Partnerships Advisor

Job categories Partnerships

Vacancy code VA/2025/B5302/29931

Level ICS-11

Department/office AFR, WAMCO, West Africa MCO

Duty station Dakar, Senegal

Contract type International ICA

Contract level IICA-3

Duration Ongoing

Application period 26-Mar-2025 to 09-Apr-2025

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.

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Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS in West Africa

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. 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.

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 UNOPS office in Senegal has developed a strong working relation with the Governments of West Africa and international partners over the years. It provides technical support in strategic development areas including elections; procurement and related capacity building; environmental protection, as well as infrastructure rehabilitation and development.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the West Africa Multi Country Director, and in close coordination with the Regional Office and the Partnerships Group, the Partnerships Advisor is responsible for developing and implementing the partnership and programme development plan for the offices and countries managed by the Multi Country Director.

About the Role

The Partnerships Advisor is the senior Partnerships Development Lead for the Multi-Country Office managing and advising other partnerships officers and/or adjacent roles.

Reporting to and under the general guidance of the Multi-Country Office Director, the Partnerships Advisor is a member of the Office Senior Management Team and responsible for developing and implementing the sub-regional partnerships development strategy and donor and client coordination activities.

The Partnerships Advisor provides situation analyses, donor mapping and programme development in collaboration with UNOPS’s existing and potential partners, including national governments, the UN System, donors and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). In addition, they liaise with these and other relevant stakeholders to identify partnership opportunities for UNOPS, based on the organization’s mandate and role as part of the UN system.

Functional Responsibilities

Integrated Partnerships Development Strategy ...

Integrated Partnerships Development Strategy
Partnerships Development and Stakeholder Engagement
Partner Relations and Inter-Agency Collaboration
Monitoring and Reporting
Project Identification, Formulation and Support for Project Offices
Team/ Unit Leadership
Knowledge Management and Innovation

1. Integrated Partnerships Development Strategy

Under the direction of the Multi-Country Office Director, lead the development of a comprehensive partnerships development strategy in line with UNOPS’s Strategic Plan, the regional strategy and the Multi-Country Office Plan. This includes country context, analyses of the regional and national development and humanitarian landscape, identification of main partners, and strategic positioning of UNOPS in the potential operational niches identified while considering and recommending changes in in-house capacity, typology of projects and availability of internal tools and knowledge resources.
Advise Office Senior Management Team on implementation of the partnerships strategy.
Advise and support Office Senior Management Team throughout the project development planning process, including definition of high-priority partners, countries, sectors and service areas.
Research and analyze specific donor strategies, programming priorities and political situations in order to identify potential funding opportunities appropriate to UNOPS’s strategy and mandate.
Drive a disciplined approach across the partnership's functions to project and programme development which balances costs, risk, revenues and beneficiary impact within the mandate and spirit of the UN and UNOPS’ Pricing Policy.

2. Partnerships Development and Stakeholder Engagement

Lead the partnerships team to develop, extend and maintain strong partnerships with selected key partners, including governments, UN agencies, donors, foundations, NGOs, foundations, academia, and the private sector.
Work closely with the Head of Programme (HoP), Head of Support Services (HoSS), and Project/Programme Management Office (PMO) Manager to ensure new projects are developed by project managers and partnerships officers in tight coordination with programme and support services.
Develop and model the high standards of partnership positioning and development necessary to inspire and guide the partnerships officers in their work.
Work closely with communications to ensure the external positioning of UNOPS Office is aligned with the Office Strategy and Partnerships Plan.
Participate and lead in key partnership-building meetings and negotiations with donors and clients, ensuring that cost-effective and mutually beneficial terms are achieved for UNOPS’ services while ensuring systematic and timely follow-up on agreed actions.
Coordinate, advise, mentor and coach relevant partnerships and programme personnel at country, programme and project ensure aligned and coherent interactions with partners.
Connect and collaborate with other peer, regional and HQ levels of partnerships to stay in touch with good practices and share and build UNOPS capabilities in partnerships development.
Facilitate and/ or manage and lead meetings between Office management and key government representatives as and when required.
Plan and facilitate high-level meetings between UNOPS senior management and sub-regional/ country-level partners, including during key events such as conferences and other fora.
Support partners in examining available options for effective project implementation and achievement of results while promoting national ownership.
Showcase the Office’s capabilities and set Office standards for developing and distributing corporate communication materials, capacity statements and success stories which enhance clients’ understanding of the impact of various services provided and/ or delivered by UNOPS.

3. Partner Relations and Inter-Agency Collaboration

As delegated, participate in meetings with senior government counterparts on behalf of UNOPS and represent the Multi-Country Director in meetings and negotiations with partners as required.
Participate in inter-agency planning and cluster meetings for the UN System development and humanitarian plans.
Contribute at the sub-regional/ country level to the harmonization of policies, practices and approaches within the UN System, including the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

4. Monitoring and Reporting

Ensure programmes/ projects developed are in line with the Results Based Management (RBM) principles.
Ensure partnerships projects and programmes are developed with appropriate monitoring and evaluation frameworks that allow for effective oversight and evaluation of impact.
Collaborate with Project Managers to formulate the project results frameworks and establish measurable long- and short-term targets for performance monitoring.
Ensure up-to-date/ informative/ accurate reports are prepared and submitted on time related to partnerships development across the Office
Lead the Office design and roll-out of internal feedback mechanisms which provide insights for continuously improving the form and content of partner outreach and project development activities.
Develop and lead the set-up of tracking systems for tracking partnerships development and progress.

5. Project Identification, Formulation and Support for Project Offices

Support and guide partnership officers in the Project Offices in researching and assessing the stakeholder landscape to identify priority themes and opportunities.
Support Project Offices and partnerships officers on various activities/ deliverables that help take potential partnerships forward, including drafting concept notes, preparing project proposals, producing other relevant knowledge products, and participating in negotiations on new projects and programmes with key partners.
Provide inputs and suggestions across all aspects related to the project formulation phase and analyze implementation approaches for soundness, sustainability, gender mainstreaming, feasibility, resource availability and cost implications.

6. Team/ Unit Leadership

Lead and motivate the partnerships team members, ensuring relevant information and communication flows on all partnerships development opportunities and portfolio development and with other departments/ units.
Provide coaching, training and development of partnerships officers to enhance their skills and capacity
Provide leadership in the standard setting of proposal writing, develop systems of quality control and collaboration
Be prepared to develop and manage critical projects as the project manager while necessary before and after start-up depending on the requirements of the Office
Collaborate with the Head of Support Services and Head of Programme and Support Units to ensure focus on client satisfaction while taking quality and innovation into consideration.
Collaborate closely with Country Managers in the development and execution of their local partnerships strategy
Ensure that individual performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely.
Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance of discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abusements.
Coordinate the work of the PU through the preparation of its work plan and the establishment of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Develop and ensure implementation of the unit’s annual work plans and targets.

7. Knowledge Management and Innovation

Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to effectively manage partnership and project development within the team, thereby enhancing and/ or maintaining UNOPS’ effectiveness as a provider of project services for sustainable results.
Contribute to the ongoing global research, development and implementation of best practice and innovative approaches to maximize performance and sustain achievements in project and partnerships development, including the re-design and / or localisation of tools, templates, dashboards, processes and systems for Office partnerships management.
Help build partnerships capacity and negotiation skills among project managers, partnerships officers and country managers.
Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building within project and partnerships development.
Provide regular feedback on existing systems, tools and resources to ensure relevance to day-to-day operations.

Impact of results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Partnerships Advisor impacts on the performance of the Multi-Country Office by maintaining a robust and diverse pipeline of project opportunities, which leads to sustainable growth of the UNOPS’ presence and strengthens the achievements of UNOPS management results and the fulfilment of its mandate.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and ex...

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Business...

Contract type, level and duration

Type d'engagement: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA) ou Local...

Additional Information

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. Applic...

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.

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TOGETHER, WE BUILD THE FUTURE

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.

Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

We are proud of our people. The UNOPS family brings together approximately 160 nationalities, represented by over 5,000 UNOPS personnel as well as some 7,800 personnel recruited on behalf on our partners. Spread across 80 countries, our workforce is rich in diversity and culture – with inclusion at its core.

We understand the importance of balancing professional and personal demands and offer several flexible working options.

Explore what we offer here.