Background
Job Purpose and Organizational Context
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN development system and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDPโs policy work is carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, and forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In Africa, the Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) provides an oversight of the UNDPโs work in the region. The RBA is comprised of the Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA) in Addis Ababa, the Sub-regional Hub for Western and Central Africa (WACA), Sustainable Finance Hub in Pretoria, and the Resilience Hub for Africa in Nairobi.
The Resilience Hub was established in 2019 as a thematic hub, with a mandate on integrated resilience, covering 46 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Hub works in an integrated fashion, leading and supporting regional initiatives, as well as UNDP Country Offices in policy and programming across the areas of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction/Resilience, Governance and Peacebuilding, Migration and Displacement and Technology. As part of the Regional Service Center for Africa (RSCA), the Resilience Hub plays a critical role in supporting the Regional Bureau for Africa in the implementation of the Africa Promise: the UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer for Africa, as well as the Regional Programme for Africa (RPA).ย
Following the devastating impacts of El Nino Southern Oscillation in Eastern and Southern African regions, the Resilience Hub led the UNDPโs efforts in the development of theย Community Recovery and Resilience Facility (CRRF) to address the multifaceted and recurring crises that significantly impact African communities. These crises, often described as a 'polycrisis,' are driven by the intersecting factors of climate change, economic shocks, protracted conflict, geopolitical fragmentation, rising epidemics, weak governance systems, and increasing poverty. These factors, combined with weak institutional capacities to manage multidimensional and systemic risks, have perpetuated a cycle of vulnerability and insecurity while undermining community resilience across the continent.ย
The CRRF focuses on strengthening recovery from the current El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episodes and building resilience against the recurrent devastating impacts of shocks in Eastern and Southern African regions. The economic toll of hazard events in East and Southern Africa from 2000 to 2024 is estimated at USD 540 billion and is expected to increase with the recent ENSO episodes, which have been particularly devastating. The 2023/2024 ENSO episodes have affected more than 60 million people in East and Southern Africa, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, including women, children, youth, slum dwellers, and persons with disabilities. The affected vulnerable groups, including those displaced or at risk of displacement, require substantial financial resources to meet immediate humanitarian needs, recover from years of recovery deficits, and build resilience to increasing shocks and stresses. In response to these challenges, the project, which will be led by UNDP in partnership with national governments, regional organizations, and donors, aims to enhance community resilience through a multi-pronged approach.ย
UNDP, therefore, seeks to recruit a Partnership Specialist. The Partnerships Specialist is responsible for managing, strengthening and expanding resource mobilization and partnership building initiatives mainly with funding partners and provides partner coordination support for the CRRF. She/he serves as the focal point and interface in expanding and consolidating CRRF-related partnerships and spearheading resource mobilization efforts.ย
Scope of Work
UNDP seeks to engage the services of a Partnership Development Specialist to help strengthen the facilityโs external relationships with development partners and stakeholders, provide strategic advocacy and position regional and continental initiatives, as well as in participating countries and territories. The Specialist will be expected to lead the partnership efforts of the CRRF, provide strategic advice and policy recommendations with a view to positioning UNDP strongly and mobilize funds. He/she will build, nurture and maintain effective internal and external working relations with identified partners.
Within the scope of work described below, the Partnership Development Specialist will work in close collaboration with the DRT Africa regional coordinator and wider DRT, as well as with the partnership's unit at the UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa. This includes supporting the DRT infrastructure (COs, regional, and global teams) to ensure the development of successful partnerships with counterparts and other specialized agencies.
Duties and Responsibilities
Facilitate and manage partner relations
Work with UNDPโs Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), partnership teams within the Regional Services Centre for Africa (RSCA), and Resilience Hub for Africa, to maintain effective and quality partner relations management through active engagement.ย Lead the team in management of wider range of existing and new partnerships, including working with the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, donors, UN agencies, IFIs, NGOs, academia, private sector, youth and women networks across Africa. Coordinate and organize strategic dialogues with partners to expand and diversify collaborative engagements and increase resource mobilization.ย Coordinate and consult with internal and external stakeholders to foster coordinated implementation of the CRRF and other DRT initiatives. Scan the potential for expanding collaboration with partners and any other relevant new potential partner under the respective portfolio (including Government, private sector, individual donations, foundations, academia and other civil society stakeholders) to foster further interest in the CRRF.ย Ensure high quality and timely reporting to partners, both financial and substantive.ย Negotiate agreements with funding partners as per applicable policies.ย Work with the Project Manager to monitor the use of partner funds and alert any discrepancies for corrective actions for programme/projects implementers.ย Submit timely financial and activity reports on partner-funded initiatives based on the terms of corporate agreements.Resource Mobilization
Provide support in the articulation of funding proposals for funding for the CRRF and other DRT initiatives, including but not limited to urban resilience, multi-hazard early warning systems, recovery, and other related resilience initiatives.ย Identify opportunities for expanding the partner base for the CRRF, including Government, private sector, foundations, academia, and other civil society stakeholders.ย Facilitate internal consultations and coordination that are needed at different stages of the partnerships management cycle to strengthen, diversify and expand partnerships, and provide input to internal stakeholders in the development of the CRRF-related concept notes and outreach material.ย Working closely with UN partners and Resilience Hub Teams to maximize joint collaboration for resource mobilization.ย Develop selected outreach material and briefs on CRRF interventions and related impact.ย Support the formulation and implementation of marketing plans and associated partner outreach for fundraising.ย In collaboration with the communications team, conceptualize and develop targeted partner communications materials and marketing tools to enable effective partnership-building and resource mobilization.ย Lead negotiation processes and conclusion of financing agreements with partners, including Government, private sector, foundations, academia and other civil society stakeholders, inter alia.ยPromote outreach and Advocacy
Organize and coordinate strategic dialogues, partner engagements, and outreach and advocacy events.ย Identify and recommend opportunities to present CRRF in key forums of corporate significance (e.g. conferences, national/global/regional fora) and coordinate participation.ย Support and contribute to the organization of corporate partnership engagement activities and events. Prepare potential missions to partner countries/institutions, including agenda, briefing notes, mission reports, coordination of follow up, etc.ยFacilitate knowledge management on partnership
Oversee the knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, ensuring that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools. Ensure partnership tracking tools are updated with the relevant information (UNITY, SharePoint, etc.); Analyze global trends, produce central partner intelligence mapping and other intelligence resources, and provide advice to CRRF on partnership opportunities. Develop relevant guidance notes, standard operating procedures, tools, templates, best practices, lessons learned, brochures.ย ย Regularly identify partnerships and resource mobilization opportunities from regular dialogues with partners to enable expansion of collaborative engagements.ยResults management, monitoring and evaluation
Supports the DRT in results management, including supporting timely project reports, annual ROAR reporting and processesย Supports regular monitoring and tracking of results from various regional, sub-regional and national projects/programs.Institutional Arrangement
The incumbent will report to the DRT Africa Coordinator, based in Nairobi, Kenya. The incumbent will function as a partnerships development specialist for the CRRF as well as for the wider DRT aligned initiatives.
Competencies
Core competency
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have a lasting impactย Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problemsย Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3:ย Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demandsย 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 the complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate the benefits of a diverse workforce and champion inclusivityCross functional and technical competency
Business Management:ย Partnerships Management โย Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. Business Direction & Strategy:ย ย Strategic Thinking โย Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDPโs mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight. Partnership management: Relationship management โย Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding. Partnership management: Strategic engagement โAbility to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives. Negotiation and Influence: Business Direction & Strategy โย Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates โwin-winโ situations. Entrepreneurial Thinking:ย Business Direction & Strategy โย Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDPโs organizational priorities and mandate.Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Masterโs Degree or equivalent in International Relations, Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or related field. OR A first-level university degree (bachelorโs degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
A minimum 5 years with (Masterโs degree) or 7 years (with a bachelorโs degree) of relevant experience in development programmes.ย Work experience in multi-stakeholder partnership building dealing with public and private sectors, with international or intergovernmental organizations; Ability to establish networks and partnerships with knowledge and experience of UNDP and UN system policies and programming; Strong experience in mobilization of resources in a challenging funding context, including proven experience in mobilizing resources from non-traditional donors; Experience in excellent writing and analytical skills including writing reports, position papers and policy briefs is required; Demonstrated strong understanding of global development issues is required. Previous working experience in developing and crisis countries is an advantage. Previous experience with UNDP or with other UN organizations is an advantage.Language: Fluency in English, both written and oral. Working knowledge of another UN language preferably relevant to the region in which this position is based is an asset.
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.ย
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.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย 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.
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