Partnerships Specialist

at  UNICEF

Job no: 571741
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: Brussels
Level: P-3
Location: Belgium
Categories: Partnerships, Fund Raising
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, Education.
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is a fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises. It was established in 2016 during the World Humanitarian Summit by international humanitarian and development aid organizations, along with public and private donors, to help reposition education as a priority on the humanitarian agenda, usher in a more collaborative approach among actors on the ground and foster additional funding to ensure that every crisis-affected child and young person is in school and learning.
To accomplish its mission, ECW provides partners, on the ground in emergency situations, resources that can be allocated in a flexible, swift and responsive manner, and over a period sufficient to accelerate and support education delivery for Children and youth. As such, one of the main objectives of ECW is to ensure more and better finance for education in crisis to allow for sufficient investments to improve access, quality, and continuity of learning for all children.

THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• An advanced university degree is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, Economics, international development, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant area.
• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies, programming policies, and procedures in international development cooperation.In-depth knowledge of partnership development and resource mobilization.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach- related activities.
• Skill in the identification of new opportunities or requirements to meet challenges in the field and propose changes.
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written.
• In-depth familiarity with political and governmental processes.
• Ability to conduct sound policy analysis.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

• The position is based in Brussels, Belgium and will focus on partners in the United Kingdom and European countries. From Brussels, the candidate will implement the work plan for the assigned area in order to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results in accordance with the Education Cannot Wait partnership approach.
• Seeks and promotes new partnerships and resource mobilization, working with Education Cannot Wait colleagues and partners to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization opportunities to meet those needs.
• Receives and screens inquiries from potential collaborators and facilitates communication with ECW Secretariate. Scans and scouts external environment within designated partnership area for opportunities and risks and shares information in a timely fashion with relevant ECW staff.
• Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to supervisor and the resource mobilization team in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.
• Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders to resource mobilization.
• Expands ECW’s network of key interlocutors to build stronger relationships between ECW and institutional donors, other key-decision makers, regional development institutions, foundations, civil society organizations, international financial institutions and/or other relevant constituencies.
• Develops and implements annual partnership engagement and resource mobilization plans.
• Acts as a focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, including on how to anticipate and respond to partners’ concerns and priorities, ensure that ECW’s interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes, and ensure that they are fully aware of ECW’s perspectives, policies, priorities and capabilities. Contribute to the development and management of initiatives for high-level outreach.
• Contributes to the development of new partnership and resource mobilization practices and approaches by formulating recommendations for action based on on-going monitoring, analyzing current trends within designated partners and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.
• Contributes to strategies for engagement and the development of communications products to enhance ECW’s visibility and influence with existing and prospective partners and key stakeholders by providing analysis of the current environment and trends and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development. Works closely with ECW colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the programmes that ECW supports. Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision makers.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.