Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Specialist

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace, and security.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan. UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic, and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace, and Security.

Under the overall guidance of the Special Representative and the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Representative, the Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Specialist will lead the development and implementation of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies and manage donor reporting. Working with and supporting existing partners and donors, as well as cultivating new partnerships, the incumbent will identify and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies and initiatives, including the coordination of the development of new programme proposals; lead quality and timely donor reporting; and provide other relevant partner management related support to senior management and programme and operations units within the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO). 

Duties and Responsibilities

Oversee the development of UN Women’s strategic partnerships in Afghanistan

• Oversee the relationships with key partners; provide substantive technical inputs to senior management’s efforts at the country level to develop new partnerships, maintain existing partnerships, and to position the Country Office with potential donors;
• Convene and facilitate partner and donor engagements through working groups and other fora, in line with the overall partnerships’ engagement approach;
• Manage and coordinate relationships with key partners; provide technical inputs to senior management’s efforts to develop new and innovative partnerships;
• Advise the Country Office on the design and implementation of effective advocacy strategies and methods for proactive and strategic targeting of partners and donors.

Lead the Country Office’s resource mobilization strategies and initiatives

• Lead the development and implementation of differentiated donor fund-raising strategies, aligned and coordinated with the Country Office’s programme initiatives and outreach activities;
• Provide substantive technical and coordination support in the drafting and review of partner-specific Framework Arrangements and Cost Sharing Agreements;
• In close collaboration with the Programme Units, provide technical and coordination support to the development of project proposals in line with UN Women’s overall programming approach and strategy in Afghanistan;
• Oversee the development of targeted products and initiatives to mobilize programmatic resources and attract additional donor funding;
• Develop a prospective donor profile database and lead ad-hoc donor studies, research, and other activities to identify funding opportunities; update the resources mobilization strategy as needs emerge;
• Populate, update and maintain UN Women internal systems and tools for the monitoring of resource mobilization opportunities, partner-specific Framework Arrangements, and Cost Sharing Agreements, ensure data and documentation are uploaded; and timely action on extension/closure of agreements are taken.

Build trust and maintain effective relationships with donors and partners

• Provide strategic and technical support to the senior management in the preparation of missions, and other consultations with donors and partners, including the preparation of notes, briefs, and other materials; ensure overall coordination of such missions and consultations;
• Manage and coordinate relationships with key partners; provide technical inputs to senior management’s efforts to develop new and innovative partnerships;
• Oversee and lead the implementation of resource mobilization strategies and initiatives
• Coordinate and lead meetings and presentations with donors and partners in Afghanistan and outside, including preparation of presentations, briefing notes, and talking points;
• Act as a direct entry point for donors and partners, building institutional relationships, and answering donor and partners' queries.

Lead the donor reporting and quality assurance of results reports

• Ensure the Country Office’s compliance with the reporting terms of grants and agreements;
• Lead substantive technical support to programme teams for the preparation of high-quality and timely donor and other reports; support the drafting of donor reports;
• Coordinate with relevant units for the collection of information and preparation of results-based reports for external constituencies.

Contribute to knowledge building and sharing and support advocacy efforts

• Oversee the development of knowledge products and mechanisms to effectively position UN Women in the country;
• Contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Organize and conduct training on Resource Mobilisation and partnership building in the Afghanistan Country Office;
• Monitor emerging issues that could affect partnerships and resource contributions at the national or regional levels (risk management).
• Contribute to advocacy strategies for proactive and strategic targeting of partners and donors.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely attention and response to UN Women’s partners and donors
• Quality inputs to resource mobilization and partnerships strategy and timely support to the Country Office management
• Timely targeting of funding opportunities and timely tracking of donor intelligence
• Timely and quality donor reporting
• Quality knowledge products and timely sharing of best practices to improve/ enhance donor relations

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of gender equality and women's rights issues;
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with government representatives of Member States (donor and programme);
• Proven networking skills, and ability to mobilize support on behalf of UN Women;
• Excellent negotiating skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes;
• Excellent IT skills, including databases, extranet and office software packages;
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, business management, social sciences, public administration, international relations, communications, women's studies, or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in resource mobilization and in managing relations and outreach with partners;
• Experience in gender equality and women's empowerment;
• Experience working with civil society organizations, international institutions, and donors;
• Knowledge of the donor profile in the country or /and in the region will be an asset
• Experience working in a complex humanitarian context is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN system is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from the Application and recruitment process | About us: Careers at UN Women | UN Women – Headquarters  Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Inclusion Statement:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)