Partnership Senior Officer

Background: 

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

Background - job specific

In Ukraine, UNOPS support to the partners in their reform agenda since 2017 spans the rule of law, social protection, housing, demining, emergency response and security. The projects are funded by the World Bank, EU, the Governments of Denmark, Japan and other donors.

All projects have gender equality as a transversal theme, and have been contextualised within the broader Sustainable Development Goals frameworks and objectives.

Following the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022, Martial law and a state of war were introduced in Ukraine and the general mobilisation of all Ukrainian males between 18 and 60 years old was ordered, while the Ukrainian airspace was closed to civilian users. The UNOPS immediately launched its Emergency Procurement Procedure (EPP) to enable a faster response to requirements related to the crisis. The EPP provided flexibility in procurement procedures while still ensuring adherence to essential public procurement principles. 

In 2023, UNOPS concluded Host Country Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Moldova and in 2025 launched its first project on the Reconstruction of the Penitentiary in Chisinau. UNOPS is holding discussions with the Government of Moldova to support it in its work to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and implement reforms on the EU accession path, with a particular focus on infrastructure in both technical assistance and implementation. 

Under the overall guidance of the UAMCO Partnership Specialist  and in coordination with the UNOPS Head of Programme, the incumbent is supporting a variety of regional programmatic activities, supporting the UAMCO team, with high quality and accuracy of work. The Partnerships Senior Officer will be in charge of implementing the partnerships and programme development plan.

• Country Engagement Work Support

• Information Management

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) international relations, international development, economics, finance, administration or a related field is required.

• Bachelor degree in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

• A minimum of 2 years (4 years for a bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in international cooperation, communications, partner or client relationships, business development and/or market analysis. 

• Demonstrated excellent research and analysis skills related to partner/business development in an international setting is highly desirable; 

• Prior experience in a developing country is highly desirable; 

• Experience with international organizations or working with donors such as the World Bank or the US Government is considered as a strong asset.

• Fluency in English and Romanian is required.

Contract type: ICA
Contract level: Local ICA Specialist 
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.