Project Communications & Public Relations Assistant (Open to internal & external applicants)

Organisation: UNDP
Location: Suva, Fiji
Deadline: 9 November 2026

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.

• Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments

• Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers

• Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. The Fiji multi-country office covers ten countries including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Naoero, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as well as provides support to regional initiatives.

UNDP in the Pacific has developed its Multi-Country Programme Document (MCPD, 2023-2027) to guide its interventions in the next five years in full alignment and directly to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF, 2023–2027). The Office covers 10 countries in the Pacific with an extensive portfolio which has grown over time. The UNSDCF and UNDP MCPD are designed in full alignment with the 2030 agenda, Samoa Pathway, and 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, which is endorsed by the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) among others. The UNDP Pacific Office next five-year plan strategic priorities are encapsulated under three outcome areas: (i) Planet, (ii) Prosperity, and (iii) Peace. Following a strategic review process which was completed in June 2022, UNDP Pacific office structure is aligned to the emerging priorities of the office. In this regard, the programme portfolio will include mutually reinforcing work streams crafted around two clusters (i) Resilience and Climate Change; and (ii) Inclusive Growth and Effective Governance, supported by a policy and innovations team, operations team, management programme and oversight team, which provides strategic guidance on results management and compliance entrusted with the corporate alignment, programme finance management and quality assurance, and a strategic communications team, which provides knowledge management and communication support to all programme interventions.

Fiji is among the most disaster-prone countries in the Pacific and is exposed to tropical cyclones, floods, storm surges, landslides, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic hazards, disease outbreaks and the increasing impacts of climate change. These hazards continue to affect lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, ecosystems and national development.

The National Disaster Management Act 2024 establishes the National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) as the lead agency responsible for coordinating disaster risk management, disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery and resilience-building across Fiji. The Act further provides for the establishment of Divisional Disaster Risk Management Offices to strengthen sub-national coordination and implementation of disaster risk management.

To support implementation of the National Disaster Management Act 2024, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2018–2030, the National Disaster Risk Management Plan, the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative and the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) Roadmap, the Government of Fiji, through the UNDP Green Climate Fund Programme, will recruit a Communications & Public Relations Assistant to lead strategic communications, public information, media engagement and awareness activities that promote disaster risk reduction, climate resilience and the objectives of the GCF EW4All Project and the NDRMO.

Working under the technical direction of the Manager Emergency Planning Coordination (NDRMO) and the Project Manager - EW4All, the Project Communications & Public Relations Assistant will ensure timely, accurate, and accessible disaster information, strengthen public confidence, and support the implementation of Fiji’s Multi Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) and Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

The incumbent will serve as the primary focal point for:

• Strategic Communications: develop and implement communication strategies, annual plans, and public education campaigns.

• Disaster Risk Communication: lead awareness initiatives, risk communication strategies, and behaviour change campaigns.

• Media & Partnerships: build strong partnerships with broadcasters, telecoms, and digital platforms to ensure rapid dissemination of alerts.

• Emergency Public Information: coordinate official messaging during National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) activations, ensuring consistency and accuracy.

• Digital Engagement: manage NDRMO’s website, social media, and digital channels with inclusive, multilingual content.

• Trust & Feedback: establish mechanisms to counter misinformation, strengthen transparency, and capture community feedback for continuous improvement.

1.Provide strategic and risk communications:

• Strategy & Planning: develop and implement NDRMO’s Communication Strategy, Annual Communication Plan, and national public awareness campaigns supporting disaster risk reduction (DRR), preparedness, response, and recovery.

• Risk & Emergency Communication: lead proactive risk communication to promote accurate and consistent public information before, during, and after disasters.

• Programme Integration: coordinate communication strategies for key NDRMO initiatives, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Project, Fiji’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS), and the National Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

2.Disseminate emergency operations & public information:

• NEOC Coordination: serve as the focal point for public information during National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) activations, ensuring real-time, accurate, and consistent official warnings and situation reports.

• Direct Dissemination: leverage the National CAP Platform to coordinate multi-channel public warnings across broadcasters, mobile networks, social media, websites, and community channels.

3.Facilitate media engagement & stakeholder partnerships:

• Partner Collaboration: build and maintain strong working relationships with the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Communications, broadcasters, telecommunications providers, and digital platforms.

• Misinformation & Public Trust: monitor media channels to detect misinformation/disinformation, issuing rapid clarifications and official myth-busting updates to preserve public confidence.

• Media Management: lead media relations, issue press releases, organize briefings, and prepare speeches, advisories, and official statements.

4.Lead in digital engagement, content creation & inclusion:

• Digital Platforms: manage NDRMO’s official website, social media, and digital channels with accurate, timely, and engaging content.

• Accessible Content Development: produce diverse content (infographics, short videos, podcasts, newsletters) ensuring products are culturally appropriate, multilingual, and fully accessible to persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups.

5.Gauge community feedback, and support M&E & knowledge management:

• Feedback Loops: establish and manage community feedback mechanisms (including post-event evaluations) to measure public trust, warning comprehension, and information reach.

• Analytics & Performance Reporting: monitor media analytics, track campaign effectiveness, and prepare periodic performance reports with actionable recommendations for continuous improvement.

• Documentation & Donor Visibility: oversee photography, videography, and documentation for key events, ensuring full compliance with donor visibility and reporting requirements (including GCF).

6.Manage flagship campaigns and initiatives:

The incumbent will directly drive and manage the following core campaigns:

• “Know Your Risk Fiji” Campaign: a year-round, multi-media national awareness initiative promoting disaster risk reduction across traditional and digital platforms.

• Monthly Hazard Awareness Calendar: targeted seasonal campaigns aligned with Fiji's primary hazards (cyclones, flooding, drought, tsunamis, and fire).

• Disaster Ready Fiji Schools Initiative: tailored communication packages, educational toolkits, and interactive preparedness activities for primary and secondary schools.

• Community Champions Programme: training and equipping community leaders, faith-based organizations, women's clubs, and youth ambassadors to amplify life-saving preparedness messages.

• Rapid Myth-Busting & Rumour Management Unit: an active monitoring mechanism to identify public confusion during disasters and publish instant, verified clarifications.

• Multi-Platform Public Warning Framework: operational coordination with telecoms, media houses, and local networks to guarantee automated, seamless alert delivery through the CAP platform.