Communication Officer

SupportFinity™; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A global organization for children's rights is seeking a Communication Officer (Advocacy) in Kuala Lumpur. The role involves planning and executing strategies to advocate for children's rights, managing projects, and building relationships with stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's degree and experience in advocacy and communication. Proficiency in English and Bahasa Malaysia is essential. This is an opportunity to contribute to impactful initiatives focused on children's welfare.

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of experience in advocacy or communication.
• Experience in project management and budget oversight.
• Fluency in English and Bahasa Malaysia required.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, implementing and evaluating advocacy strategies.
• Support project delivery and budget management.
• Strengthen advocacy capacities and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Advocacy

Communication

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Digital Communications

Education

Bachelor's degree in International Relations or related fields

Job description

Communication Officer (Advocacy) – NOA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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.

The Communication Officer (Advocacy) is responsible for assisting in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of integrated advocacy and communication strategies to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people. The role involves executing advocacy and communication plans, building and maintaining relationships with advocacy partners and stakeholders, and supporting project implementation through monitoring, evaluation and budget oversight. It also includes strengthening advocacy and communication capacities within the team and engaging key stakeholders to ensure alignment and impact across initiatives.

Key Functions / Accountabilities

• Execution of Advocacy and communication plans
  • Assist in the development process, planning coordination and execution of advocacy and communication strategies supporting the achievement of SMART outcomes.
  • Support the implementation of offline/online advocacy and communication strategies, contributing to a range of approaches, including the production of assets, writing advocacy briefs, developing narratives, delivering creative campaign activations, organizing events, and cultivating new strategic partnerships.
• Advocacy Contacts and Partners
  • Ensure effective and timely professional assistance and support is provided in developing, drafting and maintaining contact information, materials and relationships with internal and external advocacy stakeholders (CSO's, government partners, academia, private sector, media and other relevant bodies) to communicate the story of UNICEF's work to a wider audience.
  • Assist in researching current and potential partners and support the flow of information to key stakeholders.
• Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Support the establishment of baselines against which advocacy and communication results are regularly monitored; analyse the effectiveness of the strategy, approach and activities; produce and disseminate M&E results on a regular basis.
• Project and Budget Support
  • Support the day‑to‑day delivery of key projects/workstreams, developing and tracking project plans to ensure progress and address obstacles and bottlenecks.
  • Support effective budget management, projections and tracking.
• Advocacy and Communication Capacity Building
  • Document and disseminate advocacy good practice to build internal UNICEF capacities in advocacy and communication.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Assist in researching current and potential partners and maintain a database of formal and informal partnerships and networks whose support is essential in achieving objectives.
  • Support the flow of information to key stakeholders.
• Other Roles and Responsibilities
  • Undertake other key responsibilities to support the performance and impact of advocacy and communication work, as required.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: A university degree (Bachelor) in one of the following fields is required: International Relations, Political Science, International Development, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Communication or related fields.
• Work Experience: At least one (1) year of professional experience in advocacy, communication or campaigning, at a national, regional or global level is required.
• Experience in supporting the development of clear theories of change with specific, measurable and time‑bound objectives and performance indicators is required.
• Demonstrated experience in supporting and/or managing projects to completion, including developing and implementing clear processes, and budget management.
• Experience in supporting digital communications is an asset.
• Experience in supporting the effective functioning of a team. Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues are an asset.
• Experience working for an advocacy or campaigning organisation (e.g. national or international NGO, UN or other multilateral organisation) is an asset.
• Experience supporting training and facilitation is an asset.
• Experience working in a developing country or an emergency environment is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Bahasa Malaysia is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or another local language is considered an asset.

Desirables

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

Competencies Required for this Post

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self‑awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Legal, Inclusion and Recruitment Statements

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. 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. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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. 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. UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection and hiring processes.