Communication Officer, Communication Officer, Doha, Qatar

General

Description of assignment title: CommunicationOfficer

Assignment country: Qatar

Duty stations: Doha

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 09/01/2026

Duration: 6 months(with possibility ofextension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 3. Good health andwell-being

Host entity: WHO QAT

Modality: Onsite

Type: International

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• WHO provides technical support to Member States to strengthennational health information systems and enable the generation oftimely and reliable evidence to assess the health situation andtrends, and the health system response.
• The WHO Country Office in Qatar was opened in March 2022. TheWHO Representative in Qatar is Dr Rayana Bou-Haka, appointed on 2June 2023.
• Dedicated to the health and well-being of all people and guidedby science, WHO leads and champions global efforts to giveeveryone, everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life. WHO,in collaboration with the Government and Ministry of Public Healthin Qatar, is dedicated to establishing a strong partnership tobetter improve the health and well-being of all people in Qatar andchampion efforts to make Qatar a role model in public health insidethe Region and beyond.

Context:

• Within the country office, the role of the CommunicationSpecialist is to contribute to the development and delivery ofcommunication activities to support national health priorities, andto support global and regional guidance from the WHO. The role isto translate key public health information into culturallyappropriate messages to be communicated to key stakeholders.

This assignment is part of a UNV-funded initiative designedto bring fresh, diverse talent into UN programmes from countriesthat are currently unrepresented among UN Volunteers. It offers aunique opportunity to help ensure that global volunteering trulyreflects the world we serve, while giving participating UNVolunteers meaningful, hands on experience with leading UNpartners. As such, the initiative targets candidates from thefollowing nationalities: Andorra, Croatia, Estonia, Liechtenstein,Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Slovenia.

Task description:

• Under the direct supervision of the WHO Representative inQatar, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• • Develop and implement a comprehensive communications actionplan for the WHO Country Office in Qatar in close coordination withthe Regional Strategic Communications for health team atWHO/EMRO,
• • Draft meeting reports, concept notes, and opening remarks forthe events organized by the country office,
• • Identify subjects of interest and contribute toconceptualization and developing content for communicationsproducts such as messages, success stories from the field, mediareleases, advocacy and corporate communications materials,reflecting the health situation and WHO's work in an effectivemanner,
• • Develop regular newsletter, internal talking points, web andfeature stories/messages, and updates where appropriate to supportthe WHO Country Office's projects, showing human face of WHO,including profiles of WHO staff and health care professionals,
• • Facilitate production and proper dissemination of WHO CountryOffice communications products including but not limited toaudio-visual and printed materials, multimedia presentations, mediareleases, etc.,
• • Facilitate establishing and maintaining contacts, withrelevant communications supplier including video/photographers,graphic designers, multimedia producers, social media specialists,etc and establish a roster of such professionals for WCO'scommunications needs,
• • Establish and maintain a network of contacts with the mediainstitutions to ensure the dissemination of information on WHO'sregular activities and emergency response; arrange for interviewsand filming opportunities to support high visibility of WHOhumanitarian work through television, radio and newspapersexposure; provide support to broadcast media and journalists andfacilitate their access to related information, asappropriate,
• • Develop content, monitor and update WCO's websites, SocialMedia accounts (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) in accordance withguidelines and standards used throughout the Organization to ensureconsistency of approach; liaise with EMRO and HQ to ensure maximumvisibility on global and regional social media channels,
• • Maintain and update a database of photos and multimediacontent for WCO, in various health fields including but not limitedto health emergency subjects covering affected populations, healthsituation, and WHO health response on the ground,
• • Act as a counterpart and collaborator for the WHO/EMRORegional Strategic Communications Programme/network and facilitatedeveloping content for Regional "Emergency Communications","Communications for Health (C4H)" and other relevant regionalcommunications streams,
• • Liaising with communications counterparts in the MOPH andother partners in Qatar,
• • Provide support in conducting communications capacitybuilding workshops for WCO and Ministry of Public Health andpartners,
• • Perform other tasks as guided by the head of office tosupport the country office technical and operation activities, inclose collaboration with relevant team members and units,
• • Manage relevant communication procured services andcontracts, monitor implementation and report on progress,
• • Coordinate and Collaborate with all relevant counterparts inthe Ministry of Health, the UN agencies, and other partners toidentify, create and handle communications opportunities,
• Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the conceptof volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publicationsand take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events thatmark International Volunteer Day);
• • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or localforms of volunteerism in the host country;
• • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that theyare undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflectionactivities;
• • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submitthem for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases,etc.;
• • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UNVolunteers;
• • Promote or advise local groups in the use of onlinevolunteering or encourage relevant local individuals andorganizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenevertechnically possible.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national of a countryother than the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• Arabic, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in communication, advertising, marketing,public relations, digital media, journalism, social/health sciencesor in any other related areas.

Competencies and values:

• Administration
• Arts and design
• ​​Communication
• Health
• Social work
• Translation and interpretation

Skills and experience:

• • Ability to produce engaging communication materials.
• • Excellent presentation skills with proven ability to write inEnglish in concise manner.
• • Proven skills in the development and implementation ofcommunications/media products and tactics, including relations withthe press and media.
• • Excellent interpersonal skills complemented by the ability toconceptualize ideas and promote consensus.
• • Ability to work under pressure while producing results.
• • Knowledge or sound understanding of the health communicationsand familiarity with other relevant communications fields such asRisk and Crisis Communications, as well as SocialMobilization.
• • Ability to "think out of the box" and to make innovativeproposals to extend communication reach.
• • Tact, discretion and diplomacy.
• • Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge and buildcommunications capacity.
• • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel,PowerPoint, etc)
• • Skills in visual design,
• • Well-versed in social media and web publishing
• • Hands-on skills to take photo and video shots for socialmedia use,
• • Familiarity with use of visuals or images for presentationand web purposes.

*Note**

• Applicants who do not fully meet the minimum professionalexperience requirements for a UN Volunteer 'Specialist' assignmentare still encouraged to apply; if selected, they may be recruitedunder the Conditions of Service applicable to UN Volunteer'Associate' assignments."
• "This Description of Assignment is part of a targeted UNVinitiative and is open exclusively to candidates with the followingnationalities: Andorra, Croatia, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Malta,Monaco, San Marino, Slovenia

Area(s) of expertise:

• Communication, advocacy, public information, Digital and socialmedia, Public health, immunisation

Driving license:

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