Communication Specialist

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director, ESP, and the day-to-day guidance of the ESP Communication Coordinator. Functional liaison will be maintained with OCC, as required, to ensure alignment with FAO communication standards, clearance processes, corporate messaging and visual identity requirements.

Technical Focus

Communication support, content development, drafting and editing, publication-related coordination, social media and digital communication, basic visual and multimedia content, event communication, knowledge dissemination, communication planning tools, monitoring support and coordination of communication workflows in support of ESP’s technical areas of work.

Tasks and responsibilities

In close collaboration with Office of Communications (OCC) branches and ESP Communication Coordinator, the incumbent will:

• Support day-to-day communication activities for ESP, contributing to the preparation, coordination and follow-up of divisional communication plans, calendars and workplans under guidance.
• Assist with FAO publication-related processes, including compiling inputs, checking consistency of titles and metadata, supporting publication proposal tracking, following up on clearances, coordinating files and helping prepare materials for publication launches.
• Draft, edit, proofread and adapt communication materials of different nature, such as news items, web stories, articles, press releases, newsletters, captions, talking points, event blurbs, human-interest stories, intranet items and short visibility products.
• Support the preparation of clear and accessible content based on technical inputs from ESP teams, helping translate complex information into language suitable for different internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to social media management by preparing draft posts, adapting messages for different platforms, identifying visual assets, supporting scheduling and helping monitor engagement and relevant communication opportunities.
• Support basic graphic design and visual communication tasks, including the preparation or adaptation of simple layouts, presentation slides, flyers, banners, infographics, quote cards and other visual assets in line with FAO visual identity requirements.
• Assist with video and multimedia production, including developing simple scripts or storyboards, coordinating footage or interviews, supporting captioning, selecting images or clips and liaising with colleagues or service providers for editing and finalization.
• Provide communication support for events, seminars, webinars, publication launches, campaigns and knowledge-sharing initiatives, including drafting invitations and concept notes, preparing visibility materials, coordinating speaker inputs, supporting logistics and preparing post-event communication outputs.
• Help maintain and organize communication repositories, mailing lists, templates, image banks, trackers, shared folders and planning tools to support efficient collaboration across ESP teams.
• Coordinate routine inputs with communication focal points, technical colleagues, OCC and external providers, ensuring that deadlines, corporate standards, clearance requirements and agreed workflows are followed.
• Support light monitoring and reporting of communication activities, including collecting examples of outputs, compiling basic analytics, tracking dissemination activities and preparing short updates for planning purposes.
• Videos should follow the FAO Video production guidelines:
• Manage thematic social media channels as per the FAO social media guidelines: no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
• Perform other communication, outreach, knowledge-sharing and visibility-related duties as required.

FAO Standards and guidelines:

• Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
• All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework -31: no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
FAO social media policy and guidelines: no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Social Media Branding Guidelines: no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
FAOSTYLE no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
FAO terminology no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
FAO Names of Countries no-style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).
• Further guidance regarding FAO communicat