Partnerships Specialist, P-3, Nairobi, Kenya (Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office), Fixed Term #128906

Are you ready to be a catalyst for change? We’re seeking a dynamic and driven individual to join Regional Partnerships Team.
Reporting to the Senior Advisor, the Partnership Specialist position’s purpose is to deepen collaboration with key public sector stakeholders and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence within the scope of assignment. This position also contributes to strengthening the Region’s capacity on and compliance with quality reporting on public and private sector grants, as well as through the coordination and stewardship of select multi-country regional partnerships. These functions contribute to continued and growing critical resources to support UNICEF programming in ESAR.
If you believe that you have the experience and skills for this role, we would like to hear from you.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, hope…

For more information about our programme, please visit our website:www.unicef.org/esaro/

How can you make a difference?

The Public and Private Partnerships (PPP) Section of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) provides guidance and technical support to 21 Country Offices and Regional Office Programme Sections on engagement with public and private partners. The Section also develops and stewards regional/multi-country partnerships and regional-level relationships, in order to open new avenues of collaboration and funding complementing individual Country Office efforts.

Reporting to the Senior Advisor, the Partnership Specialist position’s purpose is to deepen collaboration with key public sector stakeholders and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence within the scope of assignment. This position also contributes to strengthening the Region’s capacity on and compliance with quality reporting on public and private sector grants, as well as through the coordination and stewardship of select multi-country regional partnerships. These functions contribute to continued and growing critical resources to support UNICEF programming in ESAR.

1. In collaboration with the Senior Advisor, implement the work plan for assigned area, in order to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s partnership strategy.
2. Seeks and promotes new partnerships and resource mobilization in public sector, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs in ESAR and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.
3. Acts as a focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, including on how to anticipate and respond to partners’ concerns and priorities, ensure that UNICEF’s interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes at regional and global level.
4. Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to senior management and other UNICEF staff in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.
5. Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a database of key contacts and to UNICEF’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization.
6. Develops and implements annual partnership engagement and resource mobilization plans for specific public partnerships portfolios.
7. Contributes to the development of new partnership and resource mobilization practices and approaches by formulating recommendations for action based on on-going monitoring, analyzing current trends within designated partners and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.
8. In collaboration with colleagues in PPP and in other Sections, coordinates, plans, develops, and ensures timeliness and quality oversight of proposals and reports development (narrative and financial) and information (including donor progress and final reports, monthly situation reports, annual reports) on programmes managed by ESARO.
9. In collaboration with other Sections within ESARO, ensures effective vertical and horizontal coordination as well as oversight of specific regional programmes, while collecting relevant lessons learned to feed into engagement strategies for public sector partners.
10. Contributes to strategies for engagement and the development of communications products to enhance UNICEF’s visibility and influence with existing and prospective partners by providing analysis of the current environment and trends and formulating recommendations for message development. Works closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the programmes that UNICEF’s supports.
11. Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience: A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant area.

Skills: 

• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation.
• In-depth knowledge of partnership development and resource mobilization.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach- related activities.
• Skill in the identification of new opportunities or requirements to meet challenges in the field and propose changes.
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written.
• In-depth familiarity with political and governmental processes
• Ability to conduct sound policy analysis.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.