Senior Advisor Partnership & Advocacy – P5

Background

The Joint SDG Fund supports countries as they accelerate their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It operates through joint programmes (JPs) that provide the mechanism for transformative solutions implemented by governments and national stakeholders and supported by the UN Country Team led by Resident Coordinators (RCs). Strategic direction for the Fund is provided by the Strategic Advisory Group chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General as the chair of UN Sustainable Development Group, with Fund’s five largest donor countries and seven program countries. The Fund is managed by the Operational Steering Committee, comprised of representatives of UN entities, and with the support from the Secretariat of the Fund. The UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) hosts the Fund and provides for the alignment with the broader UN Development System reforms. The Administrative Agent of the Fund, in charge of financial management, is the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF-O). Official documents (e.g. Terms of Reference and Operational Guidance) of the Fund and information on funding can be found on the Gateway portal.

To advance the dual mandate of supercharging the UN Development System reform to be fit for purpose and, in turn, supporting the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Fund incentivizes coherent and coordinated joint UN action, anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks at country level under the leadership of Resident Coordinator (RC). Serving as the catalytic funding to piece together emerging policy priorities and financing strategies, the Fund aims to galvanize the UN Country Teams around integrated policies and identify the fiscal space to overcome the political and financial hurdles to scale and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

Position Purpose:

The key objective of this position is to support the engagement with Joint SDG Fund donors, including Spain, which aims to increase its budgetary support to funds, programmes, and other UN bodies aligned with the support of the SDG Stimulus package announced by the UN Secretary-General.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead on donor relations, resource mobilization and advocacy

• Lead resource mobilization and advocacy efforts for continued and new contributions with Member States, while also engaging with other stakeholders.
• Draft donor-related documents, proposals, correspondence, and reports in coordination with the Head of the Joint SDG Fund and the rest of the team.
• Develop solicitation strategies and maintain relations with Member States to ensure continued engagement and funding.
• Support knowledge management and contributions monitoring.
• Effectively plan and manage the work undertaken by the Resource Mobilization team, ensuring that activities are carried out in a timely fashion with good internal coordination within the group.
• Manage, guide, develop, and train other team members, foster teamwork and communication among team members in the Fund and across organizational boundaries.
• Represent the Joint SDG Fund at meetings, seminars, etc., on resource mobilization with Member States and related partnership initiatives/issues.
• Participate in international, regional, or national meetings and hold discussions with representatives of other institutions on behalf of the team.
• Develop and implement a multi-year resource mobilization strategy, including how the Fund can support strategic goals to achieve sustainable funding targets among other Member States.
• Stay updated on the latest donor and funding trends, actively engage with peers to solicit best practices in fundraising and resource mobilization and adapt these practices for the Joint SDG Fund as appropriate. Adapt the strategy as necessary and monitor and report results against it.
• Map and analyze funding opportunities with current and new public sector donors, including development finance institutions. Identify key milestones and timelines to approach donors and collaborate with the Head of the Joint SDG Fund to develop pitches and key messages.
• Identify and implement advocacy opportunities that can help mobilize additional funding. Coordinate, oversee, and provide guidance and quality control for the preparation of funding proposals to donors. Ensure effective follow-up and reporting to donors, as required. Ensure maximum donor recognition and demonstrate the impact of funding.

Manage Member State technical support and communication

• Support colleagues of the Joint SDG Fund Secretariat’s engagement with the Strategic Advisory Group, formed by Member States (Spain, Sweden, the EU, the Netherlands, Germany, plus Egypt, Kenya, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Chile, Uzbekistan), as well as the Operational Steering Committee (UNDP, UNICEF, ILO, FAO, UN Women, UNEP, ITU, ECA, UNGC, MPTF-O), and other United Nations entities as required, to strengthen the Fund’s partnership with Member States and the UN system.
• Review communication pieces, including key messages, high-level briefs, and presentations, in coordination with the Development Coordination Office (DCO) and the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General, targeting Member States.
• Monitor and advise on Member States’ positions on issues relevant to the Joint SDG Fund in various UN fora, including the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Spain, ECOSOC, General Assembly, and other specialized meetings.
• Coordinate and lead technical-level preparatory meetings and processes for UN senior leadership’s engagement in meetings relevant to the Joint SDG Fund, and visits to partner Member States.

Ensure strengthened strategic alliance and coordination with major donors and Member States

• Organize and participate in visits to major donors and ensure participation in multiple events.
• Manage donor relationships with major donors in collaboration with concerned officers/staff, ensuring regular coordinated contact with donors. Facilitate the promotion of cooperation agreement strategies and operational alliances with donors.
• Contribute to maximizing the impact of the Joint SDG Fund by consolidating and establishing relevant institutional and financial partnership with major donors. Develop partnership agreements, project proposals, and reports aimed at mobilizing additional resources. Organize exhibitions and pledging events and maintain communication with major donors and other existing and potential partners.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

• Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of the Fund Secretariat, the Senior Advisor (Advocacy & Partnership), the incumbent, will be supervising Resource Mobilization Specialist through related duties and functions.

Competencies

Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)

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.

People Management:

• UNDP People: Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competences:

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

Partnership Management – Resource mobilization

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Business Direction & 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.

UN System Affairs – Intergovernmental affairs

• Knowledge of intergovernmental bodies (General Assembly, ECOSOC, UNDESA, etc.), including respective mandates, ways of working, and negotiation processes

External Relations and Advocacy – Public relations

• Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organization, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public

Business Management – Results-based Management

• Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

Business Management – Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment.
• Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Foreign Affairs, Business Management and Economics, Social Sciences, Management Science or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in government and international organizations, with management responsibilities is required.
• At least five years of working with international donors, bilateral donors, and/or the UN development system is required.
• Proven track record in advocacy for resource mobilization involving a variety of stakeholders in different contexts is required.
• Demonstrated experience in managing external stakeholder relationships, including donor and implementing partner relationships is required.
• Solid experience and demonstrated results in managing teams, leading inter-agency operations, and establishing partnerships, resource management, and negotiations is a strong asset.
• Prior experience in resource mobilization and/or program management is a strong asset.
• Professional experience within governmental domains of development coordination at capital or mission levels, enhancing coherence and supporting successful program implementation, particularly for sustainable development outcomes is desirable.
• Knowledge of and previous experience with UN Pooled Financing Mechanisms, including Fund Secretariats is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian) is desirable.).

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

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