Emergency Communications Officer(P4)

This selection exercise may be used to generate a roster of pre-approved candidates to address future staffing needs for similar functions in any of the Departments and Offices of the Organization.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: Please note that the closing date for submission of applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant's location.

Organizational Setting

The Department of Nuclear Safety and Security (NS) formulates and implements the IAEA's nuclear safety and security programme, which encompasses the IAEA's activities to protect people and the environment from radiation exposure, and responds to the needs of its Member States related to nuclear safety and nuclear security.The Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) is part of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security and reports to the Deputy Director General, Head of the Department. The IEC serves as the IAEA's focal point for preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies regardless of their cause, and for strengthening Member States' preparedness for response.

Main Purpose

Reporting to the IEC Director, the Emergency Communications Officer is responsible for coordinating communication efforts related to emergency preparedness and response, facilitating timely and effective information exchange and ensuring that messages are clear, consistent, and scientifically accurate. The Emergency Communications Officer develops and implements the NS IEC Division’s communication strategy for nuclear and radiological emergencies, ensuring alignment with the NS and IAEA communication frameworks for effective communication in an incident or emergency, in close coordination with the Office of Public Information and Communication (OPIC). The Emergency Communication Officer will lead the development of the IAEA guidance documents on communication with the public in the event of nuclear or radiological emergency as well as planning and implementation of relevant capacity building activities.
During a nuclear or radiological emergency, the Emergency Communications Officer takes an active role in emergency management by preparing background information materials for the Director General and OPIC and by drafting clear public messages based on technical information.

Role

The Emergency Communication Officer is: ; (1) a specialist developing and implementing a communication strategy in nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies, in close coordination with the OPIC; (2) an expert contributor developing communication materials to be used in case of nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies of various scenarios, and offering technical support and guidance to Member States; (3) a press officer, assisting the OPIC as required and (4) a project manager developing and leading implementation of IEC activities on emergency preparedness and response communications.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Contribute to and coordinate with OPIC in the development of a communication strategy for nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies in line with the IAEA Safety Standards and overall IAEA communication strategy.
• Contribute to the development of appropriate communication materials and tools to be used by the IAEA in case of nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies to meet internal and external stakeholder needs.
• Contribute to OPIC’s Media, Multimedia and Outreach Section, including with drafting media lines, press releases, briefings or events, with an aim at staying involved in the interactions with media.
• Manage the development of technical content on public information within the IAEA safety standards, guidelines, and tools related to incident and emergency preparedness and response.
• Coordinate activities related to implementation of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) at the international level, including development of relevant guidelines and training materials and conducting of training courses.
• Provide expert technical knowledge, guidance, and advice to Member States on the development and implementation of the public information areas within overall incident and emergency preparedness and response programmes.
• Collect information and write relevant parts of the annual Nuclear Safety Review, Annual Report, other reports to the governing bodies and other programme documents.
• Participate in the IAEAs Incident and Emergency System (IES), participate in associated training and exercises, and provide technical support as required when the IEC is activated.

Competencies and Expertise

Core Competencies (Competency Framework)

NameDefinition CommunicationCommunicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions. Achieving ResultsTakes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Division’s programme. Evaluates his/her results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned. TeamworkActively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions. Planning and OrganizingPlans and organizes his/her own work in support of achieving the team or Section’s priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans.

Functional Competencies

NameDefinition Client orientationHelps clients to analyse their needs. Seeks to understand service needs from the client’s perspective and ensure that the client’s standards are met. Judgement/decision makingConsults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agency’s regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards. Partnership buildingIdentifies and builds partnerships. Develops and maintains long lasting partnerships to strengthen relationships. Delivers programmatic outputs and acquires resources in support of Agency goals.

Required Expertise

FunctionNameExpertise Description Emergency Preparedness and ResponseCommunications in Nuclear or Radiological EmergenciesDescription Expertise in developing press statements, explanatory materials, questions and answers for the public and media during response to a nuclear or radiological emergency, and strong ability to facilitate its use by IAEA and its stakeholders. Emergency Preparedness and ResponseCrisis CommunicationsExpertise in developing and implementing strategies and plans on communication during nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies in line with the overall IAEA communication strategy. Emergency Preparedness and ResponseEmergency Preparedness and ResponseExpertise in developing guidelines on public communications in nuclear or radiological emergency, and strong ability to assist Member States in building capacity in this area.

Qualifications, Experience and Language skills

• Advanced university degree in communications, journalism, public of foreign relations, science or another field relevant to nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response, complemented, ideally, with communication modules. University degree in communication, journalism, public or foreign relations, or science or another relevant filed, plus two years of relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of the advanced university degree. A doctorate degree is an asset.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in nuclear or radiological emergency communication and/or in nuclear science with strong communication components, with strong national or international experience or knowledge in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response issues.
• Experience or demonstrated capabilities in coordinating emergency communication activities.
• Experience in analysing communication needs of large organizations and/or in an international environment and identifying opportunities for addressing those needs on an ongoing basis.
• Familiarity with international/national programmes on emergency communication and experience in developing and implementing projects in this area.
• Expertise in leveraging AI-powered tools to support communication strategy, content development, audience analysis, and performance monitoring is an asset.
• Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish) is an asset.

Remuneration

The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $86027 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $ 48433*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; Other benefits include 6 weeks' annual leave, home leave travel, pension plan and health insurance. More information on the conditions of employment can be found at: https://www.iaea.org/about/employment/professional-staff/conditions

General Information

• The IAEA's paramount consideration in the recruitment of staff member is to secure employees of the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• Staff Members shall be selected without any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person's race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, age, language, social origin or other similar shared characteristic or trait.
• The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to promoting a diverse workforce. Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are strongly encouraged.
• Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity.
• The IAEA has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and the IAEA, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.

Evaluation process

• The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the selection criteria stated in the vacancy announcement. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information. Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
• Candidates under serious consideration for selection may be subject to reference and background checks as part of the recruitment process.

Appointment information

• Appointment is subject to a satisfactory medical report.
• Staff members may be assigned to any location.
• Candidates appointed to posts in the Professional and higher categories are subject to IAEA rotation policy and their maximum tour of service shall normally be seven years.
• The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above.