Strategic Partnerships Advisor

The Partnerships and Futures Group (PFG) is responsible for strengthening and expanding

UNOPS partnerships and building knowledge, innovation and foresight capabilities through

non-programmatic missions, underpinning UNOPS ability to scale up and speed up delivery

for impact - for the people we serve.

PFG works across the range of UNOPS partner segments - including UN agencies,

international financial institutions and multilateral/regional development banks, donors,

partner country governments, vertical funds and multilateral initiatives, south-south

cooperation, and the philanthropic and private sectors - to deepen engagement, expand

implementation capacity and accelerate progress toward the SDGs.

PFG collaborates closely with HQ groups and geographic offices on partner segment

strategies, partner leadership, and opportunity development, ensuring that partner

engagement is coherent, intelligence-driven and aligned with UNOPS strategic priorities to

strengthen UNOPS positioning and visibility.

PFG leads the development of knowledge, innovation and foresight through eight thematic

missions relating to the sustainable development goals, enabling UNOPS to anticipate

partner needs and emerging trends and respond proactively to strengthen mission readiness.

It brings mission-led intent to partnerships and opportunity development, and drives the

horizontal integration of missions into policy framing, service offering refinement and service

delivery. It provides expertise and business partnering support to teams across UNOPS, and

technical advice to partners.

PFG has personnel based in UNOPS headquarters in Copenhagen and in locations close to

key partners: Beijing, Brussels, Manila, Riyadh, Tokyo, and Washington.

The Strategic Partnerships Advisor leads the development of a partner segment strategy for one of the following key partners: UN agencies; international financial institutions and multilateral and regional development banks; or bilateral and multilateral donors. This frames where UNOPS focuses resources to drive growth, deepen partner engagement and strengthen mission readiness. The position is also responsible for one or more additional segments considered to have high growth potential, such as the private sector, philanthropy and south-south cooperation.  

The Strategic Partnerships Advisor, reporting to the Chief, Strategic Partnerships, is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of a key partner segment plus one or more growth segments. The role drives growth in the volume and value of UNOPS portfolio and partner satisfaction across the assigned segments. It leads the definition of mission-aligned value propositions and segment strategies that underpin partnership development, opportunity development and the refinement of UNOPS service offerings. 

1. Partner Segment Strategy and Portfolio Monitoring  

● Define UNOPS segment-based value propositions and relate these to core service offerings, framed by missions and informed by partner needs and emerging trends 

● Identify and prioritise key partners within partner segments

● Develop partner segment strategies supported by market intelligence, identifying growth opportunities across partners, geographies and service offerings as a basis for directing resources 

● Review segment portfolios for strategic alignment, value and balance 

● Maintain visibility within segments of partners, pipeline, project portfolio and existing and emerging service offerings to drive growth 

● Provide input into the opportunity development process to support portfolio growth ● Advise Key Partner Leads (KPLs) and other partner-facing personnel across UNOPS on partner strategies, portfolio development and engagement approaches 

● Produce segment-specific marketing materials including qualification briefs for KPLs, geographic offices and other partner-facing personnel  

2. Partner and Business Intelligence  

● Leverage partner and business intelligence to support the development and implementation of partner segment strategies and production of partner facing  materials such as qualification briefs 

● Guide analysis to generate insights for colleagues across UNOPS implementing segment strategies, drawing on available dashboards, datasets and reports 

● Contribute to the design of tools and processes such as partner relationship management systems and partner surveys   

3. Quality Standards and Capacity Development 

● Drive up technical quality standards for partner leadership and engagement, including for partner-related products such as concept notes and proposals 

● Provide capacity development support for technical quality standards including guidance notes, advice and training to partner-facing personnel  

4. People Leadership 

● Create, foster and role model a culture of trust, empowerment and accountability across the Strategic Partnerships team 

● Build engagement and foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, respectful of all, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed 

● Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments  

5. Knowledge Management and Innovation 

● Contribute to the development and introduction of innovation to ensure UNOPS is continually incorporating best practice approaches in partner segmentation 

● Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for corporate development planning and knowledge building 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 9 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience is required

Desired

• Formal training or certification in strategic planning, partnership development, market intelligence or data analytics

Required 

● Deep expertise in at least one of the following partner segments, with a strong track record of partnership development, segment strategy or portfolio growth in that segment: UN agencies; international financial institutions and multilateral and regional development banks; bilateral and multilateral donors 

● Working knowledge of one or more additional partner segments, particularly where this includes a growth segment such as south-south cooperation, philanthropy or the private sector 

● Progressively responsible experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or portfolio management within international or similarly complex organizations, including engagement with diverse partner segments 

● Demonstrated experience developing and implementing partner or market segment strategies, defining value propositions, and driving portfolio growth, supported by strong business intelligence, market analysis, and oversight of complex pipelines from identification through to signature 

● Proven experience advising senior stakeholders, managing partner-facing processes and products, establishing business intelligence systems and tools, and strengthening quality standards and organizational capacity through guidance, training, and knowledge sharing 

● Experience of working in multicultural environments 

● Experience in development or humanitarian contexts  

Desired 

● Experience of working in UN system organizations is desired.

• 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. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• 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.