Partnerships and Engagement Specialist

New York City

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: New York City
Grade: Mid level - P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
Closing Date: Closed

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

We are building the largest and fastest learning network on sustainable development challenges. 91 social innovation labs embedded within UNDP’s global architecture and country platforms. This network builds on the latest thinking from the fields of complexity science, lead user innovation and collective intelligence to accelerate development impact.

Our network of social innovation labs creates a range of knowledge:

We generate experiential knowledge created on how to deploy a range of innovation methods: what is the most effective way to convene a hackathon? What are the benefits and limits of behavioral insights experiments? What does a data powered approach to positive deviance look like? This is an essential kind of knowledge as we test out and codify new ways of working within global development.
Our solutions mappers and their teams also generate forms of ethnographic evidence that unpack the practices, knowledge and inventions of women and men who are innovating around problems they face in their communities. Inspired by the Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network, we try to learn from frugal innovation to inform the design and delivery of development programmes.
As a sensory platform, we see and cultivate weak signals of change to understand the real time state of sustainable development. How is the pandemic unfolding and affecting people’s livelihoods? What does the future of work look like? Weak signals of change are a form of intelligence that this lab network creates.
When labs design experiments, we probe systems to see what effect our interventions make. Here we create and share experimental knowledge. This is where we are trying to learn how to document tests and probes so that practitioners across the world can pick up where another lab team left off, modifying to suit the contexts that make or break the utility of knowledge transfer.

Two years ago, the UNDP Accelerator Lab Network undertook its mid-term evaluation and is looking toward future iterations to embed this work in the organization and create new value offers. Given the current maturity of the Accelerator Labs and their integration into UNDP, the evaluator recommended exploring how to establish the Labs as a permanent R&D function within UNDP Country Offices around the world, to ensure continuous exploration and experimentation related to evolving sustainable development challenges.

This position is dedicated to building out R&D as a partnership engagement mechanism for the global network. A large focus will be on resource mobilization, drafting proposals, packaging offers and broadening partnerships to leverage founding investments. This post requires an integrator: someone who spans traditional categories of programme, communication, outreach, and resource mobilization.

Position Purpose:

Partnerships are at the core of the Accelerator Labs’ Network. The Partnerships and Engagement Specialist is instrumental in forging and sustaining robust and impactful partnerships for the Accelerator Labs at a global level.

This role encompasses exploring and managing relationships with a diverse array of knowledge partners and donors from both the public and private sectors. The Partnerships and Engagement Specialist is responsible for conducting thorough intelligence gathering on partnership opportunities within the network and producing comprehensive knowledge products on partnerships.

The Partnerships and Engagement Specialist will work in close collaboration with the full global Accelerator Lab team as well as Partnerships Specialists in BERA and regional Partnership Focal Points. The role requires a keen ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes and deliver on the Labs' objectives through effective partnership strategies.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead in implementation of Private Sector Resource Mobilization Strategy for the Accelerator Labs, drafting pitches and advocacy material based on R&D value propositions

Identify and engage different types of partners required by the Network with a focus on partnerships that lead to investment.
Advise on the Accelerator Labs’ partnership strategy, in particular with regard to the private sector, foundations and philanthropic organizations.
Monitor and coordinate team efforts towards the diversification of funding and investment sources through proactively mapping potential partner.
Lead the preparation of monitoring reports as needed.
Mobilize and engage new strategic actors from the private sector and philanthropic areas, integrating them into pipelines for innovation initiatives at UNDP.

Ensure effective coordination actions as per the UNDP Accelerator Labs’ Resource Mobilization Pipeline, together with integrated corporate efforts

Map potential partners across the public and private sectors with versatile expertise to strengthen the Labs’ resource mobilization opportunities.
Foster the development of new partnership opportunities and manage existing partnerships for the Accelerator Lab Network.
Lead and advise on the due diligence process for new private sector and philanthropic partners and implement the risk mitigation strategies.
Position the Accelerator Labs in corporate cross-organizational partnerships teams, including the Private Sector Task Team

Contribute to the strategic communication to articulate value propositions based on an integrated R&D offer

Package, document and communicate value propositions of the UNDP Accelerator Labs,
Coordinate and support team-wide efforts to develop proposals based on leads as per strategy
experimentation
Draft content for brochures.

Contribute with project’s knowledge management.

Create a repository of partnership proposals and manage Acc. Lab’s contribution to Unity network.
Provide substantive contribution from the partnership perspective to knowledge products and communication materials.

Other Duties:

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

None

Competencies:

Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)

Achieve Results

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively

LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management:

UNDP People: Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy - System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management - Partnerships Management

Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Business Management - Communication

Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Partnership Management - Emerging Partnerships

Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships

Partnership Management - Relationship Management

Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Digital - Co-creation

Ability to design and facilitate a process that enables a diverse group of stakeholders to solve a common problem, develop a practice, or create knowledge together.
Ability to embrace diversity, work with a diverse group of stakeholders understand their interests, perspectives and views and tap into to them as a source for creativity.
Ability to facilitate processes and create conditions that are open for diverse inputs, stimulate collaboration and sharing.

Business Management - Portfolio Management

Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment.
Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, International Development, Design, Social Innovation or Gender Studies, Journalism, Knowledge Management, New Media, or related fields is required. Or,
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

Minimum of Five (5) years (with master’s degree) or Seven (7) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in drafting partnership offers including for the private sector, foundations and donors is required.
Experience on international development and social innovation required.
Demonstrated ability to map potential partners across sectors and lead due diligence processes for new private sector partners at UNDP is required.
Demonstrated Experience in CRM (i.e. Salesforce) for Partnership and Donor Management is required.
Proven track record of strong English writing skills, proposal framing and visual thinking to articulate new offers is required.
Experience in representing teams in cross-organizational partnership teams is desired.
Experience in organizing events to engage network partners and managing partnership pipelines is desired.
Experience of working with the intersection between partnerships, innovation, diversity/gender and sustainable development is required, Knowledge of the UN system is desired.
Experience working with strategic communications and partnerships to ensure high quality programme communication products is desired.

Language requirement:

Fluency in English is required.
Working knowledge of another UN language is desired.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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This vacancy is now closed.