Consultant - Media and Communications Specialist

Overview

UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok) helps shape the public image and raise the Organization's visibility in the region through media and communications outreach, publications, office website and social media. It supports the communications goals of all teams across the Organization's areas of competence in the field office and the region. As a central service in communications, it fields regular requests from colleagues for communications-related support around initiatives, publications, campaigns and others. Also provides communication expertise to the UNESCO Bangkok website and social media channels, ensuring that content is engaging for all of UNESCO's stakeholders, including external audiences. This function provides support to senior management and programme teams by strengthening strategic communication, supporting external engagement, and ensuring effective dissemination of information aligned with UNESCO priorities.

Assignments

The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical and operational support in media and communications, with a focus on communication strategy implementation, speechwriting, digital and social media engagement, content development, and public outreach. The Consultant will contribute to strengthening UNESCO’s regional visibility, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and ensuring effective communication of programme results and organizational priorities.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of communication and external engagement strategies aligned with UNESCO priorities, including communication planning, messaging frameworks, and audience targeting. Ensure that all communication outputs comply with UNESCO branding guidelines, editorial standards, and donor visibility requirements, and provide guidance to programme teams on communication approaches and best practices.
• Coordinate external communications and public engagement activities by managing public-facing communication outputs targeting media, partners, and stakeholders. This includes building and maintaining relationships with media organizations, government counterparts, regional partners, civil society, and academic institutions, and strengthening UNESCO’s public positioning and visibility through proactive outreach.
• Draft and edit high-quality communication products, including press releases, media materials, op-eds, feature stories, and reports, as well as human-interest stories that highlight programme impact, including contributing to UNESCO’s ‘For the Peoples’ initiative by collecting and amplifying stories from across the region. Prepare speeches, talking points, briefing notes, and key messages for senior leadership engagements, ensuring the translation of complex policy and technical content into clear, accessible, and compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
• Support digital communications by managing and updating UNESCO Bangkok’s website and social media platforms, contributing to the design and implementation of digital campaigns aligned with UNESCO priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals, and monitoring analytics to improve outreach and audience engagement.
• Coordinate media relations and visibility efforts through drafting media advisories, press releases, and question-and-answer materials; organizing media interviews, press briefings, and coverage; and ensuring strong media visibility of UNESCO initiatives. Contribute, as required, to crisis communication and reputational risk management.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of communication campaigns and advocacy initiatives linked to key organizational priorities, including education, digital transformation, culture, and inclusion. Assist in organizing events, regional forums, and public engagements, promoting UNESCO’s role in regional cooperation and policy dialogue.
• Regularly monitor and report on the effectiveness of communication strategies, proposing adjustments as necessary to enhance visibility and impact.
• Monitor emerging political and reputation risks in the Mekong countries and advise on how they affect UNESCO Bangkok's Communications Positioning.
• Work closely with programme teams to ensure alignment of communication outputs, provide inputs on messaging and branding, and facilitate coordinated implementation of communication activities across the Office.

Contract Duration

The duration of the assignment will be between seven and eleven months, and the Consultant will be based in Bangkok, Thailand

Location and Travel

The Individual Specialist will be based in Bangkok, Thailand and work within the premises of the UNESCO Bangkok office. The Specialist may be required to travel on mission directly related to programmes or projects implementation during the assignment. The Specialist should travel economy class and received DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The Specialist is expected to make her/his own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations. Travel-related expenses (e.g. the cost of tickets, terminal fares and