels. Innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) are at the core of the role. The Chief of Section leads DCO’s communications innovation agenda and the organization’s adaptation to an information environment transformed by AI, including AI-mediated search and information discovery, synthetic content, the fragmentation of audiences across new and emerging platforms, and evolving risks to information integrity. This includes identifying, testing and scaling AI-enabled and other emerging tools for monitoring, analysis, content production, translation and audience engagement, in line with UN principles on the ethical and responsible use of AI; positioning DCO, UNSDG and UNCT digital platforms as trusted and authoritative sources of information in an AI-mediated environment; and fostering a culture of experimentation and learning across the section and the wider RC system communications network, in collaboration with DGC, UN innovation initiatives, technology partners and academia. The incumbent oversees the strategic evolution of DCO’s global digital ecosystem, including the DCO and UNSDG websites, UNCT websites, social media platforms, multimedia products and data-driven storytelling linked to transparency, accountability and results reporting, including through UN INFO and related digital platforms. The incumbent ensures that the section’s work integrates behavioral science, audience insights and data-informed approaches, with performance monitoring frameworks that measure reach, credibility and impact. As Chief of Section, the incumbent manages a multidisciplinary team covering strategy and information integrity, digital strategy, strategic communications and innovation, campaigns and knowledge management, and is responsible for workplanning, resource and budget management, and the professional development of staff. The incumbent oversees the section’s knowledge management and capacity-building functions, including training initiatives delivered in partnership with DGC and other UN communications partners, global and regional communities of practice, and the section’s networks of communications colleagues at country, regional and global levels, as well as the procurement and management of design and creative services. The Chief of Section establishes and maintains relationships with senior management in DCO and across the United Nations Secretariat, Communications leads across the United Nations system, managers in other functional areas, Crisis Management Teams when activated, and staff at headquarters, regional and country levels to provide strategic communications leadership and guidance, coordinate integrated communications planning and crisis and advocacy communications efforts, and strengthen organizational preparedness and response capacity across the DCO/RC system. The Chief of Section also establishes and maintains external relationships with counterparts in United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, senior government officials, civil society representatives and local communities, digital and social media platforms, technology partners, academia, think tanks, behavioral science experts, media organizations, creative content producers and private sector actors to build and manage strategic partnerships, exchange knowledge and best practices, align messaging, strengthen information integrity, and mobilize support and resources for UN priorities, including SDG acceleration.

Responsibilities

• Advise senior management and/or UN colleagues on strategic communications issues such as opportunities for proactive communications, building support, managing crises and reputational risks, and strengthening information integrity. • Guide the analysis and provide insights from traditional, social, and digital media monitoring including on public narratives and areas of reputational risk to inform communications strategies. • Oversee the development and implementation of communications strategies that raise awareness, drive engagement, build support and have measurable impact with target audiences. • Coordinate the creation and updating of policy, guidance and/or training related to strategic communications, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders. • Keep abreast of the latest trends in communications and maintain expertise in relevant and emerging technologies. • Manage and coordinate the activities of the team, including hiring, training, assigning tasks and responsibilities, evaluating performance, and ensuring that deadlines are met. • Plan and manage required resources to implement the responsibilities, projects, and activities. • Provide guidance to team members to promote professional development and a positive team culture. • Oversee the development and implementation of digital communication strategies, including social media and/or website strategies, which raise awareness, drive engagement, build support and have measurable impact with target audiences. • Oversee the planning, development, and execution of research methodologies - quantitative and qualitative – to monitor, collect, analyse and report on risks to information integrity across various online and/or offline information sources. • Guide the identification and cataloguing of incidents and patterns of information threats. • Lead the development and implementation of communication and/or advocacy strategies to promote and strengthen information integrity, including through monitoring, analyzing, responding to misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, hate speech, threats across the online and offline environment, and the development of relevant partnerships with various actors. • Coordinate the development and implementation of integrated entity-wide actions to monitor, analyze and respond to misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, hate speech and strengthen information integrity, including by acting as secretary/coordinator for integrated mechanisms to address information integrity at the mission and/or country level. • Provide advice to senior management and oversee development of guidance materials for internal stakeholders to strengthen information integrity, through immediate and long-term actions tailored to the specific context and/or mandate of the entity. • Identify and cultivate strategic communications partnerships with relevant internal and external stakeholders to support UN campaigns, initiatives, or programmes and expand reach, strengthen knowledge, increase innovation, and raise funds, in line with the organisation's policies and regulations.

Competencies