Partnerships Advisor (Humanitarian and Development Coordination)

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Bangladesh coordinates all UN entities to strengthen efficiency and effectiveness and support coherence of the UN system across the pillars of development, humanitarian and peacebuilding. In addition to the work to coordinate the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the UNRC is responsible for humanitarian coordination across UN agencies, NGOs, government and development partners. 

In this role, the UNRC co-leads the response for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, and co-chairs with the government the preparedness and response work to address the largescale climate-related and natural disasters that occur each year in Bangladesh. Additionally, the UNRC co-chairs the donor coordination for Bangladesh through the Local Consultative Group, which coordinates overall advocacy and provides a platform for policy alignment and resource mobilization across all areas of assistance to Bangladesh.

With over one million Rohingya refugees and a Joint Response Plan (JRP) appealing for US$934 million in 2025, ensuring close coordination across all partners is crucial. In 2024, Bangladesh experienced a major 

Cyclone and three successive flash floods that affected 18 million people country-wide, leading to development of a Humanitarian Response Plan for $134 million. In a reduced funding environment, the RCO is establishing a project to strengthen the link between humanitarian programmes in Bangladesh, and longer term resilience, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and livelihoods efforts via the Local Consultative Group (LCG) and including closer collaboration with partners such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. 

The UNOPS Bangladesh office is implementing a project to support the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO) in its humanitarian coordination and development liaison efforts. This project unit will collaborate closely with the UNRCO, the primary body for humanitarian and development coordination among donors and partners in Bangladesh. While the unit will report directly to UNOPS in Bangladesh, it will maintain a strong working relationship with the RCO.

Under the overall supervision of the Country Manager, the Partnerships Advisor works closely with the Head of the Resident Coordinators Office. Within the delegated authority, the Partnerships Advisor will be responsible for the following duties:

Coordination and Planning:

• Coordinate across stakeholders through the HCCT and Inter-cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) to support preparedness and response efforts related to climate-induced and natural disasters and the Rohingya response and work closely with RCO colleagues to strengthen the link to the broader sustainable development agenda.

• Act as a bridge between the stakeholders  to ensure donor funding is aligned with the UNSDCF, humanitarian response plans, and other strategic frameworks, maximizing impact and coherence.

• Organize Donor Coordination Forums: Plan and execute forums that bring together key stakeholders, facilitating information exchange, program updates, and feedback. These forums foster transparency, mutual understanding, and stronger working relationships among stakeholders.

• Lead the development of response plans and appeals, working closely with the Country Manager on the UNSDCF, and with the Inter-sector Coordination Group (ISCG) and access to humanitarian pooled funds, e.g. CERF.

Donor Relations and Engagement

• Support the Local Consultative Group (LCG): Actively contribute to the LCG, a platform for development dialogue that includes Development Partners, UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral organizations, international financial institutions, and the Government. Facilitate information sharing and support collaborative discussions on development effectiveness.

• Carry out donor relations and engagement through the Local Consultative Group (LCG) and linking the Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG) and Strategic Executive Group (SEG); Act as a liaison between the stakeholders on humanitarian response, preparedness and early warning and the link to resilience, early recovery, climate adaptation and the efforts of international financial institutions. Ensure effective communication channels, timely responses, and coordinated follow-up with stakeholders to foster strong, sustainable partnerships.

• Build and Sustain Strategic Partnerships: Cultivate and maintain close partnerships with a diverse range of donors, including bilateral and multilateral agencies, philanthropic foundations, and private sector partners. Regularly engage with these partners to explore areas of mutual interest, aligning development objectives with donor priorities to ensure continued support.

• Coordinate Regular Donor Briefings, Meetings, and Field Visits: Organize and facilitate briefings, in-person meetings, and field visits to update donors on program progress, impact, and challenges. This enhances transparency and strengthens trust by providing a direct understanding of how their contributions support development and humanitarian work.

Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

• Lead the Development of Resource Mobilization Strategies: Drive the creation of targeted strategies and actionable plans that outline fundraising priorities, ensuring these strategies are closely aligned with the UNSDCF and national priorities.

• Identify and Pursue Funding Opportunities: Conduct thorough research to identify new funding opportunities and develop proposals. Collaborate with programme teams to craft high-quality proposals that present compelling cases for support.

• Facilitate Effective Fund Disbursement: Act as the liaison between stakeholders to ensure funds are disbursed in a timely, efficient manner. Monitor the fund disbursement process to address any delays or bottlenecks, ensuring resources are available for prompt programme implementation.

• Produce a range of advocacy materials including briefing notes, talking points, speeches and presentations for partner audiences.

Monitoring, Reporting and Information Management

• Oversee Tracking and Reporting of Donor Contributions and response implementation: Manage systems for tracking donor contributions and financial commitments, ensuring accurate and up-to-date records. Regularly review these records to keep stakeholders informed of the current financial landscape.

• Prepare High-Quality Reports and Proposals: Draft or contribute to reports, briefing papers, case studies, policy documents, and presentations that effectively communicate programme impact and align with donor reporting requirements. Tailor these documents to clearly highlight the significance and outcomes of donor contributions.

• Ensure Compliance with Donor Requirements: Monitor all reporting activities to ensure compliance with donor requirements, including adherence to deadlines and specified formats. Collaborate with relevant teams to gather necessary information for timely, accurate report submission.

a. Education

• A master’s degree or equivalent in political science, social sciences, public administration, international studies, economics, engineering, earth sciences, or a related field is required.

• Candidates with a first-level university degree in one of the fields mentioned above, combined with substantial qualifying experience, may also be considered. 

b. Work Experience 

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in areas such as development programming, humanitarian coordination, strategic communications, resource mobilization, donor relations, or fundraising. This experience should reflect a proven ability to work within complex program environments, engage diverse stakeholders, and manage donor relations effectively.

• Previous experience with the United Nations, an international organization, or a large foundation is highly desirable. This background equips candidates with familiarity with multilateral processes, cross-sector collaboration, and the ability to navigate institutional dynamics within the UN system or similar environments.

c) Languages:

• Proficiency in both spoken and written English is essential for effective communication, drafting of reports, and engaging with stakeholders at all levels.

• Knowledge of another UN official language (e.g., French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, or Russian) or Bengali is considered an asset. Proficiency in additional languages enhances the ability to work in multilingual settings, facilitates communication with diverse stakeholders, and supports cross-cultural understanding in a global context.

• 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.