The Position:

The Business Development Specialist position is located within Pillar 1 – Resilience and Capacity Development in the UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU). The position reports directly to the Head of Pillar 1 - Resilience and Capacity Development Advisor with a dotted reporting line to the Division of Communications and Strategic Partnership. The Business Development Specialist will work closely with the various teams within Pillar 1, other SCMU colleagues, the new integrated HQ division, the Humanitarian Response Division, the Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, other HQ Business Units, the Regional Offices and the Country Offices and with a number of external partners.

The position plays a pivotal role in driving SCMU’s business development strategy, actively engaging in business development activities, and seeking out opportunities for collaborative ventures to expand SCMU's reach, fostering partnerships, and identifying new markets and funding sources to drive growth and sustainability, aligning closely with UNFPA's overall mission and goals.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies. 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

The UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) is self-funded and was made operational in January 2022. It is tasked with ensuring that UNFPA is able to effectively and efficiently support the delivery of life-saving reproductive health products and other programme supplies to the end user when and where they are needed. To achieve this, it is important to strengthen the capacity of governments and implementing partners to ensure coordination, end-to-end visibility and accountability on all supply chain and logistics management related activities, in particular for programme supplies, across all UNFPA programmes.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Business Development Specialist will lead resource mobilization for SCMU focusing on donor engagement, financing opportunities, and development of high‑quality funding proposals, concept notes, and strategic materials.. The position will collaborate with technical teams but will not engage in operational delivery or client project management.

You would be responsible for:

You will be responsible to support the Head of Pillar 1- Resilience and Capacity Development Advisor with:

A. Strategic Technical Leadership, Monitoring and Oversight

• Leads the development, implementation, and monitoring of the SCMU resource mobilization and partnership strategy; analysing current trends and propose innovative approaches and strategies for fund raising activities, from various donor segments to increase sustainable SCMU funding; based on on-going monitoring, analysing current trends and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development. 
• Prepare and update an inventory and accompanying analysis of the various funding and financing modalities and potential donors available for developmental and humanitarian context. 
• Explore opportunities for financial and non-financial collaboration with International Financial Institutions and other domestic partners for leveraging of resources towards UNFPA’s mandated areas.
• Oversee the development of writing high-quality technical proposals and resource mobilization materials, ensuring technical relevance, clarity, and consistency to ensure the delivery of compelling and successful cases for resource mobilization.
• Monitor donor agreements and coordinate with technical teams for reporting, working with technical teams to review donor-funded programme implementation bottlenecks, challenges and opportunities and suggest solutions to improve results-based implementation and reporting.
• Contribute to UNFPA resource mobilization and partnerships policies, frameworks, guidance and instruments and tools to ensure UNFPA positioning for addressing of the three transformative results.
• Lead negotiations, drafting and finalization of Memorandums of Understanding in consultation with the Supply Chain Services Manager and the Legal Office. 
• Provide support to the regional office and country offices in the development of supplies and supply chain related Donor proposals and in the preparation of progress reports, ensuring quality assurance against technical/operational donor requirements. When relevant, conduct donor negotiations for contributions to supplies and supply chain related contributions demonstrating UNFPA's comparative advantage and reflecting priorities of donor countries.
• Support and implement activities related to UNFPA’s Governance, Risk, Compliance and Reporting function.

B. Capacity Strengthening

• In collaboration with the Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, build capacity on resource mobilization and strategic partnerships, ensuring a consistent standard of excellence in SCMU, ensuring effective sharing of partnerships and resource mobilization learning, through conferences, workshops, and online channels for the region. 
• Developing and implementing UNFPA's capacity-strengthening initiatives.
• Lead capacity‑building on resource mobilization and partnership development.
• Coach and mentor UNFPA personnel to strengthen their capacity to provide informed technical guidance in resource mobilization and partnership development.

C. Thought Leadership, Knowledge Sharing and Advisory

• Champion UNFPA's supply chain thought leadership through actively engaging with industry experts, participating in relevant forums, contributing to research and publications, and representing UNFPA's expertise in various supply chain management discussions and initiatives.
• Foster an environment for knowledge retention and sharing and the creation of a community of practice for supply chain.
• Provide counsel and support on the full range of supply chain management issues, incorporating best practices and continuous improvement across UNFPA.

D. Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Lead development and communication of SCMU’s donors‑facing value proposition and financing narrative..
• Support SCMU’s collaboration with the Division for External Relations (DER) to diversify funding opportunities.
• Manage SCMU’s resource mobilisation pipeline and coordinate proposal  quality assurance across technical teams and DER.

E. Collaboration and Representation

• Establish effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders within UNFPA to align supply chain financing opportunities with SCMU’s technical priorities..
• Lead the fostering of relationships with key supply chain donors and financing.partners with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of UNFPA’s supply chain function.
• Represent SCMU and UNFPA in donor, financing, and partnership forums.

F. Team Management

• Create a conducive working environment aligned with UNFPA's 2030 People Strategy.
• Lead and supervise the Business Development team.

G. Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Chief, SCMU.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• An advanced degree (minimum Master’s degree or equivalent) in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, International Relations, Fundraising, Marketing, Communications Management and related areas is required. 

Knowledge and Experience: 

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant progressively responsible experience in resource mobilization and partnerships building, including:
  • Direct responsibility for setting and meeting income targets.
  • Demonstrated strong background in grant proposal writing and securing funding from UN, institutional donors, foundations, and corporations.
  • Experience in government and multilateral donor relations and fundraising, especially with entities like FCDO, USG, and the EU.
  • Proven success in proposal development for public health programmes
• Knowledge of current theories and practices in international fundraising/marketing, partnership is a requirement.
• Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex supply chain documents for both technical and non-technical audiences is required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships is required.
• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is required.
• Experience in managing a team, particularly within a remote and/or matrix organizational structure is required.
• Field experience is strongly desirable.
• Experience working within a matrix organizational structure is an asset.
• Basic knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated reproductive health care in the global development and humanitarian community, familiarity with UNFPA programmes and policies, knowledge of international development policies and institutions and international politics is an advantage.
• Knowledge of UNFPA mandates, policies, and guidelines is an asset.

Languages: 

• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (especially French or Spanish).

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results
• Being accountable
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen
• Thinking analytically and strategically
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships

Functional Competencies:

• Strategically positioning UNFPA programmes
• Creating visibility for the organization
• Delivering results-based programme
• Advocacy for partnerships and resource mobilisation

Managerial Competencies:

• Providing strategic vision and focus
• Engaging internal/external partners and stakeholders
• Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgement

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.