Partnership Specialist

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Senior Programme Officer, and in close coordination with the Head of Project Unit and Project Managers, the Partnerships Specialist is responsible for developing and implementing the partnership and programme development plan for the Somalia mine action programme.

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

● Develop a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan in line with UNOPS/UNMAS Strategic Plans and Strategies. This includes country context, analysis of the regional and national development and humanitarian landscape, identification of main partners, strategic positioning of UNOPS/UNMAS in the potential operational niches identified, as well as growth of pipeline opportunities for the programme.

● Ensure the plan reflects in-house capacity, typology of projects and the internal tools, and knowledge resources.

● Examine risks and opportunities presented by the strategic positioning of the UNOPS/UNMAS programme and propose appropriate responses to ensure sustainable growth.

● Coordinate and collaborate with relevant Partnerships personnel at local, liaison ,and HQ level, as well as Project Managers and project personnel in Somalia, to ensure aligned and coherent interactions with partners.

2. Develop opportunities

● Monitor and evaluate humanitarian and development trends and needs to identify areas of collaboration within the UNOPS/UNMAS mandate and existing capacity.

● Research events, publications ,and announcements, to track and screen opportunities for possible UNOPS/UNMAS interventions and identify trends that will drive partnership opportunities.

● Provide advice and feedback to UNOPS PSC / UNMAS HQ on the development of framework partnership agreements that can increase opportunities in its achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

● Contribute to the identification, design, formulation, and negotiation of new projects and programs, and draft concept notes and project document briefs for discussion with partners.

● Create and maintain oneUNOPS opportunities and engagement functionalities in alignment with UNOPS/UNMAS corporate guidelines.

● Coordinate technical and financial requirements and negotiate proposals to close new project opportunities.

● Drafts agreements and/or contractual documents required for the signature and implementation of new projects.

● In coordination with the Communications and Reporting personnel, when available, gather content for communications and outreach materials within the scope of Somalia UNOPS/UNMAS programme.

3. Representation and inter-agency partnership

● Establish and further develop partnerships with UN agencies, international organization's, governments, foundations, international NGOs and private sector organization's to diversify project opportunities within the UNOPS/UNMAS programme in Somalia.

● Undertake advocacy, public information and communication activities in collaboration with the Communications Officer and CMAP, when required.

● Participate in and report on the relevant inter-agency, donor and government coordination meetings including addressing project development issues in consultation with UNOPS/UNMAS project managers and technical experts when required.

● Take part in UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analysis, UNSCDF, response plans, etc.

● Build a network of key partners, keeping abreast of evolving trends (social, economic, and political).

4. Knowledge management and innovation

● Implement standards, tools and templates provided by UNOPS PSC and UNMAS HQ  to effectively manage partnership and project development within the team to enhance/maintain the programme’s effectiveness as a provider of project services for sustainable results.

● Contribute to the ongoing research, development and implementation of best practice and innovative approaches to maximize performance and sustain achievements in project and partnership development.

● Help build partnerships capacity and negotiation skills among project managers

● 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:

● A Master’s degree or equivalent with 5 years of relevant experience;

● Bachelor's degree or equivalent with 7 years of relevant experience.

Experience:

● Relevant experience is defined as experience developing and executing partnership and programme development plans in an international development settings;

● Experience in Project proposal development is required;

● Establishing partnerships with UN agencies, international development organization's, governments, foundations, international NGOs or private sector organization's is required;

● Experience in project and programme management is desired;

● Experience working in international organization's, international development, post-disaster and/or emergency contexts is desired.

● Experience of Google Suite and or Web-based Management Systems is an advantage.

Language:

● Fluency in English is required (speaking, reading, and writing).

● Fluency in one or more additional official UNOPS languages is desired.