JOB DESCRIPTION

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, the right to grow up safe, healthy and educated.

UNICEF South Africa

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall direction of the Chief of Advocacy and Communication, the Partnerships Officer will be responsible for the development, planning, and implementation of private sector fundraising strategies and activities within South Africa Country Office, leveraging and securing partnerships with financial and non-financial support to UNICEF programmes in South Africa.

The objectives are to strengthen the strategic fundraising and leveraging planning at the national level, build local capacity and expertise in the office, liaise with UNICEF National Committees, manage and coordinate the UNICEF South Africa CEO Network, strengthen the SME strategy, introduce the Children Rights & Business principles to the corporate sector in South Africa, liaise with business networks on behalf of UNICEF, and support and advise on the Cause Framework campaigns implementation (as they relate to corporates).

The initial contract will be until 30th June 2026.

Key responsibilities:

• New Business Development

• Prospect Identification: Research and identify a list of prospects and actively reach out to them for opportunities that can lead to financial and non-financial support to UNICEF programme in South Africa. Develop the pipeline based on the prospects/opportunities and keep the pipeline updated.
• Build Strong Relationships: Understand prospects’ vision and strategy in business, CSR and phi-lanthropy and build an entry point to key decision makers within prospects whenever possible.
• Proposal Development: coordinate with internal teams, including programme sections, and National Committees (when the opportunities come from National Committees), to develop compelling proposals based on the partners’ interests and requests, as well as UNICEF’s programme needs.
• Pricing and Negotiation Strategy: strategically negotiate with the partners to secure more flexible, multi-year, multi-sectoral and diversified funding.
• Partnership Modality: Develop compelling and innovative modalities to work with different types of partners to leverage their resources to support UNICEF’s programme and expand funding streams.
• Agreement Signing: lead the agreement/MOU signing processes with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

• Key Account Management

• Develop an annual key account management plan for existing partners and track progress and partners’ satisfaction. And continuously seek out ways to improve partners” journey with UNICEF.
• Deeply understand the partners’ strategies and priorities, identifying key linkages with UNICEF programmes and campaigns.
• Arrange quarterly check-in calls with active partners, ensuring continuous alignment of expectations and providing feedback on key deliverables.
• Identify growth opportunities in existing and lapsed partners to mobilise additional resources from them.
• Lead the day-to-day execution of fundraising engagements and events.
• Record and manage all donor interactions and engagements on UNISON, including a record of proposals submitted and active leads being managed.
• Coordination and Communication.
• Coordinate with programme sections, UNICEF National Committees and partner organisations to ensure that proposals, reports, and submissions are managed effectively and timeously.
• Collect, coordinate and distribute information and updates across relevant internal and external stakeholders to provide account details and up-to-date accounts of relationship status.

• Coordination and Communication

• Coordinate with programme sections, UNICEF National Committees and partner organisations to ensure that proposals, reports, and submissions are managed effectively and timeously.
• Collect, coordinate and distribute information and updates across relevant internal and external stakeholders to provide account details and up-to-date accounts of relationship status.

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

Minimum requirements:

Professional Profile

• A minimum of one year of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public affairs, private sector partnership, stakeholder management, programme management, resource mobilization, fundraising and/or external relations.
• Two years in client-facing and/or account management function strongly preferred. Background with an NGO or an international organization is desirable

Education

• Bachelor”s degree required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications and marketing, international development, business science, or another relevant technical field.

Language Proficiency

• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English, working knowledge of other UN languages is a plus.
• Knowledge of any other national languages in South Africa is an asset.

Critical Skills and Experience Required: 

• Proven track record of building and maintaining long-term relationships.
• Experience in the creation of proposals, annual plans and budgets.
• Experience managing multi-stakeholder relationships and coordinating across internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven experience in organizing, facilitating and managing meetings and events.
• Strong personal and group presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to conduct research and sound policy and business analysis.
• Skill in the identification and establishment of new partnerships and fundraising opportunities.
• Good negotiation skills with experience across different cultures and educational backgrounds.
• Proven ability to write, draft, and edit letters, proposals, appeals, reports, acknowledgements, briefings, and donor correspondence for external supporters.
• Proven ability to deal with multiple tasks in a service-oriented manner with tight deadlines.
• Proficiency in the use of CRM software for the management of donor accounts and donor data.
• Familiarity with engaging philanthropic institutions and family foundations is highly preferred.

Key Competencies: 

• Building Trust — Delivers against objectives while working collaboratively across teams.
• Strategy and Execution — Creates a shared vision with accounts that includes the preparation of plans, budgets and activities that support these goals.
• Negotiation and Diplomacy — Addresses conflict and creates open, trusting relationships.
• Planning and Organizing — Accurately records details and timeously executes tasks.
• Stakeholder Management – Client-focused, happy to help, flexible attitude.

The initial contract will be until 30th June 2026.

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

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. 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 candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.]

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements