Partnerships Specialist

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Dakar, Senegal, the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) delivers high-quality project management, infrastructure, and procurement services across 16 countries in West Africa and the Sahel, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo. Aligned with UNOPS’ mission, WAMCO supports partners in peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development. WAMCO’s portfolio spans key sectors such as health, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, environment, infrastructure, justice, and peace and security. Notable projects include the construction of pre-preschools for early childhood development in Senegal (in partnership with KOICA and UNICEF), capacity-building for national agencies on disaster risk reduction and resource management, and the development of rural mini-grid electrification systems in Sierra Leone. Through these initiatives, WAMCO contributes to inclusive growth and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the region.

The Partnership Specialist operates within the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) in Dakar, which delivers comprehensive project management, infrastructure, and procurement services across 16 countries. This role is essential for driving strategic growth and resource mobilization in alignment with WAMCO’s mission to support peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development. The incumbent will be responsible for building strong partnerships with governments, UN agencies, and other stakeholders, ensuring that all initiatives contribute effectively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are aligned with both regional and global UNOPS priorities.

The Partnerships Specialist develops and implements partnership and programme development plans for the MCO. The role focuses on building and maintaining effective working relationships with governments, UN agencies, donors and other stakeholders to mobilize resources, expand the office’s portfolio, and strengthen the UNOPS positioning as a reliable development and implementation partner. The Partnerships Specialist also ensures that partnership initiatives are aligned with UNOPS’ global and regional priorities, contribute to sustainable results, and support the achievement of the office’s strategic objectives.

Partnership and Programme Development Planning

• Develop and implement a comprehensive partnership and programme development plan aligned with the UNOPS Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies. This includes analyzing the country context and regional and national development landscape, identifying key partners, and positioning UNOPS strategically within potential operational niches. The plan should also foster a pipeline of opportunities, reflect in-house capacity, promote a diverse project portfolio, and leverage internal tools and knowledge resources.
• Examine risks and opportunities related to the strategic positioning of office(s) and recommend appropriate measures to ensure sustainable growth.
• Coordinate and collaborate with relevant Partnerships personnel at global, regional, national and liaison levels, as well as Country and Project Managers and project teams, to ensure coherent and aligned interactions with partners.

Develop Partnership Opportunities

• Monitor and analyze humanitarian and development trends to identify areas of collaboration aligned with UNOPS’ mandate and capacity.
• Research and track events, publications and announcements to screen opportunities and identify emerging trends that can drive new partnerships.
• Advise UNOPS HQ, Africa Regional Office and the MCO Senior Management Team on the development of framework partnership agreements to expand opportunities at the regional level.
• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programmes, including drafting concept notes, and project briefs and project agreements for partner discussions;. In partnership with the programme team, support development of project amendments.
• Manage and maintain partnership opportunities and engagement records in oneUNOPSProjects and Opportunity+, ensuring alignment with corporate guidelines.
• Coordinate technical and financial inputs, and lead negotiations to finalize new project proposals.
• Draft budgets, agreements and contractual documents as required for the approval and implementation of new projects.
• Clearly communicate UNOPS pricing policies and value proposition to partners.
• Support the diversification of the office portfolio in line with UNOPS' strategic, regional and country objectives.
• Collaborate with Communications and Reporting colleagues to gather content for outreach materials.

Representation and Inter-Agency Partnership

• Establish and strengthen partnerships with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, foundations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private-sector actors to diversify project opportunities.
• Lead or support advocacy, public information, and communication initiatives in collaboration with the Communications team, as required.
• Participate (as authorized by line manager) in inter-agency, donor, and government coordination forums, providing updates on project development issues in consultation with UNOPS project managers and technical experts.
• Contribute to UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analyses, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and response plans.
• Build and maintain a strong network of key partners, stay informed about social, economic, and political trends, and leverage innovation to strengthen project and partnership development.

Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Implement standards, tools and templates provided by HQ to strengthen partnership and project development within the team, enhancing UNOPS’ effectiveness as a trusted provider of project services for sustainable results.
• Contribute to research, development and application of best practices and innovative approaches that maximize performance and ensure long-term impact in project and partnership development.
• Build partnership capacity and negotiation skills among Project Managers, enabling stronger engagement with stakeholders.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing by contributing to the dissemination of lessons learned and best practices in project and partnership development, supporting organizational learning and planning.
• Provide regular feedback on systems, tools and resources to strengthen their effectiveness and ensure continuous improvement

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 5 years of relevant experience is required.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in international development, involving execution of partnership and programme development plans, project development and proposal writing, establishment of partnerships with UN agencies, international development organizations, governments, foundations or private-sector organizations, or related areas

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is required

• At least 2 years of experience in team management and supervision is required.

Desired

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Experience in project and programme management is a considerable advantage.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
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• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.