Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

  • Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
  • Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
  • Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
  • Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The country programme document, 2025-2030, aligns with the 2030 Agenda, the African Union Agenda 2063, and the UNDP Strategic Plan, 2022-2025. It represents UNDP contributions to the National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. 

It focuses on two pillars: (a) People-centred sustainable development and resilience, prioritizing people’s well-being and planetary health (aligned with Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework outcomes 1 and 2 and UNDP signature solutions 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6); and b) Inclusive governance, peace, and prosperity, embodying harmonious development, effective resource management, and equitable governance (aligned with Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework outcomes 2 and 3 and UNDP signature solutions 2, 3 and 6). 

The role of the Country Office Communications & Partnerships Unit is to adopt UNDP’s global communication strategy to a local context and the Country Office development priorities. Through the production of high-quality communication materials and innovative use of relevantly targeted communication channels (internal and external), the communications team works collaboratively to position UNDP as a leader in the development arena, promote visibility of UNDP program outcomes/development results, mobilize support for Sustainable Development Goals in the country, and practice delivery as one UN. 

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Resident Representative, with support from the Deputy Resident Representative, the Communications and Partnership Specialist serves as Head of the Communication and Partnership Unit and provides office-wide strategic leadership for communications, partnerships, external relations, advocacy and resource mobilization. As a member of the Country Office senior advisory structure, the Specialist provides authoritative advice to senior management, shapes institutional positioning and engagement with senior government, development partner and private-sector counterparts, and leads the design, governance and oversight of integrated strategies aligned with corporate, regional and Country Office priorities. 

The Communications and Partnership Specialist will maintain a regular working relationship with the Regional Communications Adviser. The Communications and Partnership Specialist would also work in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations teams, staff of other UN Agencies, will be an active member of the UN Communications Group, the UNDP Communications Regional and HQ staff, government officials, international and local media, subject matter experts, donors, and civil society to ensure successful implementation of UNDP’s communication strategy in the Country Office. 

We are seeking a highly experienced and dynamic Communications and Partnership Specialist to lead the Communication and Partnership Unit at a senior strategic level. The incumbent will translate corporate and Country Programme priorities into an integrated communications, partnership and resource mobilization agenda; exercise judgement on complex and sensitive issues; advise senior management on strategic positioning and reputational risk; and ensure accountable, coherent delivery across the Country Office. 

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the Country Office's communication and visibility initiatives, cultivating strategic partnerships, strengthening external relations, and overseeing the development of compelling multimedia content that enhances organizational reputation, supports resource mobilization efforts, and engages a wide range of audiences. 

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 to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Providing strategic leadership and oversight for communication, advocacy and visibility initiatives that strengthen UNDP positioning and reputation, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Lead the formulation, approval and periodic review of an integrated Country Office communications, advocacy and visibility strategy and annual plans, establishing priorities, governance arrangements, performance standards and accountabilities for implementation by the Communications Analyst and unit personnel;
  • Set strategic messaging and ensure quality assurance and compliance with UNDP branding standards across all platforms and major products;
  • Provide authoritative strategic advice on media relations, high-level press engagements, crisis and sensitive communications, political context recommend response options to senior management and coordinate implementation of agreed risk-mitigation measures;
  • Draft and review press releases, speeches, newsletters, success stories, and other communication products; 
  • Provide strategic oversight and quality assurance for the Country Office website, social media platforms and digital campaigns, with day-to-day management led by the Communications Analyst;
  • Establish performance, audience and influence metrics; commission or lead periodic analysis; and use evidence to advise senior management on corrective action, investment priorities and strategic adjustments.

Leading strategic partnerships, senior stakeholder engagement and external relations in support of Country Office priorities and leading the substantive development and negotiation of partnership frameworks focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Lead the identification, cultivation, negotiation and strategic stewardship of high-value relationships with senior government counterparts, donors, UN entities, international financial institutions, civil society and private-sector partners, with accountability for advancing Country Programme priorities and UNDP positioning;
  • Develop partnership engagement strategies and collaboration frameworks; 
  • participate in senior-level policy dialogues, donor consultations, forums and negotiations; prepare strategic advice, briefing and engagement options for the RR/DRR; and secure follow-up on institutional commitments;
  • Lead the substantive development and negotiation of partnership frameworks, Memoranda of Understanding, financing arrangements and other collaborative initiatives, ensuring strategic fit, due diligence, risk management and clear institutional accountabilities;
  • Maintain a stakeholder database and engagement plan;
  • Strengthen networking opportunities for organizational growth and influence.

Leading communication and partnership support to resource mobilization, quality assurance of donor agreements, donor relations and the identification of new funding and collaboration opportunities, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Lead or provide final strategic quality assurance for major funding proposals, investment cases and concept notes, ensuring a compelling value proposition, programme coherence and alignment with partner priorities;
  • Prepare communication materials for donor engagement and fundraising campaigns; 
  • Lead development and implementation of the Country Office partnership and resource mobilization strategy; direct senior-level intelligence and opportunity analysis; prioritize prospects; and maintain management oversight of a diversified pipeline, targets, risks and conversion performance in coordination with Programme teams;
  • Provide office-wide governance and quality assurance for donor engagement, visibility, reporting and stewardship commitments; resolve cross-unit bottlenecks; escalate material risks; and hold responsible teams accountable for consistent and timely follow-up;
  • Develop promotional materials highlighting organizational achievements and impact.

Providing strategic direction and quality assurance for high-quality communication and knowledge products that showcase organizational achievements and lessons learned, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Set priorities and provide strategic direction and final quality assurance for multimedia content, publications and digital campaigns produced under the day-to-day leadership of the Communications Analyst;
  • Document project results, beneficiary stories, and best practices; 
  • Develop case studies, factsheets, annual reports, and impact reports; 
  • Ensure quality control and consistency of all communication materials; 
  • Facilitate internal knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Lead in strengthening the organization's digital presence and public engagement.

  • Set strategic direction, risk parameters and performance expectations for social media and digital engagement, with operational management and content calendars led by the Communications Analyst;
  • Monitor online engagement, media coverage, and public perception; 
  • Coordinate digital campaigns to promote organizational initiatives; 
  • Respond to media inquiries and coordinate public information activities; 
  • Analyze communication metrics and prepare performance reports.

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

Institutional Arrangement: 

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Resident Representative, with support from the Deputy Resident Representative, the Communications and Partnership Specialist serves as Head of the Communication and Partnership Unit and exercises delegated authority for its strategic direction, integrated planning, budget and resource prioritization, workforce management, quality assurance, risk management and performance. The Specialist supervises and develops Unit personnel, establishes accountabilities, makes recommendations on resource allocation and service delivery, and is accountable for the quality and timeliness of office-wide communications, partnership and resource mobilization results. The Communications Analyst leads day-to-day operational coordination of communications personnel and consultants under the Specialist's direction and delegated framework.  

Competencies

Core competencies

  • 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 competencies

  • UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in 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    

  • 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.

Communication    

  • Digital Asset Management    
    • Ability to use digital asset management (DAM) systems to effectively store, share and organize digital assets such as images, videos and other media

Business Development    

  • Knowledge Generation    
    • Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. 
    • Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations 
       

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 
       

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness    

  • Effectiveness    
    • Performance analysis on programming
       

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Communication, Public Relations, Journalism, Media Studies, International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or related field is required. Or
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned field in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.  

Experience:

  • Minimum seven (7) years (with master’s degree) or nine (9) years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressive relevant professional experience in strategic communications, partnership development, external relations and/or resource mobilization is required, including experience providing senior-level advice and leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Required Skills:

  • Extensive experience leading strategic communication, advocacy, public relations, institutional positioning, branding and high-level media engagement in complex operating environments;
  • Experience at the international level or in a multilateral or development organization;
  • Experience providing strategic oversight of digital communication channels, campaigns and analytics, including governance of websites and social media platforms;
  • Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems, and up-to-date, advanced knowledge of data management tools and database packages; 
  • Proven ability to draft and quality-assure high-level policy, executive and donor communications for diverse audiences, including speeches, strategic briefs, investment cases and crisis messaging;
  • Experience in multimedia content development, including photography, videography, graphic design, infographic production, and the use of graphic design and multimedia software such as Adobe Creative Suite.

Desired Skills:

  • Demonstrated experience leading an organizational communications and partnership’s function, including strategy, governance, quality assurance, budget prioritization and performance management;
  • Demonstrated managerial experience supervising multidisciplinary personnel, delegating operational delivery, developing capacity and managing competing institutional priorities and deadlines;
  • Demonstrated ability to prepare high-quality reports, concept notes, proposals, speeches, briefs, and communication materials;
  • Demonstrated record of building and negotiating senior-level partnerships with government, bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial institutions, civil society and the private sector;
  • Demonstrated record of developing and implementing integrated communication, advocacy, visibility, partnership and resource mobilization strategies with measurable institutional results; 
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently while fostering collaboration across departments and with external stakeholders.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English. 

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

Data Privacy

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