Partnerships Specialist, (P-3), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), outposted in Brussels, Belgium, Post#128435, REQ#571741

ECW is looking for a highly motivated and experienced individual to join our team as a Partnerships Specialist. In this role, you will be responsible for strengthening ECW's collaboration with key stakeholders and providing an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence. You will work closely with the Chief of Strategic Partnerships and serve as a focal point for colleagues on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance for partnership development, advocacy, and resource mobilization.

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.

How can you make a difference?

To contribute to this effort, the incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Chief of Strategic Partnerships and will be responsible for deepening ECW’s collaboration with key stakeholders and providing an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence within the scope of assignment. S/He may also serve as a focal point and resource for colleagues on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance for partnership development, advocacy, and resource mobilization. The key result is to ensure greater and positive visibility for Education Cannot Wait and influence in support of its mission.

Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to supervisor and the resource mobilization team in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.
5. Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders to resource mobilization.
6. 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.
7. Develops and implements annual partnership engagement and resource mobilization plans.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

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.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

ECW is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure that provides strategic guidance and oversight to its investments. ECW’s day-to-day activities are carried out by a Secretariat under the direction of the Education Cannot Wait Director.

If selected for this post, the resulting appointment will be limited to ECW, a UNICEF hosted fund. While UN staff regulations and rules, as well as UNICEF policies and procedures apply during the appointment, certain provisions therein may apply differently due to the limited scope of the appointment.

This applies equally to UNICEF internal candidates, if they are selected for and appointed to this post. The scope of their appointment will thereafter be limited to ECW, and in order to return to a UNICEF appointment outside ECW, they will need to be selected in a competitive recruitment exercise. In particular, they will not be eligible or subject to rotation exercise, conversion to a continuing appointment, or priority in selection process for UNICEF posts outside ECW, during their appointment.

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.