Media Development Officer

Position Title : Media Development Officer
Duty Station : Dakar, Senegal
Classification : Professional Staff, Grade P2
Type of Appointment : Fixed term, one year with possibility of extension
Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible
Closing Date : 31 May 2019

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Read more about diversity and inclusion at IOM at www.iom.int/diversity.
Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process.

For the purpose of this VN, the following are considered first-tier candidates:
1. Internal candidates
2. Candidates from the following non-represented member states: Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Cabo Verde; Comoros; Cook Islands; Cuba; Djibouti; Fiji; Gabon; Grenada; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Holy See; Iceland; Kingdom of Eswatini; Kiribati; Lao People's Democratic Republic (the); Lesotho; Libya; Marshall Islands; Mauritania; Micronesia (Federated States of); Montenegro; Namibia; Nauru; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Seychelles; Solomon Islands; Suriname; Timor-Leste; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu

Second tier candidates include:
All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM and female candidates.

Context:
IOM implements innovative approaches and initiatives aimed at positively affecting the knowledge levels, attitudes and behaviours of youth and potential migrants in West and Central Africa. At the community level, these initiatives encourage the public and private sectors to develop new ways to prevent exploitation by building capacity to apply Communication for Development (C4D) practices to outreach activities. One of such initiatives is the IOM’s innovative C4D campaign, Migrants as Messenger.
A growing body of research suggests that potential migrants are generally distrustful of information campaigns on irregular migration and that they are more likely to believe information obtained through trusted social networks. Migrants as Messengers (MaM) addresses this distrust by influencing decisions in migration-prone communities in West Africa through peer-to-peer messaging.
The project started in 3 countries in November 2017 and will expand to include 7 countries in the region (Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia) over 3 years. It is carried out by volunteer returned migrants using storytelling techniques to record peer interviews broadcast on social media. The quality and adaptiveness of these audio-visual outputs are essential to the success of the project.
Under the direct supervision of the Communication for Development Officer, in collaboration with the Global Communications Officer, the successful candidate will be responsible for curating and editing content generated by VFOs (Volunteer Field Officers), for producing high quality multimedia content to promote the Migrants as Messengers project and raise awareness of migration issues both regionally and internationally. The position will be based in the Regional Office for West and Central Africa in Dakar, Senegal.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:
1. Collect, record and edit testimonies of migrant returnees in Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, The Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone from Volunteer Field Officers (VFOs) using Community Response App, a mobile recording application developed by IOM for the collection of return stories.
2. Focus on the development and delivery of A/V trainings for returnees and migrants to build sustainable capacity, working in close coordination with the Regional Office.
3. Contribute to the development of and disseminate multimedia, multilingual materials for communities of origin or migrants in transit, creating social media content, and other communications tools in all relevant migrant languages with up-to- date information regarding specific dangers of irregular migration.
4. Work in close coordination with the Regional Awareness Raising Officer in producing materials and content for campaigns targeted at raising awareness among migrants on relevant issues of protection, leveraging assets from other IOM activities and awareness campaigns to optimize impact and use of resources.
5. Maintain fluid channels of communication with country focal points to facilitate synchronicity, closely coordinating and collaborating on ongoing community engagement programs in their respective countries
6. Draft, edit and produce project updates for IOM’s bi-weekly press briefing notes, website and social media and other media outlets as requested.
7. Produce content in the form of human interest stories from the field, by collecting photographs and video clips and curate them as to disseminate in the correct platforms.
8. Ensure all multimedia content and stories have the requisite declarations of informed consent signed and filed prior to publication, bringing issues to the attention of the supervisor.
9. Incorporate vetted stories collected to support IOM’s awareness materials for migrants in transit.
10. Effectively uses communication tools developed by IOM for community engagement and collection of video testimonials.
11. Work in a manner reflecting the innovative nature of the project and the importance of Page 2 / 5
capturing A/V material that documents the diverse activities that engage communities, community leaders, potential migrants, families and returnees.
12. Work closely with the Community Engagement Officer and the Regional Awareness Raising Officer to assist in media trainings and activities strengthening capacity of media agents.
13. Work closely with community radio and radio associations to produce audio content targeted at communities of origin in rural areas.
14. Support the development and dissemination of appropriate communications and media resources for target communities in the specific regional context.
15. Ensure timely and efficient publication and distribution of media content on IOM media channels, websites, social media etc.
16. Contribute to the inclusion of appropriate gender awareness in IOM communications.
17. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education
• Master’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Film & Documentary Production or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or
• University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.
Experience
• Extensive work experience - particularly filming and editing - in international journalism and public information;
• Experience in dealing with socially relevant topics;
Experience in dealing with International Institutions and Organisations (UN, etc.);
• Demonstrated high competency as a writer, editor in French and English;
• Knowledge of graphic design, web, social media and video production;
• Proficient in content editing platforms including Adobe Suite, primary Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Audition, as well as Final Cut Pro, among other multimedia editing software;
• Demonstrated expertise in graphic design, web, and social media platforms;
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as Dreamweaver, Lightroom etc;
• Previous experience with communications and/or perception change campaigns.
Languages
IOM’s official languages are English, French and Spanish.
For this position, fluency in English and French is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of other local languages of West and Central Africa and/or Spanish is an advantage.
1 Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database (https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:

Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:
• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
• Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2
• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results. • Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators level 2
• Leadership: provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the organization’s vision; assists others to realize and develop their potential.
• Empowering others & building trust: creates an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
• Strategic thinking and vision: works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.



Other:
Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile.
Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
The list of NMS countries above includes all IOM Member States which are non-represented in the Professional Category of staff members. For this staff category, candidates who are nationals of the duty station’s country cannot be considered eligible.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.