Overview
The Partnership Manager position's purpose is to deepen collaboration with key stakeholders and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence. The role ensures greater visibility for UNICEF, increased resources, and influence in support of its mission.
Key Responsibilities
- Supports senior management in establishing the annual work plan of the Partnership Unit, setting priorities/targets and performance measurements.
- Monitors work progress and ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards.
- Establishes clear individual performance objectives, goals and timelines for team members; and provides timely guidance to enable the team to perform their duties responsibly and efficiently.
- Leads the work plan for assigned area, to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s partnership strategy
- Seeks and promotes new partnerships and resource mobilization across a complex portfolio of public bilateral partners, international financial institutions, domestic and external private sector partners, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.
- Receives and screens inquiries from potential collaborators and facilitates communication with appropriate UNICEF staff.
- Scans and scouts external environment within designated partnership area for opportunities and risks and shares information in a timely fashion with relevant UNICEF staff.
- Provides strategic support to senior management and other UNICEF staff in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.
- Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a database of key contacts and to UNICEF’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization.
- Expands UNICEF’s network of key interlocutors to build stronger relationships between UNICEF and governments, other key-decision makers, regional development institutions, foundations, civil society organizations, international financial institutions, the private sector and/or other relevant constituencies.
- Develops and implements annual partnership engagement and resource mobilization strategy and plans.
- Acts as a focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, including on how to anticipate and respond to partners’ concerns and priorities, ensure that UNICEF’s interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes, and ensure that they are fully aware of UNICEF’s perspectives, policies, priorities and capabilities.
- Contributes to the development and management of initiatives for high-level outreach, including for UNICEF’s Senior Management.
- Contributes to the development of new partnership and resource mobilization practices and approaches by formulating recommendations for action based on on-going monitoring, analyzing current trends within designated partners and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.
- Contributes to the development of communications and advocacy products to enhance UNICEF’s visibility and influence existing and prospective partners and key stakeholders.
- Provides analysis of the current environment and trends and formulates recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.
- Works closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the programmes that UNICEF’s supports.
- Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision makers.
- Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.
Required Experience
A minimum of eight years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: resource mobilization, external relations, programme management, public affairs, or other relevant area.
Qualifications
An advanced university degree is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.
