Partnerships Specialist

The Partnerships Specialist develops and implements partnership and programme development plans for the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO). The role focuses on building and maintaining effective working relationships with governments, UN agencies, donors and other stakeholders to mobilize resources, expand the office’s portfolio, and strengthen the UNOPS positioning as a reliable development and implementation partner.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan aligned with the UNOPS Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies.
• Analyze the country context and regional and national development landscape, identifying key partners, and positioning UNOPS strategically within potential operational niches.
• Examine risks and opportunities related to the strategic positioning of office(s) and recommend appropriate measures to ensure sustainable growth.
• Coordinate and collaborate with relevant Partnerships personnel at global, regional, national and liaison levels, as well as Country and Project Managers and project teams, to ensure coherent and aligned interactions with partners.
• Monitor and analyze humanitarian and development trends to identify areas of collaboration aligned with UNOPS’ mandate and capacity.
• Research and track events, publications and announcements to screen opportunities and identify emerging trends that can drive new partnerships.
• Advise UNOPS HQ, Africa Regional Office and the MCO Senior Management Team on the development of framework partnership agreements to expand opportunities at the regional level.
• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programmes, including drafting concept notes, project briefs and project agreements for partner discussions.
• Support development of project amendments in partnership with the programme team.
• Manage and maintain partnership opportunities and engagement records in oneUNOPSProjects and Opportunity+, ensuring alignment with corporate guidelines.
• Coordinate technical and financial inputs, and lead negotiations to finalize new project proposals.
• Draft budgets, agreements and contractual documents as required for the approval and implementation of new projects.
• Clearly communicate UNOPS pricing policies and value proposition to partners.
• Support the diversification of the office portfolio in line with UNOPS' strategic, regional and country objectives.
• Collaborate with Communications and Reporting colleagues to gather content for outreach materials.
• Establish and strengthen partnerships with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, foundations, NGOs and private-sector actors to diversify project opportunities.
• Lead or support advocacy, public information, and communication initiatives in collaboration with the Communications team, as required.
• Participate in inter-agency, donor, and government coordination forums, providing updates on project development issues in consultation with UNOPS project managers and technical experts.
• Contribute to UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analyses, UNSDCF, and response plans.
• Build and maintain a strong network of key partners, stay informed about social, economic, and political trends, and leverage innovation to strengthen project and partnership development.
• Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to strengthen partnership and project development within the team.
• Contribute to research, development and application of best practices and innovative approaches that maximize performance and ensure long-term impact in project and partnership development.
• Build partnership capacity and negotiation skills among Project Managers, enabling stronger engagement with stakeholders.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing by contributing to the dissemination of lessons learned and best practices in project and partnership development.
• Provide regular feedback on systems, tools and resources to strengthen their effectiveness and ensure continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 5 years of relevant experience is required.
• Relevant experience is work in international development, involving execution of partnership and programme development plans, project development and proposal writing, establishment of partnerships with UN agencies, international development organizations, governments, foundations or private-sector organizations, or related areas.
• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is required.
• At least 2 years of experience in team management and supervision is required.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
• Experience in project and programme management is a considerable advantage.
• Fluent English language proficiency is required.
• Fluent French language proficiency is required.

Skills

• Partnership Development
• Program Development
• Project Development
• Proposal Writing
• Partnership Establishment
• Multicultural Environment Experience
• UN System Experience
• Team Management
• Team Supervision
• Project Management
• Programme Management

Languages

English, French