Emergency communications officer(p4)

Position Overview

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 Officer will develop and implement the NS IEC Division’s communication strategy for nuclear and radiological emergencies and lead the development of IAEA guidance documents and capacity‑building activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with OPIC to develop a communication strategy for nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies, aligned with IAEA Safety Standards and overall communication strategy.
• Develop appropriate communication materials and tools for the IAEA to use during incidents, meeting internal and external stakeholder needs.
• Assist OPIC’s Media, Multimedia and Outreach Section, drafting media lines, press releases, briefings, and events.
• Manage the creation of technical content on public information within IAEA safety standards, guidelines, and tools related to incident and emergency preparedness and response.
• Coordinate activities related to the implementation of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) at the international level, including the development of guidelines, training materials, and training courses.
• Provide technical knowledge, guidance, and advice to Member States on developing and implementing public information areas within incident and emergency preparedness and response programmes.
• Collect information and write relevant parts of annual reports and other governing body documents.
• Participate in the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency System (IES), training and exercises, and provide technical support when the IEC is activated.

Competencies and Expertise

Core Competencies

• Communication – conveys information orally and in writing clearly, concisely, and impartially, listening to and understanding others’ perspectives.
• Achieving Results – initiates realistic outputs, clarifies roles, evaluates results, and draws conclusions from lessons learned.
• Teamwork – actively contributes to team results and supports team decisions.
• Planning and Organizing – organizes own work to support team or section priorities and develops contingency plans.

Functional Competencies

• Client Orientation – analyzes client needs and ensures service standards are met.
• Judgement / Decision Making – consults with supervisors and makes decisions in compliance with agency regulations and best practices.
• Partnership Building – identifies, builds, and maintains long‑lasting partnerships to strengthen relationships and acquire resources.

Required Expertise

• Emergency Preparedness and Response Communications – develops press statements, explanatory materials, questions and answers for the public and media during emergencies; facilitates use by IAEA and stakeholders.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response Crisis Communications – implements strategies and plans on communication during nuclear or radiological incidents, aligned with overall IAEA communication strategy.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response General Expertise – creates guidelines on public communications and assists Member States in building capacity.

Qualifications, Experience and Language Skills

• Advanced university degree in communications, journalism, public or foreign relations, science, or a related field, ideally with communication modules. A university degree plus two years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree; a doctorate is an asset.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in nuclear or radiological emergency communication and/or nuclear science with strong communication components, including national or international experience.
• Experience or demonstrated ability to coordinate emergency communication activities.
• Experience analysing communication needs of large organisations and/or in an international environment, identifying opportunities for ongoing improvement.
• Familiarity with international/national programmes on emergency communication and experience implementing projects in this area.
• Expertise in leveraging AI‑powered tools for communication strategy, content development, audience analysis, and performance monitoring is an asset.
• Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other IAEA official languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) is an asset.

Remuneration

The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax‑free annual net base salary starting at US $86,027, a variable post adjustment currently amounting to US $48,433*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses, and other benefits such as 6 weeks’ annual leave, home leave travel, pension plan and health insurance.

EEO Statement

• The IAEA’s paramount consideration in recruitment is to secure employees of the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• Staff members are selected without any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, age, language, social origin or any other similar characteristic.
• 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.
• The IAEA adheres to the highest ethical standards, applying core values of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, and maintains a zero‑tolerance policy towards harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.