Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
UNDP is the United Nations’ global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. On the ground in more than 170 countries, UNDP works on solutions to global and national development challenges. As the United Nations’ development network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist Malaysia in developing its own solutions to the country’s development challenges. Through partnerships and innovation, UNDP supports Malaysia achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing poverty and inequality, strengthening the rule of law and governance, promoting environmental sustainability and addressing Climate Change.
Under the supervision of the Head of SDG Impact, Finance and Innovation, the Partnership Coordinator leads the intelligence gathering, analysis and preparations of products/inputs/concepts/proposals in pursuant of partnership opportunities with Government, private sector and public/private financing institutions. Further, the Partnership Coordinator supports the CO positioning of strategic SSC engagements around experience and best practice sharing between Malaysia and UNDP partner countries. In addition, the analysis will contribute to the office-wide strengthening of systematizing the extraction of policy impact evidence from UNDP’s project portfolio, as well as supporting cross-office initiatives related to SDG acceleration and office compliance tasks, e.g. program and project reporting and M&E. Finally, the Partnership Coordinator will oversee conceptualization partnership management of selected projects, ensuring timing reporting, financial oversight and execution according to UNDP rules and regulations.
The Partnership Coordinator works in close collaboration with the operations team, programme staff, UNDP HQ and Government officials, technical advisers and experts, multi-lateral and bilateral donors, private sectors and civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Lead the expansion of strategic partnerships with key private sector and private/public financing institutions
- Build a partnership ecosystem in support of UNDP’s strategic priorities in Malaysia, leveraging both portfolio depth and cross-portfolio synergies.
- Managing initiatives and events that position UNDP’s global value proposition to Malaysian stakeholders as well as positioning Malaysian best practices through South-South cooperation.
- Prepare overviews, partner-specific proposals, pitching materials and other engagement materials, campaigns and targeted communications that demonstrate UNDP’s value proposition.
- Support the engagement with financing institutions incl. development of value proposition packages and pitching materials for strategic alliances and partnerships on SDG finance, for targeted potential partners in Malaysia.
- Serve as office anchor point on private sector engagement, supporting and enabling office management and project teams to leverage strategic partnerships.
Provide support in developing and implementing partnerships and resource mobilization strategies
- Identify emerging trends within the private sector, philanthropies, HNI and others through which UNDP could have first-mover advantage in leveraging partnerships.
- Analyze, compile and keep updated database of key stakeholders engaged in SDG financing and funding: impact ventures, institutional and individual investors, potential donors and other funders for SDG-aligned investible projects.
- Map the key partners with regional or global presence in Malaysia to collaborate with UNDP for sustainable business operations and alignment with the SDGs, including high-net-worth individuals, donors and investment companies. Identify large-scale partners in business and investor networks and collaborate with regional colleagues to accelerate strategic partnerships in line with UNDP’s regional SDG financing and Impact offer.
- Support strategic office wide initiatives such as SDG Accelerator, Impact Advisory etc.
Provide support to the management of effective relationships with partners
- Identify programme offer for potential partners based in Malaysia and develop a menu of services in close consultation with programme colleagues and senior economist.
- Provide technical support to senior managers in the preparation of missions, meetings and other consultations with donors, including the preparation of notes, briefs and other materials.
- Support the preparation of materials for MoUs, Financing Agreements or any other legal documents to effectively onboard new partners.
- Work closely with BRH Partnership Specialists and SDG Impact Finance Specialists to ensure the identified potential partners are aligned with UNDP due diligence policy and develop Risk Assessment Tools (RAT) with comprehensive information about the partner wherever required.
- Manage donor/partner relationships and build rapport to enhance the CO’s partnership agenda
Provide technical support in knowledge-building, sharing and advocacy efforts of UNDP tested recommendations to strengthen policy impact and SDG acceleration initiatives
- Support extraction from UNDP project portfolio to strengthen policy advocacy and upstream work; based on partner-specific intelligence and the competitive landscape; identification where the CO competency strengths overlap with partner/client needs
- Produce snapshot reports, updates and briefing notes for both UNDP-wide distribution and with external stakeholders;
- Provide insights into the drafting of communications products, policy documents, briefs and other strategic papers/ materials for the use in the development and presentation of policy and programmatic positions;
- Support cross-portfolio synergies, learning and linkages under geo- and target group concentration of UNDP support services as well as supporting CO M&E, reporting and corporate compliance
Support to programme operations in line with UNDP corporate rule, regulation and policies
- Contribute to office-wide corporate compliance, including project and program reporting/ROAR, IATI, QA, ICPE etc.
- Manage and update Private Sector Due Diligence Committee and Standard Operating Procedures according to the Policy On Due Diligence And Partnerships With The Private Sector.
- Support project conceptualization, management and implementing activities in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, ensuring smooth programme operations in line with UNDP corporate rule, regulation and policies;
- Oversee, support implementation, manage partners relations and ensure quality reporting on selected partnership projects with anchor programme unit;
- Continuously monitor progress against the approved work-plan; Identify changes in the external environment and promptly agree necessary solutions/actions (ex. related to the planning and implementation of activities, need for new activities) with UNDP office and Project Board in relation to risk and responsibilities with private sector partners;
- Monitoring expenditure to ensure that it is in line with approved budgets, AWPs and UNDP Programmed/Financial policies in relation to the partnership agreement;
- Periodic monitoring of UNITY+ dashboards and exceptions, identification of remedial actions.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies:
Core competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Business Direction and Strategy
- System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement 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.
- Entrepreneurial thinking: Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP´s organizational priorities and mandate.
- Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations.
Business Management
- Partnership Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
2030 Agenda: Partnerships
- SDG Integration: Fostering bilateral and regional South-South partnerships for SDG implementation.
- SDG Finance: Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation; Public Private Partnership
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master´s degree) in Social Sciences, Communications, International Relations, Finance and Investment, Business or Public Administration, Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, or any related field relevant to SDG Finance is required, or
- A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.
Experience:
- Minimum two (2) years (with Masters’ degree), or four (4) years (with Bachelors’ degree) of relevant experience at the national and/or international level in international relation, project/programme formulation, management, finance, business, administration or development studies
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
- Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example.
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.
- Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.
- Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects.
- Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and investments, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery.
- Strong IT skills, knowledge of Quantum system desirable.
- Excellent knowledge of financial rules and regulations, accounting.
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
- At least 3 years of demonstrated experience in advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
- A proven track record of excellent communication and presentation skills and ability to mobilize support from a wide range of partner stakeholders from public and private sector.
- Excellent analytical skills and the capacity to research independently and develop pipeline and business case for support.
- Experience of working with international organizations, think tanks, private sector at the national and/or international level in the development sector is a bonus.
- Understanding of international development, international relations, or environmental and/or other relevant issues preferred.
Required Languages;
- English and Bahasa Malaysia
- Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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