Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Financing Advisor

The Position:

The 2026–2029 UNFPA Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical role of strategic partnerships, donor diversification, innovative financing, and impactful advocacy to shift social norms. To deliver on these priorities, the Regional Office (RO) is repositioning and strengthening its Partnerships and Resource Mobilization function into an integrated Strategic Partnerships and Innovative Financing platform.

The position will be under the overall supervision of the Regional Director and in close collaboration with the Headquarters division, as well as the Communications and Advocacy Advisor.

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 will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, 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:

You would be responsible for: 

1. Integrated Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy

   • Reposition and reprofile the regional partnerships function to ensure full integration of financing, advocacy, and visibility objectives as a function of achieving programmatic results delineated in Country Program Documents and Regional Program outputs. 
   • Conduct risk assessments for potential partnerships and identify mitigation measures to assist program and country teams in their ability to sustain operations, especially with governments and rights based organizations.  
   • Ensure coherent messaging and coordinated engagement across all external interactions with governments, parliamentarians, international financial institutions, private sector, and civil society focusing on domestic financing opportunities. 
   • Strengthen UNFPA’s influence in regional intergovernmental bodies, networks, and forums to advance ICPD commitments and social norm change as key partners. 
   • Expand UNFPA’s engagement with governments, parliaments, international financial institutions, especially Islamic financing, private sector actors, and civil society.
   • Develop a coalition of partners/donors in support of sectoral responses to the four UNFPA Strategic Plan outcome areas. 
     
      

2. Strategic Advice and Coordination

   • Provide high-level advice to the Regional SMT on partnership trends, risks, and opportunities, including funding foresight mapping on a regular and updated basis regarding trends, allocations and upcoming opportunities/risks for partnerships; both for country level and regional level engagements.
   • Act as regional liaison with Headquarters divisions (e.g., Division for Communications and Strategic Partnerships, Division for External Relations), ensuring coherence between global and regional strategies.
   • Coordinate regional contributions to global partnership and financing dialogues informed by regular country and regional updates from the field. 
   • Provide technical guidance and on-demand support to CO focal points on partnerships, resource mobilization, and financing especially during the CPD process and during major transitional periods such as the rollout of a new SP.
   • Build capacity of CO staff through training, mentoring, regional workshops, and communities of practice. 
   • Ensure COs are equipped with tools and approaches for donor diversification and innovative financing.

3.   Donor Diversification and Innovative Financing

   • Lead the design and execution of regional strategies for donor diversification, targeting non-traditional donors, private philanthropy, IFIs, and emerging economies.
   • Identify and pursue innovative financing opportunities, including blended finance, impact investment, and climate or demographic dividend financing.
   • Forge partnerships with regional development banks, sovereign wealth funds, and other financial actors to leverage new resources; special emphasis will be given to leveraging new partnerships in the GCC as part of the global strategy. 
   • Support Country Offices in structuring and scaling innovative financing initiatives and diversifying their donor base.

4.   Resource Mobilization and Coalition-Building

   • Enhance the region’s ability to mobilize resources, build multi-stakeholder coalitions, and amplify programmatic impact under one coordinated structure.
   • Provide technical support and capacity-building to Country Offices on resource mobilization, donor engagement, and strategic advocacy.
   • Oversee donor reporting and communications, ensuring high-quality, streamlined, and persuasive advocacy and visibility products.
   • Track financing trends and advise senior leadership on emerging opportunities to strengthen UNFPA’s positioning.

5.   Knowledge Management and Capacity Development

   • Capture, package, and disseminate lessons learned and best practices on partnerships, financing, and advocacy across the region.
   • Develop guidance, tools, and training materials for Country Offices on engaging governments, parliaments, private sector, and innovative financing actors.
   • Mentor and strengthen the capacity of partnerships and communications staff across the region.

6.   Innovation and Digital Engagement

   • Deploy digital platforms and solutions, and data-driven tools to expand financing opportunities.
   • Identify innovative financing mechanisms relevant to demographic dividend, SRHR, and gender equality.
   • Promote innovative, tech-enabled approaches to coalition-building and advocacy.
     
      

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:

Advanced university degree in economics, finance, business administration, international relations, public policy, or another relevant field.

Experience

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in partnerships, resource mobilization, or financing in international development.
• Intimate knowledge of and experience in working with Islamic financing.
• Proven experience in working systematically with the private sector and philanthropic organizations in the region.  Experience in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is considered an asset. 
• Demonstrated expertise in innovative financing and donor diversification.
• Track record in high-level external engagement and political advocacy.
• Experience leveraging digital technologies and tools for partnerships or financing desirable.
• UN system or multilateral experience an asset.

Languages

Fluency in English and Arabic required. Knowledge of another UN language an asset

 

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:

• Advocacy/advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results-based programmes
• Resource mobilization and innovative financing
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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.