Partnerships Officer

As of 1 July 2021, the UNOPS hosts the Centre for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) Secretariat. The CMI is a multi-partner knowledge initiative focused on exchanging ideas, discussing public policies, and identifying regional solutions to address critical challenges in the Mediterranean region. Founded in 2009 within the World Bank and based in Marseille, France, CMI is governed by its Oversight Committee composed of government, multi/bilateral agencies, and local authorities from the region, and responsible for CMI’s strategic direction, resources requirements and monitoring of the implementation of CMI’s annual work plan (see more information about CMI at https://www.cmimarseille.org).

The CMI has partnerships at its core. It is a unique institution gathering governments, international development institutions, local authorities, and civil society. Its value lies in the strength of its membership and partnerships, which create an efficient alliance for pushing for valuable policy reforms and achieving the development and change needed in the Mediterranean. In this framework, continuous efforts to expand and strengthen the CMI’s memberships and partnerships are required to build a stronger critical alliance in the Mediterranean region for policy reforms and the development transformation of the Mediterranean region and the strategic sustainability of the Center.

Among other objectives, the CMI aims to foster the socio-economic transformation of the region by promoting co-development and integration, including through human capital development and mobility. The programme’s main objective is to analyse how to promote socio-economic transformation by improving the quality of human capital and fostering mobility of knowledge and people. It focuses on the youth as the main asset and vehicle for change in the Mediterranean region, building human capital skills, and promoting the mobility necessary for Mediterranean countries to adapt to the changing nature of work and transform their economies.

The Partnership Officer will be part of the Partnership team and report to the CMI Director on strategic partnership and outreach planning, including the provision of policy direction and the management of current and prospective relationships with members and partners of the CMI. The Partnership Officer will also assist the Human Capital Senior Programme Manager in developing and implementing the Human Capital programme. The Partnership Officer will be responsible for supporting the execution, implementation, and delivery of activities about Human Capital projects; and for the coordination and follow-up with CMI members and partners to ensure the strengthening of relations with such stakeholders. 

The functions of the Partnership Officer will include:

• Substantively support membership and partnership strategy, including resource mobilization and advocacy activities

• Provide technical support to partnership projects and programme development, implementation, and management in the area of human capital. 

Support Partnership Strategy, including resource mobilization and advocacy activities.

• Provide proactive support to manage ongoing partnerships, including follow-up on exchanges and monitoring partner organizations' activities to identify synergies and potential for joint activities (events, networks, projects, etc.)

• Assist in managing relationships with current CMI’s Members, including contributing to the preparation of supporting documents for the CMI’s Oversight Committee (OC) meetings and preparing minutes of the OC meetings.

• Contribute to the identification process of potential partners and the development of new partnerships, including performing detailed desk research on potential partners and identifying opportunities for the development of new strategic alliances.

• Draft various written outputs, including correspondence, briefings, background papers, statements, talking points,  and presentations.

• Coordinate pre-and post-meeting briefings, proposals and presentations to current and potential members and partners 

• Support the preparation of memoranda of understanding and other agreements with members and partners. 

Assist with the Human Capital programme, including development, implementation, and management

• Support work programme and planned activities, as well as budget preparations related to the Human Capital programme and activities.

• Provide operational support to the programmes and activities concerning Human Capital activities.

• Ensure the implementation of the various partnership activities (joint events, participation in partners’ events, etc.), including proposing agenda topics, identifying speakers and participants, preparing background documents and presentations, mobilising resources, supporting logistics, etc.

• Prepare thematic budgets and prepare budget revisions as necessary.

• Contribute to the preparation of annual work plans and related sub-plans, as well as its timely implementation.

The Partnership Officer’s  practical and successful achievement of results includes contributions to the partnerships and fund raising of the Center, as well as implementing, and delivering activities concerning Human Capital activities and projects:.

• Improved engagements with current and potential members and partners. 

• Contributions to building partnerships in the human capital and mobility program.

• Research support in deepening the analysis in internationalization of education (policy dialogue on internationalization; participate in and organize regional events on internationalization, including the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference 2021).

a. Education 

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations, economics, development, social sciences or related discipline, or a Bachelor's Degree combined with two years of relevant experience in lieu of the master’s degree is required.

b. Work Experience 

Experience in development, partnership and human development fields.

• Excellent knowledge of members and partners in the Euro-Mediterranean region

• Familiarity with the Euro-Mediterranean institutional landscape

• Understanding of the various strategies to implement for each member, partner and donor, based on specificities of such stakeholders

• Ability to identify and leverage synergies

• Experience in organizing high-level international events

• Technical knowledge on Human capital issues

• Strong computer skills: must be competent in the use of Windows MS office programmes (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Google Workspace

c. Language 

Fluency in spoken and written English and French is required.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.