Digital Communication Specialist (Web Editor), P-3, Fixed Term Position, Rome, Italy, #00112315

UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund; Roma; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

Breastfeeding breaks

Reasonable accommodation

Job summary

UNICEF is seeking a Web Editor to oversee sections of the global website, focusing on evergreen content, programmes information and humanitarian action. You will craft compelling narratives for a broad audience, including partners, media and the public, while ensuring editorial excellence across languages and platforms.

You will lead content strategy, apply SEO and audience insights, and coordinate with editorial, design and technical teams to deliver high-impact web content that advances

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in communications, journalism, IR or development studies required; two years may be substituted for an advanced degree.
• Minimum of five years in digital communications, external relations, writing/editing; two years in website content/digital channels.

Responsibilities

• Write, edit and produce web content and features for UNICEF’s global website.
• Advance digital content strategy, audience trends and editorial optimization.
• Coordinate across editorial, design, development and platform teams for end-to-end content production.
• Improve web discoverability, performance and search visibility.
• Apply governance, standards, and best practices for digital content lifecycle.
• Support capacity building and content governance across offices.

Skills

Writing & Editing

Editorial coordination

Audience trends & editorial strategy

Clear communication

Education

Advanced degree in Communications / Journalism / IR / Development Studies

Tools

Drupal

Google Analytics

SEO

AEO

GEO

Job description

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

Organizational Context:

The Division of Global Communication and Advocacy (DGCA) works to place children and child rights at the heart of global, regional and national agendas. Through strategic advocacy, communication, engagement and brand leadership, DGCA strengthens UNICEF’s influence, mobilizes support and drives positive change for children worldwide. The Division provides leadership and support across headquarters, regional and country offices to amplify UNICEF’s voice and advance child rights, humanitarian action and sustainable development outcomes.

The Website, Editorial and Governance Section leads UNICEF’s global web editorial, platforms and digital governance functions. The Section stewards UNICEF’s digital voice and develops authoritative, audience-focused content for the global UNICEF website and other priority editorial products across languages. It works to strengthen UNICEF’s visibility, reach and engagement through editorial excellence, audience insights, analytics and evolving search and digital discoverability practices, while reinforcing content governance, brand integrity and UNICEF’s position as a trusted source of information on children’s rights. The Section also provides platforms, standards, guidance and capacity-building support to regional and country offices across the organization.

Purpose of the Job:

Under the general guidance of the Digital Communication Manager, the Web Editor is responsible for overseeing key sections of the UNICEF global website, including evergreen content related to programmes, institutional information and humanitarian action and emergencies, as well as other assigned thematic portfolios in line with annual priorities, with the goal of advancing and communicating UNICEF’s mandate and highlighting the impact of UNICEF’s work, as well as the voices of children and young people across the globe.

Responsibilities include writing, editing, producing and distributing compelling narratives, web features and stories for the general public, partners, opinion leaders, the media and a variety of key audiences, in line with the UNICEF Strategic Plan.

The incumbent will work to strengthen the discoverability, reach, engagement and performance of UNICEF web content across search engines and evolving AI-mediated discovery by applying audience insights, analytics and search best practices.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

• Overall accountability
• Writing, editing and production of web content
• Global priorities and campaigns
• Web engagement, search discoverability and performance
• Web standards, best practices and capacity building
• Digital transformation and content lifecycle

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

• Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Communication, Journalism, International Relations, Development Studies, or related fields is required. Two years of additional relevant work experience that was gained after obtaining a Bachelor's degree may be accepted in lieu of advanced degree.
  
• Work Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant, progressively responsible, professional work experience in digital communications, external relations, writing and editing (or equivalent fields), of which at least two years involve managing website content and digital communication channels, is required.
  Demonstrated expertise in digital content strategy and audience trends, including best-in- class practices in user-centred content, platform and search discoverability, and content optimization for traditional and AI-mediated search environments is required. Demonstrated expertise in web analytics and search optimization tools is required, including Google Analytics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), with the ability to interpret performance, search-visibility and audience data to inform editorial decisions and improve content reach, authority and discoverability. Demonstrated knowledge of current and emerging digital, audience and content trends, with the ability to adapt editorial approaches and apply evolving best practices is essential. Experience using software and applications relevant to the position, including internet navigation, content management svstems, email svstems and web tracking tools is neccessary.
  
• Skills: Outstanding ability to write and edit external digital communication materials, ability to express clearly and concisely ideas and concepts in written and oral form is required. Ability to transform dense technical and programmatic information into engaging content that is accessible to the general public and a wide array of partners and stakeholders is expected. Demonstrated ability to coordinate across editorial, design, development, platform and technical teams to support the effective end-to-end production and delivery of web content is required. Detail-oriented, creative, able to work efficiently with teams and stakeholders outside of the communication division is a requirement. A sophisticated understanding of development and humanitarian issues, world affairs, and current events is required.
  
• Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Experience with Drupal is considered as an asset.
• Two years of international experience, including field experience or meaningful periods supporting humanitarian operations, is preferred.
• Knowledge of and experience with the United Nations, international or non-governmental organizations is highly desirable.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF . Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable applicants are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here .

Advertised: 09 Oct 2026 W. Europe Daylight Time
Deadline: 23 Oct 2026 W. Europe Daylight Time