Partnership Development Specialist – UN jobs

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC) is seeking a Partnerships Development Specialist to support the work of the Partnerships Team in Latin America and the Caribbean region. LAC is a middle-income region, but it is not a middle-class society. Countries in the region aspire, however, to become strong, cohesive societies where the middle class is a powerful engine of growth and yields healthier and constructive political dynamics. To do so, UNDP is working to support countries in the region to enhance productivity, inclusion, and resilience.

The Partnership Specialist’s tasks will be focused on providing support to the Head of Unit of the Partnerships team and will work closely with the Partnerships Specialist performing specific tasks as an integral part of the Partnerships Unit.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Partnership Development Specialist will support the work of the Partnerships Unit through:

a)            Partnerships management, including the formulation of reports, preparation of proposals and information requests for partners, focusing on quality assurance tasks on partnership agreements, in line with relevant sections of UNDP’s policy framework to support the achievement of the UNDP Strategic Plan. Assist the work of the Regional Director in advancing partnerships with existing and potential counterparts through the implementation of the Partnerships Action Plan 2023-2025.

b)            Contributing to developing a donor’s portfolio diversification approach, while supporting the implementation of innovative development finance mechanisms (blended finance, philanthropy, impact investing, green finance, among others). Support the implementation of a strategy to revamp RBLAC’s resource mobilization (public and private) efforts, including but not limited to leveraging the engagement with donors, IFIs, and other key stakeholders.

c)            Contribute to the implementation of the UNDP’s Private Sector Development and Partnership Strategy (2023-2025) to better coordinate, align and integrate RBLAC’s efforts into other units’ RM strategies (Regional Hub clusters, Country Offices, and other bureaus) focusing on private sector activities being aligned with SDG to become the primary global framework for businesses, investors, and governments by 2030. Assist the technical compliance of due diligence processes with UNDP’s rules and regulations, ensuring adherence to high-quality standards.

d)           Enhancing collaboration with other UNDP units by coordinating efforts, addressing challenges and opportunities related to South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) and UNDP Multi-partner Trust Funds, identifying areas of interest, tracking deadlines, and gathering regional intelligence.

e)            Preparing knowledge products, based on RBLAC’s strategic and thematic priorities. Performing data analysis for the gathering and systematization of region-specific intelligence, and elaborating partnerships reports to facilitate RBLAC Senior Management decision making on Partnerships issues.

f)             Supporting the Partnerships Unit with strategic coordination of high-level events, key corporate initiatives, as needed.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement 

The Partnership Development Specialist will report to the Head of Unit of the Partnerships Team, working closely with the Partnerships Specialist.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• 2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness
  • Innovation:
    • Technology and Innovation
• 2030 Agenda: Partnerships
  • SDG Finance:
    • Public-Private Partnerships
• Administration and Operations
  • Events management
    • Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc
• Partnership management
  • Relationship management
    • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
• Business Development
  • Knowledge Facilitation
    • Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
• Business Management
  • Communication
    • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• Business Direction & Strategy
  • System Thinking
    • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements    

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Development, Economics, Finance, Public Administration, Administration or related fields is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in Development, Economics, Finance, Public Administration, Administration or related fields in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree

Min. years of relevant work experience 

• Minimum 5 years (with master´s degree or equivalent) of relevant experience in development cooperation at the national or international level, or
• 7 years (with bachelor´s degree) of relevant experience in development cooperation at the national or international level.

Required skills

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills to engage with stakeholders at various levels, experience in building partnerships and networking with a wide range of partners, is required
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages is required
• Excellent ability to multitask, prioritize the workload and prioritize team workflows is required
• Team Working skills and a collaborative approach to work, willing to solicit input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise, while sharing credit for team accomplishments and accepting joint responsibility for team shortcomings is required
• Excellent ability in analyzing data to extract insight around engagement results, donor’s priorities, partners understanding, as well as the impact of activities, and global sustainability trends.

Desired skills

• Excellent knowledge or experience in the regional political, social and economic context of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as of Agenda 2030 and UNDP’s work in the region, is desirable
• Strong analytical, organizational and time management skills, is desirable
• Experience in international organizations, is desirable
• Experience with engaging with agencies, donors and forging productive relationships, is desirable
• Knowledge or experience in the UN system, is desirable.

Required Language(s)

Fluency in Spanish and English is required.

Travel: 

a)  UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only if the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

b)   Not official travel is foreseeable within the initial period of 6 months for this contract.