Re-advertisement – Partnerships Manager, P-4, (FT), # 126219, Foundations, PFP, Geneva, Switzerland

“This position is being re-advertised. Existing applicants need not re-apply, as your application will still be considered. Thank you.”

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

The Global Foundations team is located within UNICEF’s Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) division. The team is charged with maximizing foundations partnerships for UNICEF. UNICEF seeks to work in partnership with the world’s leading and emerging foundations on causes of mutual importance, to achieve sustainable change at scale for every child. The organization’s vision is to harness the potential of the foundations community to increase financial investments for children, to exchange knowledge around joint areas of technical expertise, to engage their voice in advocating for children’s rights, and to leverage social sector financing for children.

UNICEF has established a number of highly valuable partnerships with leading foundations, which have been a major source of income growth in recent years. The Global Foundations team has been mandated to accelerate this growth, and identify non-financial engagement opportunities, by rolling out a new Global Foundations Strategy.

For every child, a Champion

Under the guidance of the Chief, of Foundations Partnerships, the incumbent will be responsible for continuing to drive the Foundation’s strategy 2022 – 2025 and supporting the growth of high-level partnerships and ambitious new approaches and opportunities with foundations. The incumbent will work closely with focal points in the Programme Group and other key Divisions within UNICEF; Country Offices and Regional Offices, National Committees, and PFP colleagues to develop new areas of growth and partnership globally, creating opportunities and maximizing those that arise. The incumbent will focus on some of the largest Foundations partners such as BMGF and others that are highly technical and programmatic; they will work to build the capacity across UNICEF for these partnerships. 

How can you make a difference?

Increase visibility and awareness of UNICEF’s partnerships

1. Global foundations strategy: Working with the Chief, Foundation Partnerships, and wider team, implement and evolve UNICEF’s new strategic framework for engaging with foundations. This will include ensuring the application of the Foundation’s strategy, mapping and applying external trends to a UNICEF context, designing new models of engagement, and securing active support from senior leadership and colleagues at HQ, Regional/Country Offices, and National Committees for ways of working that will drive growth and are audience-led. Specific focus areas will include capitalizing on new foundation-giving trends, building key capacities and approaches within UNICEF and the UNICEF family including National Committees for foundation partnerships, public-private partnerships, and innovative financing instruments, as well as nurturing emerging foundations in collaboration with other high value channels.
2. Growing current partnerships: Work closely with a range of teams on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Partnership, among others, to ensure strong collaboration, engaging UNICEF leadership, supporting strategic engagement with foundations, and maximizing opportunities across the spectrum of finance, influence, and expertise.  Work in close partnership with Programme Group and Country and Regional Offices, as well as National Committees and wider UNICEF teams to strengthen and deepen existing foundation partnerships as opportunities arise.  Make connections between Foundation partnerships.  Engage directly with key foundations as appropriate; seek ways to increase partnership through closer collaboration with key UNICEF colleagues; increase the number and quality of foundation partnerships globally.
3. Capacity building and ways of working: Work with HQ and Regional/Country Office colleagues to increase knowledge and skills around foundations engagement, as well as creating and implementing tools to support skills development for engaging with foundations. Provide guidance in developing, engaging with, and implementing partnerships with the foundation community, including National Committees, and expand network of UNICEF engaging with foundations. Work with PFP colleagues to find new, cross-cutting collaboration in support of growth in results and ensure all stakeholders (UNICEF colleagues, National Committees, and others) are well coordinated to contribute to success.
4. Leadership engagement: Working with the Chief, ensure that the Office of the Executive Director and UNICEF senior leadership are equipped with the intelligence and information required to support foundation partnerships at the most senior levels within UNICEF. This includes providing regular updates on the Global Foundations Strategy and foundations portfolio to senior staff (particularly PFP leadership and the Deputy Executive Director, Partnerships).
5. Business analysis: Undertake and support financial and strategic analyses of foundations income, including projections and actuals, inform market-specific analyses and opportunities, and provide inputs on pertinent trends and influences on the foundations sector. Remain informed of key institutional priorities in order to position the Global Foundations team to proactively engage with existing and potential partners around such priorities.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development, law, social sciences, business or public administration, planning, or another relevant technical field related to the work of UNICEF.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of qualifying professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in a combination of the following is required: programme and project management and coordination and delivery, strategic planning, and capacity building, including at the international level.
• Excellent written, presentation, and oral communication skills are required.
• Field experience in programme delivery, human/child rights advocacy and/or UNICEF or other programmatic experience is required.
• Experience with or knowledge of foundations and foundation partnerships or other private sector partnerships is an asset.
• Experience working with partners/stakeholders at a senior level is an asset.

Language requirement:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) 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…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) are required.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.  

Remarks:

UNICEF’s Headquarter (HQ) office in Geneva is currently undergoing organizational changes which may lead to changing locations for some of the HQ positions currently based in Geneva. If a position that you are offered is currently linked to an HQ office in Geneva, it may change to a different location later during your appointment. If you are selected for a position based in a Geneva HQ office, you may be allowed to commence duties remotely until the identification of the new location is finalized. If reassigned or relocated to the Geneva HQ office before your office moves to a new location, you may be expected to relocate to a new location again.

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also 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 cancelled.

UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. 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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.