Digital Communications Officer (Polio Programme), Islamabad

General

Description of assignment title

Digital Communications Officer (Polio Programme)

Assignment country

Pakistan

Duty stations

Islamabad

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

11/15/2026

Duration

18 months

Sustainable Development Goal

3. Good health and well-being

Host entity

UNICEF

Modality

Onsite

Type

International

Volunteer category

Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule

Full-time

Number of Assignments

1

Details

Mission and objectives

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunised, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation, and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Context

Pakistan remains one of the last two countries where wild poliovirus continues to circulate, making strategic communication central to achieving global eradication. UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan in delivering evidence based, community centred communication to address misinformation, build trust, and increase vaccine acceptance across high risk communities. Despite major progress, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and gaps in public confidence remain key challenges.

The proposed UNV Digital Communications Officer will strengthen the digital evidence-based, community-cantered communication by integrating AI-enabled digital engagement, social and community listening, and misinformation management into routine programme operations. The volunteer will contribute to the development and implementation of an AI-assisted digital SBC strategy, strengthen real-time insight generation and rumour response systems, and build the capacity of PEI and communication teams to apply ethical, data-driven, and behaviourally informed approaches that improve community trust and vaccination uptake contributing to protecting every child in Pakistan from polio while gaining exposure to one of the most complex global health initiatives.

This assignment will offer the volunteer the chance to meaningfully contribute to a mission of global significance while developing professional skills in an international, multicultural UN environment.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Senior Social Behaviour Change and Communication Manager, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Digital Communications and Content Development

• Support the development and implementation of digital communication and SBC activities aligned with Polio Programme priorities.
• Develop and adapt engaging, audience-focused digital content across platforms, including multilingual content, using A/B testing to optimize messaging, engagement and calls to action, where appropriate.
• Co-create locally relevant pre-bunking and debunking content in local languages with the support of local staff, using myth-versus-fact formats, trusted voices and compelling storytelling tailored to priority audiences and districts.
• Support the development of communication content to address misinformation and strengthen trust in vaccination.
• Support the planning and implementation of targeted digital campaigns, including social media and other relevant digital channels.
• Monitor digital engagement and campaign performance and contribute to adjustments based on available data and audience insights.

Social Listening & Misinformation Response

• Support social and community listening activities to identify emerging concerns, misinformation and communication trends.
• Support the analysis and synthesis of digital and community feedback to inform communication activities.
• Contribute to the development of timely communication responses to misinformation and rumours.
• Coordinate with relevant teams to support consistent and evidence-based messaging.
• Support the responsible and ethical use of digital and AI-enabled tools, where applicable.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Management

• Develop guidance notes, SOPs and practical toolkits on ethical AI use in SBC.
• Facilitate trainings and workshops for PEI, SBC and communication teams on AI applications, misinformation management and digital analytics interpretation.
• Produce a field-ready AI & Digital SBC Playbook with templates, message banks, and troubleshooting guides.
• Support development of dashboards for real-time performance monitoring.
• Document lessons learned and good practices from UNICEF–JICA collaboration for internal knowledge sharing and potential replication in other settings.
• Examine the potential application of lessons learned and experiences to other countries.
• Coordinate with JICA-supported health and community engagement programmes to align AI-enabled digital SBC approaches, share behavioural insights, and explore joint adaptation of digital tools and methodologies in priority districts.
• Support visibility of Government of Japan and JICA funding vaccine procurement under PEI.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

3 years

Donor priorities

Nationality

Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Additional eligibility criteria

This assignment is funded by JICA, therefore only former Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA-JOCV) recommended by the JICA-JOCV Secretariat are eligible to apply. Please consult the JICA website (https://www.jica.go.jp/volunteer/obog/career_support/unv/index.html) for further information on the eligibility criteria.

Deployment is scheduled between 1 October and 30 November (no later than 31 December 2026).

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

3 years

Languages

English, Level: Working knowledge, Required

Required education level

Bachelor's degree in Bachelor’s degree in communications, digital media, marketing, journalism, social sciences, public health, international development or another relevant field.

Competencies and values

• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Communication
• Creativity
• Integrity
• Judgement and Decision-making
• Knowledge Sharing
• Planning and Organizing
• Self-Management
• Technological Awareness

Skills and experience

3–5 years of professional experience in digital communication, social media strategy, or Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) in public health or development contexts.

Skills and experience description

• Experience supporting the design and implementation of digital communication or social media campaigns, including content development and performance monitoring.
• Experience using audience insights, social listening, community feedback or digital analytics to inform communication activities is desirable.
• Experience using digital tools to support content development, audience engagement, analytics or communication activities is required. Familiarity with AI-enabled tools is an asset.
• Experience working with government, UN, or NGO partners in complex or high-risk environments, with exposure to capacity building or training is considered as advantage.

Area(s) of expertise

Community development

Driving license

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

Pakistan is situated in South Asia. Located along the Arabian Sea, it is surrounded by Afghanistan to the west and northwest, Iran to the southwest, India to the east, and China to the northeast. Pakistan has an extremely varied geographical outlook, including mountains, deserts, major rivers and the sea. Pakistan experiences frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe, especially in north and west.

Security: Islamabad is a family duty station. For all official travel, UN Security Clearance is required/mandatory. Registration with home embassy is highly recommended. International Staff deployed in Pakistan are required to report to Security Unit for detail briefing.

Guest Houses: The UNV Field Unit will help arrange your initial accommodation, at your expense (Entry lump sum is foreseen for this).

Telecommunications: There is one major fixed line provider (PTCL) and 4 cellular companies (Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor and Zong). 4G service is being provided by almost all cellular companies. Call rates vary but are extremely cheap for some Western countries. All cellular operators in Pakistan use GSM platform. Country code for Pakistan is +92 and City code for Islamabad is (0)51. Electricity (Voltage):

Electricity in Pakistan is 220-240 Volts.

Health: State of the art health facilities are available throughout the country and especially Islamabad. Dental care facilities are also available. There are no mandatory vaccines required to travel to Pakistan. Currently dengue fever is on the rise in Pakistan especially in Punjab. Mosquito repellents are recommended. There are other health facilities in Islamabad which have been recognized by WHO.

Diet, Food and Water: There are many local markets around Islamabad as well as various supermarkets that are stocked with imported goods. Islamabad has a large number of restaurants and cafes. Tap water is not advisable and bottled water is available almost everywhere. Using alcoholic drinks in public is illegal in Pakistan.

Money/banking: Current US dollar exchange rate is 1 USD = PKR 279. To receive payments locally, UNV unit will help you open a bank account with Standard Chartered Bank. This will be a paired account where you can use it both for US dollar as well as Pak Rupee. ATM machines can be found throughout the country.

Climate: The climate is generally characterized by hot summers and cool or cold winters. From June to September, most of the country is lashed by the Southwest Monsoon, which leads to heavy rainfall and high humidity. Islamabad has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers accompanied by a monsoon season followed by fairly cold winters. The hottest months are May and June, where average highs routinely exceed 38 °C (100.4 °F).

Respect: Pakistan is a conservative country, and it is advisable for women to wear long skirts or trousers in public (Pakistani women wear the traditional shalwar kameez, but in the big cities, women wearing jeans and khakis is not very uncommon sight, especially in casual settings, shopping malls and around picnic spots). Dress codes for men are more lax, though shorts are uncommon. Men should never shake hands with or touch a woman they don't know very well. As with most of South Asia, the right hand is used for eating, shaking hands and giving or receiving everything (including money), while the left hand is reserved for handling shoes and assisting in toilet duties. Discussion about religion and Islam should remain respectful and positive.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.