Consultancy: Partnerships Account Manager, Office of Innovation, New York, USA, 6 months

UNICEF Office of Innovation is seeking to hire a short-term consultant in the New York office to assist in the coordination and management of the Office of Innovation partnerships pipeline. Duration: 6 months Duty Station: New York

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate... 

UNICEF has been innovating for children for 70 years. Innovations support the organization’s 135+ country offices in finding solutions for the world's most vulnerable children. The UNICEF innovation work includes both policy and practice of innovation in UNICEF, and the larger UN. Innovation in UNICEF is defined as “doing something new or different that adds value.” Innovation is a cross-sectoral function that enhances programme and development effectiveness as well as management and is guided in all contexts by UNICEF’s Innovation Principles (http://www.unicefstories.org/principles/). UNICEF is engaged in testing and scaling up new partnerships, technologies, and collaborations in some of the world’s most difficult operating environments.

About us.

We are a small team of technologists and creatives in UNICEF who develop, prototype and scale new technologies. Our team has built products with millions of active users, and has had more failures than we can count. We’re a group of people trying to fix huge global problems and we know that we can’t do it alone. We are looking for someone to work across UNICEF’s 135 country offices and 30+ National Committees to help us build innovation partnerships with the private sector, government, and foundations.

In January 2016, the UNICEF established the Office of Innovation in order to strengthen its innovation functions and leverage the increasing opportunities across the organization.  The Office of Innovation unites:

• The Global Innovation Centre (GIC): established in 2014, and focusing on Scale Up which looks at expanding the application of proven solutions from one to several countries and regions by UNICEF and partners
• Ventures which looks at investing in new solutions with a 0-2 year horizon
• Futures: focusing on what is coming in the 2-5 year horizon and works with big tech partners

Check out: www.unicefstories.org, www.unicef.org/innovation and @UNICEFInnovate for some idea of who we are.

About you.

You’re a superior organizer and communicator, and are obsessively optimizing ways your team can work together. You can see the big picture but also follow up on the details. You understand the implications of technology’s growth into every part of our lives. You occasionally wake up worried about killer robots, and are interested in how mobile phones, big data, and blockchain can transform the world of international development. You have a firm handle on and interest in international relations, and a keen sense of how a large organization works internally and outside with others.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF is seeking to hire a short-term consultant in the New York office to assist in the coordination and management of the Office of Innovation partnerships pipeline.

Under the supervision of the Partnerships Lead, the consultant will be responsible for:

• Managing existing partnerships

  • Lead and project manage discussions/check-ins with existing partners as relevant to relationship management
  • Regular follow up with partners and internal team
  • Report on deliveries/activities/blocking points
  • Coordinate reporting as required in agreement/by NatCom
  • Identify (with input from Leads) opportunities to grow/extend existing partnerships

• Developing partnerships

  • Create proposals for new partners: including scope definition (coordinating with the relevant leads/ the science team) and annual work plan. 
  • Draft any partnership agreements (e.g. agreements, MoUs and LoIs) for partners and collaborators
  • Provide technical guidance and input on partnership process (e.g. due diligence, benefits package for partners, UNICEF partnerships standards etc)

• Keeping our team organized and informed

  • Maintain the team’s partnerships management system in Trello and Google Drive - including keeping track of key partnership contacts and leads
  • Keep project materials and partnership asks up to date. Work with project leads in adhering to standard templates and answering key partnership questions.
  • Provide regular updates on the team’s partnership pipeline and partners we are pursuing

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

• An advance University degree (Master's or higher) in one of the following fields: public and/or private sector partnerships, communications, social sciences communication, public relations, business administration and management. A first university degree (Bachelor's) in a relevant field, combined with 7 years of professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in partnerships/project management, and a track record of organizing and managing partnerships between the technology sector and development/non-profit organizations - exposure to fundraising and partnerships management at UNICEF a huge plus
• Demonstrated planning, communication, fundraising and very strong writing and editing skills
• Capacity to prioritise and manage a diverse range of partners, projects and activities
• Must be a natural project manager - keeping resources and conversations organized a requirement
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s Innovation work an asset
• Expert user of Trello; must be comfortable managing conversations through Slack, WhatsApp, and Skype (sometimes all at the same time!)
• Familiarity with Salesforce an asset
• Experience working with UNICEF National Committees and/or PFP a major plus
• Fluency in English required.  Competence in another UN language, especially French or Spanish, preferred

Payment details and further considerations

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own travel and health insurance
• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel
• Consultant is eligible for roundtrip airfare to and from the duty station at the beginning and end of the assignment.

Application must include:

• Cover letter
• CV

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Duty Station: New York

Duration: 6 months