Partnerships Specialist - Liaison (Retainer)

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. 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.

Reporting to the Partnerships Specialist, the Partnerships Specialist - Liaison (Retainer)  will be responsible for developing the strategic partnership with key partners in Malawi. The Partnerships Specialist - Liaison (Retainer) will work closely with the Kenya Multicountry Office (KEMC) Partnerships Development Office (PDO) in defining needs and matching partnering opportunities especially within the mandate of UNOPS. The incumbent will exercise a strong sense of diplomacy, articulate the operationalization of the sustainable development goals, understand policy and operations as well as represent the value of the organization in his/her personal interaction and communications.

Under the overall guidance of the Director of the Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMC), and in close coordination with the KEMC Partnerships Specialist, the Partnerships Specialist - Liaison (Retainer)  will be tasked to:

• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programs and draft concept notes, project proposals, budgets and legal agreements. 

• Initiate and/or participate in meetings with potential partners and ensure their systematic and timely follow-up.

• Contribute to the analysis, mapping and identification of potential opportunities with partners such as the UN agencies, governments, IFIs, intergovernmental organizations, foundations, NGOs, academia, think tanks and private sector.

• Liaise and coordinate with the KEMC Senior Management Team and the KEMC PDO team.

• Advise the KEMC Partnerships Specialist on opportunities for expanding the UNOPS portfolio with priority partners.

• Build a network of key partners, keeping abreast of evolving social, economic and political trends.

• Provide business intelligence and analysis on the strategic partners to support meetings, projects and negotiations.

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

Education

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

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

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years experience in development context or related fields is required.

• Minimum 2 years experience working in developing and implementing partnerships programmes is required.

• Minimum 2 years experience in developing countries and project implementation is required.

• Working experience in Malawi is an added advantage.

• Experience working with a development partner and donors in-country, is highly desirable.

• Working experience within the UN system, bi-/multilateral donors, including the EU, and/or an international organization is an added advantage.

• Skills in partnership building and project proposal development are essential.

• 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.

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)

• This is a local post. As such, it is only open to Malawi Nationals or persons with valid residence permits
• This position is based in a family duty station

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.

Background Information – Kenya Multi Country Office 

Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. The KEMCO sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and South Africa. This includes primarily transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple ‘operational’ projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and several island states.