Partnerships Manager (Philanthropy), P-4, FT, #00103449, Panama City Regional office – Panama, LACR

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to opportunity

Currently UNICEF is operating in a rapidly evolving financing landscape, where traditional humanitarian and development funding sources are becoming more constrained, volatile, and less predictable. At the same time, private sector engagement is evolving, with donors and partners increasingly seeking more strategic, measurable, and co-created forms of collaboration. This presents a significant opportunity for UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to strengthen engagement with the private sector and expand high-value partnerships that can accelerate results for children.
In this context, UNICEF is placing greater emphasis on audience-centric engagement strategies to deepen relationships with high-value audiences, including philanthropists, foundations, membership-based organizations (MBOs), and faith-based organizations (FBOs). This shift is particularly relevant in the LAC region, where there is growing potential to unlock greater support from philanthropic actors and mobilize collaborations in the global south.

How can you make a difference?

The Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) Division works with National Committees and UNICEF Regional and Country Offices, as well as other HQ divisions, to maximize income and influence from the private sector for the delivery of the UNICEF Strategic Plan. The Division is based in Geneva, and the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) is based in Panama, providing strategic and technical support to PSFR Country and Cluster Offices in the Region. Country Offices in Latin American and the Caribbean engage increasingly with the private sector – both for income and influence, and revenue has grown significantly in recent years.

The Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) team in the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) partners with UNICEF Country Offices (COs) to maximize revenue generation and drive sustainable income growth through strategic fundraising and partnership development across key high-value channels. The team provides integrated strategic oversight, technical expertise, and coordinated guidance to fundraising teams across designated PSFR markets, helping strengthen performance, alignment, and long-term growth.
The Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) team in the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) partners with UNICEF Country Offices (COs) to maximize revenue generation and drive sustainable income growth through strategic fundraising and partnership development across key high-value channels. The team provides integrated strategic oversight, technical expertise, and coordinated guidance to fundraising teams across designated PSFR markets, helping strengthen performance, alignment, and long-term growth.
This post sits within the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office reporting to the Regional Chief, Private Sector Partnerships (PFP), with close strategic and technical liaison with the global Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) Division.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JD_Partnerships Manager_P4 FT.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: A completed master’s degree or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in one of the following fields is required: business management, marketing, finance, international development, social studies or another relevant technical field.
• Work Experience: At least 8 years relevant and progressively responsible professional work experience in Philanthropy and Private Sector Partnerships and fundraising is required. Experience in direct prospecting, relationship cultivation and management of high value philanthropy partnerships is required.
• Skills: Demonstrated experience in supervising people is required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Intermediate (working knowledge) Spanish is required.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French or Russian) is an asset.
• Related work experience in Latin America and the Caribbean is a valuable asset.
• Experience working within the United Nations is highly desirable.
• Experience managing multi-country partnerships and stakeholder engagement is desirable.
• Experience engaging and collaborating with faith-based organizations is desirable.
• Experience engaging and collaborating with membership-based organizations, networks, or associations is desirable.
• Experience representing an organization at high-level events, forums, and external engagements is desirable.
• Experience leading or coordinating communities of practice, knowledge-sharing networks, or collaborative platforms is desirable.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.