EU Engagement Specialist

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development network, promoting its global authority and thought leadership on sustainable development and the interconnected issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change. BERA leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission. Creating strong political and financial backing for UNDP by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and flagship services relate to them. The Bureau leads UNDP’s work on innovative and diversified partnerships and ways of financing the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also responsible for global campaigns on critical development issues, which aim to inform government policies and build partnerships around high-impact solutions. BERA coordinates and sets corporate standards across the functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP and leads on internal communications.

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy is positioned around three service lines; Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners, all working in close collaboration and coordination under the guidance of the Directorate and with the support of the Management Support Unit and Strategic Analysis and Engagement team. 

 BERA has a robust network of Representation Offices (Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and Washington D.C.) and Regional Teams in five hubs (Africa, Arab States, Asia Pacific, Europe and CIS, and Latin American and the Caribbean) co-led with Regional Bureaux, all of which play a critical role in audience centric communications and management and strengthening of relationships with Public and Private Partners to help build a strong brand for UNDP within the local ecosystem. 

In close collaboration with UNDP BERA HQ, the Regional Bureaus, the COs and Regional Hubs, the EU Engagement Specialist will support the strengthening of bilateral partnerships by driving coherence and impact across UNDP’s engagement, with a particular focus on the European Union (EU/EC) and European bilateral partners.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Director, the EU Engagement Specialist leads a team which supports UNDP in the EC contribution management cycle by providing advice to Country Offices and the organization at large, on initial engagement, implementation, reporting, visibility, monitoring and evaluation, verification and training on the same. Furthermore, the team facilitates the clearance of all EC contribution agreements and supports overall UN FAFA coordination through close coordination with the UN Controller’s office.

• Provide critical support on developing more tailored communications, outreach, resource mobilization and other strategies to deepen and broaden UNDP’s existing partnership with key EU interlocutors. Identifying funding opportunities, calls for proposals by scanning relevant EU websites, information gathering etc.
• Analyse donor trends and funding landscape and provide input into RO policy recommendations and corporate strategies tailored to specific donors.
• Networking and building constructive relations with EC counterparts involved in programming and contractual matters.

Provide high quality contractual advisory services and guidance to the UNDP Offices with respect to the implementation of EU-funded actions:

• Lead and coordinate administrative contract management activities in the Representation Office (RO), including support to the EU/UN FAFA Working Group.
• Provide wholistic programme and project management guidance and support services to HQ, Country Offices and the Regional Hubs on the execution of EU funded programmes and projects in accordance with applicable contractual frameworks and established regulations, as well as, verification, monitoring and reporting activities, problem solving and risk and reputation management.
• Lead the “early warning” mechanism, alerting UNDP Offices and implementing units to new requirements, approaching deadlines etc.; prevent problematic cases to negatively affect the EC-UNDP partnership.

Facilitate and lead in knowledge building and sharing:

• Facilitate knowledge building and sharing on contractual aspects of the UNDP-EU partnerships, implementation modalities and contractual requirements, through the dissemination of information, preparation and conduction of briefings, presentations and training.

Other duties:

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

• Identify and seize opportunities to service and add value to clients, create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners, develop clear service offers responding to client needs in line with UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate.

Business Direction & Strategy - Effective Decision Making        

• Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.

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.

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.

Business Management - Monitoring & Evaluation 

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively. 
• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. 
• Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. 
• Ability to make independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management 

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

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.