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, and support for Middle-Income Countries and Small Island Developing States. The office is dedicated to promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement to contribute to sustainable infrastructure and better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Job Overview:
The Partnerships Specialist is tasked with developing and implementing a partnership development plan while supporting the creation of communications plans for Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. This role is pivotal in building and maintaining effective relationships with governments, UN agencies, donors, and other stakeholders to mobilize resources and expand the office's portfolio. The Partnerships Specialist ensures that partnership initiatives align with UNOPS' global and regional priorities, contributing to sustainable results and supporting the achievement of strategic objectives. The position requires a proactive approach to identifying and leveraging partnership opportunities that align with UNOPS' mission and objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Partnership and Programme Development Planning: Develop a comprehensive partnership development and communications plan aligned with UNOPS Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies, including country context analysis, identification of main partners, and strategic positioning of UNOPS. Ensure integration of communications and visibility into partnership development.
• Develop Opportunities: Monitor humanitarian and development trends to identify collaboration areas, research events and publications for partnership opportunities, and provide feedback on framework partnership agreements.
• Representation and Inter-Agency Partnership: Establish partnerships with UN agencies, international organizations, and private sector entities, participate in inter-agency meetings, and provide strategic direction to communications personnel.
• Knowledge Management and Innovation: Implement standards and tools for effective partnership management, contribute to best practices, and enhance project and partnership development performance.

Required Qualifications:
A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Engineering, Political Science, Communications, or International Relations is required. Alternatively, a Bachelor's degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the educational requirements.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in a relevant field, or a Bachelor's degree with additional relevant work experience. This educational background is essential to ensure the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of the complexities involved in international development and partnerships.

Experience:
At least 5 years of experience in International Development is required, with demonstrated experience in developing and executing partnership and programme development plans, project development, and proposal writing. Experience in establishing partnerships with UN agencies and international organizations is essential, as is prior experience in international development contexts, including post-disaster and emergency situations. Project and programme management experience is considered an asset.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and partners.

Additional Notes:
The position is classified as mid-level with an ICS level of 10 and is offered as an ICA - IICA - Regular contract. The contract duration is open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance. UNOPS emphasizes diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging applications from underrepresented groups. The recruitment process includes background checks to ensure compliance with organizational standards.