Partnerships Advisor

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations.

The Country Office (CO) is responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements and cost effective services contributing to partners’ sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results. The Country Office also manages the operational risks associated with its portfolio of engagements.

With presence and experience in Ukraine since 2016, UNOPS has provided, on behalf of the Government and people of Ukraine, project management and procurement services to support the national reform and sustainable development agenda, environment and climate action, strengthening the rule of law, improving energy and healthcare solutions, as well as resolving economic and governance institutional weaknesses.

The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to a severe and highly complex humanitarian emergency with global impact as not witnessed in Europe for over 70 years. The international response to the Ukraine crisis has been significant, with notable support being provided by a multitude of donor countries and organisations. UNOPS, with its ability to add considerable value in its core mandated areas of infrastructure, procurement and project management services, is part of the response to the ongoing emergency, and augmenting its capacity to be able to provide robust and timely support over the long term, through the recovery and eventual reconstruction phases. Recognising the enormity and complexity of the challenges ahead, UNOPS established a dedicated Ukraine Country Office (based in Kyiv), from where UNOPS’ operations will, with the support of the UNOPS ECR Regional Office (based in Geneva) and UNOPS’ HQ (Copenhagen), be planned, resourced, implemented, managed and controlled in the months and years ahead.

The invasion of Ukraine has had a major impact on the Republic of Moldova, both in terms of the humanitarian needs stemming from the influx of tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine, as well as due to the pressure on the transport and energy infrastructure caused by the increased flow of exports. In parallel, granting of the EU candidate status to the Republic of Moldova together with Ukraine accelerated number of reforms aimed at harmonization of the Moldovan legislation with the EU Acquis and the implementation of a series of reforms in the areas of good governance, justice and inclusive institutions, sustainable and transparent procurement, digitalization and more. In view of this transformation, Ukrainian authorities are seeking technical assistance in a number of areas where UNOPS expertise in procurement, infrastructure and project management could have a substantial impact. To this end, UNOPS is planning to dispatch a Partnerships Advisor to the Republic of Moldova in order to explore the prospects of establishing UNOPS presence in Moldova and expanding partnerships with the government and the donor community, under the the framework of the UN Country Team.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Country Director UACO, and in close coordination with the Regional Office and the Partnerships Group, the Partnerships Advisor is responsible for developing and implementing the partnership and programme development plan for Moldova.

Functional Responsibilities

1. Partnership and programme development planning
2. Development and follow up of partnership opportunities
3. Representation, inter-agency collaboration and partnership development
4. Knowledge management and innovation

1. Partnership and programme development planning

• Advice on and develop a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan in line with UNOPS’ Strategic Plan, the regional strategy, and the Ukraine Country Office Plan with references to the strategic engagement in Moldova. This includes country context, analysis of the regional and national development and humanitarian landscape, identification of main partners, strategic positioning of UNOPS in the potential operational niches identified, as well as growing a pipeline of opportunities for the Ukraine Country Office in Moldova. Ensure the plan reflects in-house capacity, typology of projects and the internal tools and knowledge resources.
• Advise on and examine risks and opportunities presented by the strategic positioning of the Ukraine Country Office in Moldova and propose appropriate responses to ensure sustainable growth.
• Take the lead on coordination and collaboration with the Ukraine Country Office leadership, relevant Partnerships personnel, liaison and HQ levels to ensure aligned and coherent interactions with partners.

2. Develop opportunities

• Monitor and evaluate humanitarian and development trends and needs in Moldova to advise on areas of collaboration within UNOPS’ mandate and existing capacity.
• Research events, publications and announcements, to track and screen opportunities for possible UNOPS interventions and identify trends that will drive partnership opportunities.
• Provide advice and feedback to the Ukraine Country Office, Regional Office and UNOPS HQ on the development of framework partnership agreements that can increase opportunities at the regional level.
• On behalf of the Ukraine Country Director, and in close consultation with the Head of Programme, lead on the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programmes in Moldova, and draft concept notes and project document briefs for discussion with partners.
• Create and maintain oneUNOPS opportunities and engagement functionalities in alignment with UNOPS’ corporate guidelines.
• Coordinate technical and financial requirements, and negotiate proposals to close new project opportunities.
• Draft agreements and/or contractual documents required for the signature and implementation of new projects.
• Understand and clearly explain UNOPS’ pricing policy to partners.
• Contribute to the diversification of the Country Office in line with UNOPS’ strategic and regional objectives.
• Advise and support Communications and Reporting personnel, when available, to gather content for communications and outreach materials within the scope of the Ukraine Country Office.

3. Representation and inter-agency partnership

• Establish and further develop partnerships with UN agencies, international organisations, governments, foundations, international NGOs and private sector organisations in Moldova to diversify project opportunities.
• Advise and support advocacy, public information and communication activities in collaboration with the Communications Officer.
• On behalf of the Ukraine Country Director and/or Head of Programme, participate in and report on the relevant inter-agency, donor and government coordination meetings including addressing project development issues in consultation with UNOPS’ project managers and technical experts when required. Take part in UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analysis, UNDAF, response plans, etc.
• Lead on the building of a network of key partners, keeping abreast of evolving trends (social, economic, and political), including the application of innovation to project and partnership development.

4. Knowledge management and innovation

• Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to effectively manage partnership and project development within the team to enhance/maintain UNOPS’ effectiveness as a provider of project services for sustainable results.
• Take the lead on ongoing research, development and implementation of best practice and innovative approaches to maximise performance and sustain achievements in project and partnership development.
• In consultation with the Head of Programme, build partnerships capacity and negotiation skills among project managers.
• Advise on and contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building within project and partnership development.
• Provide regular feedback on existing systems, tools and resources to ensure its relevance to day-to-day operations.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Engineering, Political Science, Communications or International Relations.
• A combination of Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience in an international development including demonstrated experience in:
• Developing and executing partnership and programme development plans;
• Project development and proposal writing;
• Acquisition of projects;
• Project and programme management experience is an asset
• Establishing partnerships with UN agencies, international development organisations, governments, foundations, international NGOs or private sector organisations.
• Prior experience working in international organisations, international development, post-disaster and/or emergency contexts would also be an advantage.

Language Requirements

• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Fluency in one or more additional official UNOPS languages is an advantage.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Ongoing ICA
Contract level: International ICA 3, ICS11
Contract duration: Open-ended subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and/or to satisfactory performance

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.