New Strategic Partnerships Specialist (Open to Tier 0, 1 and 2 applicants)

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries. For six decades, and in some 170 countries and territories, UNDP has shaped the progress of human development, providing integrated support at scale to improve lives for millions of people worldwide. UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2026-2029) helps countries and communities in their progress towards high human development while protecting the planet through four strategic objectives - prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience, and healthy planet. The plan is powered by three accelerators: digital and AI transformation; gender equality; and sustainable finance. All are underpinned by a commitment to human rights and to leaving no one behind.

The Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), leads and supports UNDP to build and deliver essential strategic relationships and alliances. It creates and delivers a strong public narrative about the organization, impact of our work, and how we align with partners to identify and build solutions towards achieving sustainable development. The Bureau also leads UNDP’s work with traditional donors, as well as building innovative and diversified funding relationships. BERA communications enable strong political and financial backing by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and services reinforce global, regional, and national development priorities.

The New Strategic Partnerships Team within the Partnerships Group (Member States) of BERA, in collaboration with UNDP’s Global Policy Network (GPN), Bureau of Management (BMS), Regional Bureaux (RBx) and country offices, builds and manages strategic partnerships principally with Member States (non-DAC), but also other partners in the Global South, with the aim of protecting and strengthening UNDP’s core and flexible resource base. The team provides political analysis and partner intelligence to position the organization and regularly advises its senior leadership and key partner governments. The team also builds networks and partnerships with a “whole of UNDP” approach to deepen partnerships and expand non-core resources for the organization within the framework of the Corporate Resource Mobilization Strategy.

Position Purpose

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Team Leader, New Strategic Partnerships, the Partnerships Specialist will support the implementation of UNDP’s New Strategic Partnerships (NSP) Strategy, including the implementation of work plans, strategic monitoring of targets, resource mobilization monitoring, communications, and knowledge management, among other areas. Implementation of the NSP Strategy will be carried out in close coordination with regional and global teams to align partners' interests with UNDP priorities. In his/her role, the Partnerships Specialist will work cross-functionally with members of the Partnerships Group to facilitate and advance partnership opportunities and engagements that aim at strengthening relationship building, monitoring, reporting, intelligence gathering, visibility and communication, and knowledge management.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks and crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated and systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Partnership Development, Portfolio Management and Strategic Analysis

• Provide substantive contributions to the design and implementation of partner engagement strategies and action plans, including definition of priorities, objectives, and KPIs across the assigned portfolio.
• Synthesize and analyze intelligence, including qualitative and quantitative data, to identify and assess trends, political and socio-economic contexts, in support of ongoing and new partnership opportunities.
• Manage regular, proactive engagement with partners within the portfolio, providing analytical inputs and strategic advice to senior management and internal and external counterparts.
• Facilitate partner positioning by collaborating closely with the Communications Group and the Strategy, Projections, Analysis and Corporate Engagement (SPACE) team in BERA and other relevant units to shape outreach and visibility materials that reinforce UNDP’s mandate and value proposition.

Support to Core and Non-Core Resource Mobilization and Strategic Engagement

• Facilitate the implementation of structured partner engagements, including preparation and follow-up of Annual Consultations and other high-level dialogues.
• Formulate analytical inputs on partners priorities, funding trends, and financing modalities to advise on strategic targeting and maximize resource mobilization opportunities.
• Monitor and evaluate core and non-core resource mobilization trends, including the systematic monitoring and reporting of programme or project initiatives/opportunities in UNITY (Quantum +) to facilitate informed decision-making, reporting briefs/updates and general portfolio oversight.
• Catalyze the diversification efforts of non-DAC partners in line with the Funding Windows Resource Mobilization strategy including preparations of new financing agreements.
• Serve as the BERA focal point to coordinate and manage knowledge, analytical tools, and technical guidance in support of government development financing (GDF) strategies and implementation.

Coordination and Institutional Interface

• Identify and coordinate the development and implementation of communications, advocacy and visibility initiatives/products in close coordination with the Communication Group, other teams in the Partnership Group and relevant Bureaux, ensuring strategic positioning and visibility of partners’ interests/priorities, contributions and results.
• Operationalize MOU and partnership framework processes, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and partner expectations.
• Provide technical inputs to funding analyses, partnership risk assessments, and the appraisal of emerging opportunities.
• Facilitate internal coordination across BERA teams, Regional Bureaux, and thematic units within Central Bureaux, including support to crisis response and time-sensitive partner engagements.
• Promote and execute integrated ways of working within a distributed organizational model to ensure seamless delivery across global locations.

Capacity building and knowledge- sharing in partnerships building

• Design and deliver partnership and resource mobilization capacity building materials and training with respect to specific portfolio of partners.
• Enhance UNDP’s partner knowledge repository through enhancements of relevant databases, resource mobilization toolkits, and other relevant tools for outreach for partner engagement.
• Codify and disseminate lessons learned from partner engagements to foster continuous improvement across teams and units.
• Provide strategic support for high-level corporate events and initiatives as required.

Perform other duties within the incumbent’s functional profile as assigned by the direct supervisor, to support the efficient functioning of the office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Competencies

• Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

• Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy-System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management-Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Business Management-Communication: Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Business Development-Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and groups , internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

Partnership Management-Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding: Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.

Partnership Management-Resource mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Partnership Management-Relationship management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, International Affairs, Political Science, Public Policy or any related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of master´s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) or relevant work experience in partnerships development, resource mobilization, development cooperation including South-South and Triangular cooperation or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience supporting the development and management of strategic partnerships, including engagement with government counterparts, donors, or development partners and resource mobilization initiatives is required.
• Proven experience supporting and coordinating engagement with partners, advisory meetings, or complex multi-stakeholder initiatives/meetings, including preparation of substantive background documentation is required.
• Experience working with or supporting initiatives with programme countries, emerging economies, G77 partners preferably from the Latin America region is desirable.
• Experience working directly with Government development financing (GDF) at country office or regional level is desired.
• Experience in providing strategic support for high-level corporate events and initiatives is desired.
• Experience in knowledge management, including documenting good practices, lessons learned, and partnership case examples is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required;
• Working knowledge of another UN language (Spanish or French) is desired.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited toread UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

Data Privacy

Please click here to view UNDP Data Privacy Statement