Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Financing Advisor

The Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Financing Advisor will lead the transformation of the Regional Office's Partnerships and Resource Mobilization function into an integrated platform to maximize influence, mobilize diverse resources, and advance UNFPA’s mandate at regional and country levels. The role involves strategic partnership building, donor diversification, innovative financing, advocacy, and capacity building to support the achievement of the UNFPA Strategic Plan outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Reposition and reprofile the regional partnerships function to integrate financing, advocacy, and visibility objectives to achieve programmatic results.
• Conduct risk assessments for potential partnerships and identify mitigation measures to sustain operations.
• Ensure coherent messaging and coordinated engagement with governments, parliamentarians, international financial institutions, private sector, and civil society.
• Strengthen UNFPA’s influence in regional intergovernmental bodies, networks, and forums to advance ICPD commitments and social norm change.
• Expand engagement with governments, parliaments, international financial institutions, especially Islamic financing, private sector actors, and civil society.
• Develop a coalition of partners/donors supporting sectoral responses to UNFPA Strategic Plan outcomes.
• Provide high-level advice to Regional SMT on partnership trends, risks, and opportunities including funding foresight mapping.
• Act as regional liaison with Headquarters divisions to ensure coherence between global and regional strategies.
• Coordinate regional contributions to global partnership and financing dialogues.
• Provide technical guidance and support to Country Office focal points on partnerships, resource mobilization, and financing.
• Build capacity of Country Office staff through training, mentoring, workshops, and communities of practice.
• Lead design and execution of regional strategies for donor diversification targeting non-traditional donors, private philanthropy, IFIs, and emerging economies.
• Identify and pursue innovative financing opportunities including blended finance, impact investment, and climate or demographic dividend financing.
• Forge partnerships with regional development banks, sovereign wealth funds, and other financial actors to leverage new resources.
• Support Country Offices in structuring and scaling innovative financing initiatives and diversifying donor base.
• Enhance the region’s ability to mobilize resources, build multi-stakeholder coalitions, and amplify programmatic impact.
• Provide technical support and capacity-building to Country Offices on resource mobilization, donor engagement, and strategic advocacy.
• Oversee donor reporting and communications ensuring high-quality advocacy and visibility products.
• Track financing trends and advise senior leadership on emerging opportunities.
• Capture, package, and disseminate lessons learned and best practices on partnerships, financing, and advocacy.
• Develop guidance, tools, and training materials for Country Offices on engaging governments, parliaments, private sector, and innovative financing actors.
• Mentor and strengthen capacity of partnerships and communications staff across the region.
• Deploy digital platforms and data-driven tools to expand financing opportunities.
• Identify innovative financing mechanisms relevant to demographic dividend, SRHR, and gender equality.
• Promote innovative, tech-enabled approaches to coalition-building and advocacy.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in economics, finance, business administration, international relations, public policy, or another relevant field.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in partnerships, resource mobilization, or financing in international development.
• Intimate knowledge of and experience in working with Islamic financing.
• Proven experience in working systematically with the private sector and philanthropic organizations in the region.
• Experience in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated expertise in innovative financing and donor diversification.
• Track record in high-level external engagement and political advocacy.
• Experience leveraging digital technologies and tools for partnerships or financing desirable.
• UN system or multilateral experience an asset.
• Fluency in English and Arabic required.
• Knowledge of another UN language an asset.

Skills

• Partnership Development
• Resource Mobilization
• Innovative Financing
• Islamic Financing
• Private Sector Engagement
• Philanthropic Organization Collaboration
• Donor Diversification
• Policy Advocacy
• Digital Technologies for Financing
• Strategic Partnership Development
• High-level External Engagement
• Capacity Building
• International development finance

Languages

English, Arabic