Partnerships Intern

Based in Dakar, UNOPS Hub for West Africa oversees projects and operations in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal. The hub covers a large geographic scope including Benin, Burkina Faso , Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania,Togo and also some English-speaking countries that are ,Nigeria,Liberia,Sierra Leone Gambia in addition to those above mentioned.

The hub has developed a strong working relation with the Governments and international development partners over the last decades. We support our partner in key development areas such as infrastructure rehabilitation and development; project management; capacity development and management services such as procurement and human resources.

Partnerships Unit (PU)

The Partnerships unit (PU) has been established to expand our presence in the sub-region, grow WAMCO’s project and programme portfolio and develop strategic partnerships for the region. The Partnerships Unit coordinates, supports and monitors the development of the portfolio.

The Unit reports directly to the Hub Director serving as an interface between the project centers and the Operational Hub.

1. Duties and Responsibilities 

The Partnerships intern will work in the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) based in Dakar and will report to the Partnerships Specialist. The West Africa Multi -Country Office covers francophone and English-speaking countries. He/She will support the Partnerships Unit by conducting research on donors and market trends, supporting the implementation of the Communications Plan in order to increase the visibility of UNOPS in the sub-region by communicating on our results and activities, and by providing administrative support to the development and finalization of project documents, including but not limited to project descriptions, budgets, legal accords, gender action plans and risk registers.

The incumbent will be responsible for the following specific tasks:

External Communication 

• Support the update of the Hub Communication Plan based on the organizational Communication Strategy and the Partnerships outreach strategy

• Support the preparation of external communication materials customized for target key audiences such as donors, UN agencies, governments, foundations, NGOs, civil society and private sector for effective outreach among existing and potential partners 

• Develop contents, presentations, correspondence, briefings, talking points and all other external communication material including content for social media 

• Support ensuring that the achievements of the Hub’s outstanding projects are properly captured in the right communication formats for external outreach purpose 

• Support Partner Surveys and resulting action plans 

Knowledge Management 

• Ensure that organizational systems are updated and populated frequently including the internal Partnerships Unit Google Drive

• When needed, provide regular reports on business acquisition pipeline to the Partnerships Specialist

• When needed, take minutes at internal and/or external meetings, providing action points for follow-up

• Liaise with the Communications and Partnerships colleagues in Headquarters as well as project communication focal points as necessary 

Business intelligence 

• Conduct analysis and mapping of donor priorities, areas of focus and geographical priorities as well as national country strategies 

• Prepare business/market analysis reports for major donors and countries in the region to support the development of new engagements opportunities 

• Research events, publications and announcements, to track and screen opportunities for possible UNOPS interventions and identify trends that will drive partnership opportunities 

Partnerships and Project development 

• Support the Hub’s efforts in liaising with potential donors, funding partners, agencies and institutions 

• Participate in meetings with potential partners and ensure their systematic and timely follow-up

• Support in the development of project-related documents including project descriptions, budgets, legal accords, risk registers and gender action plans

• Liaise with AFR Regional Office and Headquarters as needed to assure clearances are obtained in order to finalize engagements and move to implementation of projects

• Perform other related duties as required.

2. Functional competencies

• Researching, writing and editing content that is clear, concise and effectively conveys key messages to target audiences 

• Detail focused and ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline oriented environment 

• Knowledge the usage of software packages for publication such as Adobe Creative Suite – especially InDesign, Photoshop or other relevant products commonly used

1. Academic qualifications 

To be eligible the applicants must be pursuing a university degree such as a Bachelors, Masters or a PhD in Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Project Management, Communications, Business Administration, Marketing or other relevant areas or be a recent graduate from such studies (within the last 3 years)

2. Language Skills

Fluency in French and English (written and spoken) is required

3. Computer Literacy

Knowledge of G Suite is an asset but not required

4. Experience

While no prior work experience is required the following experience is highly desirable some professional experience is desirable either in the private or public sector, in areas such as:

• Management 

• Research 

• Project Management 

• Proposal and project development 

• Data analysis 

• Marketing 

• Consulting 

• Partnership Development

• Resource Mobilization

• 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.