National Professional Officers are employed for functions in UNMIS which by their very nature require national knowledge and experience and so could not be carried out as effectively by international professionals.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Chief Information Officer, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

• Oversee and implement various aspects of the public outreach of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). The incumbent in cooperation with colleagues in the UNMIS Public Information Office, will analyze the information needs of civil society, including analysis of information trends in the public media and other public domains. She/he will then devise and implement plans for meeting the information needs of society.
• Gather information and edit a regular newsletter in Arabic, on all aspects of the activities of UNMIS and the UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes, including amongst others, humanitarian, human rights and demobilization activities, the activities of the senior management of UNMIS as they relate to civil society, and the activities of the UN military component.
• Devise and manage information campaigns to disseminate information about UNMIS to audiences within Sudan.
• In addition the incumbent will advise the management of the Public Information Office, and devise and implement a plan for the setting up of an Outreach Centre in a publicly accessible area in Khartoum, where members of the public can learn about the activities of UNMIS and the UN System in Sudan.
  

Competencies

• Professionalism:Solid understanding of, and experience in, dealing with the media; Strong communications research and analytical skills and ability to rapidly analyse and integrate diverse information from varied sources; demonstrable up-to-date knowledge of current Sudanese political issues and the ability to identify public information needs, opportunities and risks; ability to work to tight deadlines;
• Planning & Organization: demonstrated planning and organizational skills and ability to work to tight deadlines and handle multiple projects or activities;
• Judgment and Decision-Making: Discretion and sound judgment in applying expertise to sensitive and complex subjects.
• Communications: Highly developed spoken, written and presentational communications skills, including ability to write PI products in a clear concise journalistic style in English and Arabic.

Qualifications:

• Education: Advance university degree in journalism, communications or Public Relations. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience. A mixture of good relevant work experience and academic study will also be considered. Good management and media relations skills and experience required; interpersonal and teamwork skills necessary; ability to work long hours under a high level of stress and in a difficult environment an asset. Experience in radio or print journalism would be an asset.