Partnerships Specialist

UNOPS has been present in Bangladesh since 2003. In 2014 UNOPS established as formal representation as a response to the UNOPS Executive Board in order to provide more substantial support to the Government of Bangladesh and other clients in the different areas focusing to Resilient Infrastructure Approach, Program & Project Management, Fund Management, Procurement, Human Resources, Financial Management  emphasizing on building national capacities, improving resilience of communities with a view of contributing to the implementation of the SDGs.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Country Manager , and in close coordination with the Regional Office and the Partnerships Group, the Partnerships Specialist is responsible for developing and implementing the partnership and programme development plan for the office  or the HQ Partnerships Group.  This may also include new countries where UNOPS is planning to initiate or broaden operations. 

The Partnerships Specialist will be responsible for the following substantive activities which can be expanded by the supervisor as and when required. 

1. Partnership and programme development planning

2. Development and follow up of partnership opportunities

3. Representation, inter-agency collaboration and partnership development

4. Knowledge management and innovation

• Develop a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan in line with UNOPS Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies. This  includes country context, analysis of the regional and national development and humanitarian landscape, identification of main partners, strategic positioning of UNOPS in the potential operational niches identified, as well as grow a pipeline opportunities for  the Country Office. Ensure plan reflects in-house capacity, typology of projects and the internal tools and knowledge resources. 

• Examine risks and opportunities presented by the strategic positioning of the Country office and propose appropriate responses to ensure sustainable growth.

• Coordinate and collaborate with relevant Partnerships personnel at local, liaison and HQ level, as well as Project Managers and project personnel of the country offices covered by the office, to ensure aligned and coherent interactions with partners.

• Monitor and evaluate humanitarian and development trends and needs to identify areas of collaboration within UNOPS mandate and existing capacity. 

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

• Provide advice and feedback to UNOPS HQ and Regional Office on the development of framework partnership agreements that can increase opportunities at the regional level.

• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programs and draft concept notes and project document briefs for discussion with partners.

• Create and maintain oneUNOPS opportunities and engagement functionalities in alignment with UNOPS corporate guidelines. 

• Coordinate technical and financial requirements, and negotiate proposals to close new project opportunities.

• Drafts agreements and/or contractual documents required for the signature and implementation of new projects.

• Understand and clearly explain UNOPS pricing policy to partners.

• Contribute to the diversification of the Country Office in line with UNOPS strategic and Regional objectives. 

• In coordination with the Communications and Reporting personnel, when available, gather content for communications and outreach materials for any countries managed within the scope of the UNOPS office or by the Partnerships Group.

• Establish and further develop partnerships with UN agencies, international organisations, governments, foundations, international NGOs and private sector organisations to diversify project opportunities within the Country Office.

• Undertake advocacy, public information and communication activities in collaboration with the Communications Officer, when required.

• On behalf of the Country Office Manager and/or Head of Programme, participate in and report on the relevant inter-agency, donor and government coordination meetings including addressing project development issues in consultation with UNOPS project managers and technical experts when required. Take part in UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analysis, UNDAF, response plans, etc.

• Build a network of key partners, keeping abreast of evolving trends (social, economic, and political), including the application of innovation to project and partnership development.

• Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to effectively manage partnership and project development within the team to enhance/maintain UNOPS effectiveness as a provider of project services for sustainable results.

• Contribute to the ongoing research, development and implementation of best practice and innovative approaches to maximise performance and sustain achievements in project and partnership development. 

• Help build partnerships capacity and negotiation skills among project managers 

• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building within project and partnership development. 

• Provide regular feedback on existing systems, tools and resources to ensure its relevance to day-to-day operations.

Impact of Results:

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Partnerships Specialist impacts on the performance of the / 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 fulfillment of its mandate.    

a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Engineering, Political Science, Communications or International Relations.

• A combination of Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above     

b. Work Experience 

• At least 5 years of experience in an international development including demonstrated experience in:

• Developing and executing partnership and programme development plans;

• Project development and proposal writing;

• Acquisition of projects;  

• Project and programme management experience is an asset

• Establishing partnerships with UN agencies, international development organisations, governments, foundations, international NGOs or private sector organisations.

• Prior experience working in international organisations, international development, post-disaster and/or emergency contexts would also be an advantage.

c. Language Requirements:

• Full working knowledge of English is essential. 

• Fluency in one or more additional official UNOPS languages and/or Bangla is an advantage.    

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement
Contract level: IICA 2
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

• 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 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 (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. 

UNOPS offers a variety of arrangements that enable women to excel in their careers, including flexible working hours for work-life balance, maternity leave, childcare facilities, and career coaching. UNOPS ensures a safe and inclusive working environment for women and men through field security training and measures to provide secure working arrangements  on-site and in the office.