Partnerships Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, established to oversee the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, focuses on fragile and conflict-affected settings. With a workforce of more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices in North, West, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa, the office aims to advance national priorities through strategic initiatives in various sectors including Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The office promotes excellence in project delivery, fosters knowledge sharing, and drives continuous improvement to contribute to sustainable infrastructure and better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Job Overview:
The Partnerships Specialist plays a crucial role within the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) in Dakar, which is responsible for delivering comprehensive project management, infrastructure, and procurement services across 16 countries. This position is essential for driving strategic growth and resource mobilization in alignment with WAMCO’s mission to support peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development. The incumbent will be tasked with building strong partnerships with governments, UN agencies, and other stakeholders, ensuring that all initiatives contribute effectively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and align with both regional and global UNOPS priorities. The role involves developing and implementing partnership and programme development plans that reflect the strategic objectives of the office and enhance its positioning as a reliable development partner.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Partnerships Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan that aligns with the UNOPS Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies. This includes analyzing the country context and development landscape, identifying key partners, and positioning UNOPS strategically within operational niches. The role requires monitoring humanitarian and development trends to identify collaboration areas, advising on framework partnership agreements, and managing partnership opportunities and engagement records. The incumbent will also coordinate technical and financial inputs, lead negotiations for new project proposals, draft budgets and agreements, and communicate UNOPS pricing policies to partners. Additionally, the role involves establishing partnerships with various stakeholders, participating in inter-agency coordination forums, and contributing to UN common planning processes. The Partnerships Specialist will also implement standards and tools to enhance project development and facilitate knowledge sharing within the team.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 5 years of relevant experience. Relevant experience should include work in international development, execution of partnership and programme development plans, project development and proposal writing, and establishing partnerships with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, foundations, or private-sector organizations. Experience in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is required, along with at least 2 years of team management and supervision experience. Desired qualifications include experience in development or humanitarian contexts and project and programme management.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline is required, with a preference for candidates holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent). The educational background should be complemented by relevant experience in the field of international development and partnerships.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree or 5 years with a Master’s degree. Experience should include work in international development, partnership and programme development, project management, and proposal writing. At least 2 years of experience in team management and supervision is required, with a preference for candidates who have worked in multicultural environments or within the UN system in developing countries.

Languages:
Fluency in English and French is required for this position. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in both languages to effectively communicate and engage with diverse stakeholders across the region.

Additional Notes:
The position is classified as mid-level with an ICS Level of 10 and a contract type of ICA - IICA - Regular. The contract level is IICA 2, and the position is ongoing with a posting start date of 10-Aug-2026 and an end date of 31-Aug-202

• UNOPS emphasizes diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging applications from qualified women and candidates from underrepresented groups. The organization conducts background checks on all final candidates and has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct.