- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
- FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
Organizational Setting
This position is based in the RAP Office, in Bangkok, Thailand. The incumbent will assist ongoing work performed by Staff Officers in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAPDD) to raise visibility of FAO work in Thailand to help the Member Nation achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. S/he will also assist Staff Officers within RAPDD who are raising visibility of the four Regional Priority deliverables, with specific attention to three of the RPs in Thailand: 1) Transforming agrifood systems for sustainable production and healthy diets; 2) Accelerating sustainable natural resources management for biodiversity conservation and climate action; 3) Supporting inclusive rural transformation for sustainable agrifood systems and equitable rural societies.
Reporting Lines
In close collaboration with OCC branches and focal points, the incumbent will be under the direct supervision of, and report directly to, the FAO Regional Communications Officer in Bangkok, and in coordination through regular consultation with the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) Thailand.
Technical Focus
The overall objective of the NMCS is to support the FAO Thailand Representation’s work and regional priorities, within the larger Regional Office setting (the Thailand Office is based within the RAP office). By contributing to the positioning and improved visibility of that work, through mass media, social media and other outreach, and with a target audience of constituents, donors and general public, the incumbent will gather and provide the Communications Officer at RAP, the materials necessary for him to promote a corporate image of FAO as an open/accessible, multidisciplinary institution capable of rapid responses and actions in support of its constituents and donors. In regular consultation and coordination with the Regional Communication Officer, RAP, the incumbent shall ensure coherence with FAO’s corporate communication policy and operational guidelines for all communication and information outputs gathered.
Tasks and responsibilities
Specifically, and in line with the corporate communication policies and plans, the incumbent will:
- Assist the Regional Communications Officer and the AFAOR (Programme) raise visibility of FAO work globally, regionally and nationally to Thai audiences of Government, civil society and private sector and general public (in English and Thai);
- Help the Regional Communications Officer to maintain and strengthen FAO RAP’s media contact database with both Thai and English journalists in Thailand;
- While not representing FAO directly, the incumbent will proactively seek out good beneficiary feature story possibilities for broadcast and print journalists, based upon the good practices of FAO Technical Cooperation work in-country Thailand;
- Identify, write, photograph and submit feature stories about FAO’s work in Thailand to FAO in Action at OCC in HQ;
- Maintain regular consultation on outreach activities with the regional communication officer;
- Through the RAP Communications Officer, work to support the strengthening of FAO media relations and public visibility, as well as FAO relations with other multilateral, national development partners, institutions, donors, governments;
- Attend UN Communications Group meetings in Thailand (as an observer) and report back to FAO Thailand and RAP Communication Officer on the proceedings.
- Provide information to RAP Communication Team on FAO’s activities in Thailand for RAP’s website and social media.
- Provide assistance to HQ upon request for assignments on communications (placing DG Op-Eds, WFD campaigns, etc.).
- Track and log all media reports (English and Thai) involving the FAO at country level and send reports to both Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and FAO RAP Communication Officer;
- Ensure liaison with the Office of Communication (OCC) will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator (e.g. the Regional Communications Officer), to ensure compliance with OCC standards, appropriate review and clearance processes
All social media assets should be produced must comply with FAO standards, including:
Social Media Branding guidelines: https://www.fao.org/3/cb5044en/cb5044en.pdf
FAOSTYLE (English: https://www.fao.org/3/cb8081en/cb8081en.pdf;
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm;
FAO names of countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en;
UN map standards (available to staff);
FAO Brand and policy book (available to staff)
For videos intended for social media, liaise with OCCI to clear the scripts prior to editing. The social media videos should follow the branding guidelines outlined here: https://www.fao.org/3/cb5044en/cb5044en.pdf
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- A first-level degree in journalism, communications, public relations or other relevant post-secondary qualification
- A minimum five years of experience in working with media in-country is required as is an established contact list of Thai media
- A native Thai speaker with excellent command of English is required, as are proven writing and reporting skills (in both languages), the ability to operate under pressure and good interpersonal skills.
- National of Thailand or a legal resident in the country
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work
- Extent and relevance of experience in newsgathering in the field
- Extent and relevance of experience in writing for news (print and/or broadcast)
Selection Criteria
- Considerable experience in general news field reporting, newsgathering and/or writing for a major national or international news outlet will be a distinct advantage.
- Experience in covering agricultural stories and rural affairs in Thailand would be an advantage.
- The position may well suit a retired or semi-retired individual who is (or has been) well established within the media environment of the country, or a freelance journalist with extensive experience.
- Familiarity with the United Nations Common System and its objectives
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
- FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
- Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
- Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
- For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
- Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
- Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
- Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
- Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
- We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
