Partnerships Specialist (Policy and Quality)

Overview

The Partnerships Specialist (Policy and Quality) is responsible for developing and managing UNOPS partnership policy, quality standards, and agreement frameworks to enhance global partnerships, ensure compliance, and support strategic growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage UNOPS policy and guidance on partnership agreements and modalities, including developing and updating guidance material, policies, processes, and resources.
• Conduct consultations, analyze, and draft revisions to UNOPS partnership policies and standards under legal guidance.
• Advise UNOPS offices on establishing new complex partnership agreements.
• Coordinate internally to ensure new agreements or revisions align with UNOPS policies and legislative framework.
• Serve as the focal point for advice and guidance on entering into framework, collaborative, or teaming agreements.
• Monitor existing global partnership agreements.
• Develop solutions and enablers to unlock new partnership modalities.
• Serve as a member of the Portfolio Oversight Committee (POC) Secretariat.
• Set and monitor technical quality standards for partner leadership and engagement.
• Work closely with personnel to ensure quality standards are understood, applied, and improved.
• Provide capacity development support for technical quality standards.
• Organize, facilitate, or deliver training and learning initiatives on partner policy and technical quality standards.
• Synthesize lessons learned and disseminate best practices.

Required Experience

Progressive experience in partnership development, policy development, or quality assurance within international or similarly complex organizations. Proven experience developing and managing policies, guidance, and knowledge products related to partnership agreements or comparable institutional frameworks. Experience advising senior stakeholders and partner-facing personnel on complex agreements, due diligence, and contract modality processes. Experience setting and monitoring technical quality standards and providing capacity development support. Experience of working in multicultural environments. Desired: Experience in development or humanitarian contexts. Experience of working in UN system organizations.

Qualifications

Required: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in economics, international development, business administration, public policy, development studies, or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience. Desired: Formal training or certification in policy development, partnerships, contract management, or quality assurance.

Other Details