Strategic Engagement and Partnership Specialist (Open to Tier 0, 1 and 2 candidates only)

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

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. We work with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated and well supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism.

UNV has six Regional Offices: Amman (covering the Arab States), Bangkok (covering Asia and the Pacific), Dakar (covering West and Central Africa), Istanbul (covering Europe and Central Asia), Nairobi (covering East and Southern Africa) and Panama City (covering Latin America and the Caribbean). At the country level, UNV Field Units interact with UN entities to strategically and meaningfully integrate volunteerism into the implementation and delivery of their mandates.

The Executive Office (ExO) provides vision, innovation and organizational leadership, and strategically directs and manages UNV. The ExO defines UNV’s long-term goals and immediate objectives, taking into account UN General Assembly resolutions and UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board decisions. The ExO leads the organization’s development, articulation, quality assurance and implementation of the substantive and operational aspects of the UNV programme, e.g. strategies, policies and guidelines. The ExO consists of a front office in direct support of the Executive Coordinator (EC) a Deputy Executive Coordinator (DEC), a Deputy Executive Coordinator, Management (DEC-M), an Executive Support team, a Results-Based Management team, and a Legal Advisory team. The EC, DEC and DEC-M form the Executive Team.

Position Purpose

Under the overall supervision of Executive Coordinator and day-to-day supervision of the Chief, Strategic Planning and Executive Support, the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Specialist promote UNV’s efforts to enhance the performance of the Special Voluntary Fund (SVF), including resource mobilization, diversification of resources, and consistency in donor outreach. A second major area of responsibility is supporting volunteer mobilization through strategic visibility and joint advocacy with UN partners.

This position plays a coordination and integrator role across four external partnerships interfaces: the External Relations and Communications Section (ERCS) in relation to partnerships and communications; the Volunteer Solutions Section (VSS) on UNV’s partner offer, especially in the area of humanitarian/crisis response; the New York Office (NYO) on partnerships and UN system positioning; and with the Executive Office (ExO) as holder of the SVF Secretariat.

Furthermore, the incumbent contributes to the effective functioning of the Executive Office, including its role as Secretariat of the SVF, by strengthening strategic coordination, facilitating information flows, and ensuring that engagement efforts are aligned with organizational priorities and informed by evidence and knowledge.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead volunteer mobilization and SVF Partnerships, Advocacy and Public Engagement

• Guide the development and implementation of the outreach elements within the UNV Partnerships and Communications Strategy related to volunteer mobilization and the Special Voluntary Fund (SVF).
• Provide guidance on messaging, positioning, and advocacy priorities to support UNV senior management in promoting SVF initiatives, results, and partnerships in high-level engagements.
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key advocacy stakeholders and communication partners to strengthen UNV’s positioning.
• Collaborate closely with internal UNV teams across Headquarters/Bonn, New York, Regional Offices, and Field Units to identify strategic advocacy opportunities related to volunteer mobilization and SVF.
• Contribute to UNV’s integrated approach to partnerships, public outreach, and advocacy, in line with the UNV Strategic Plan, to strengthen visibility of UNV’s contributions to sustainable development.
• Support the Executive Office in its role as SVF Secretariat, including coordinating inputs across NYO, VSS, ERCS, and Regional Offices, preparing executive briefing materials for donor engagements, aligning SVF allocations with partnership priorities, and analyzing SVF performance and strategic positioning.

Provide Guidance on Strategic Outreach, Campaigns and Content for Volunteer and SVF/FF Mobilization

• Develop, curate and produce high-quality digital content for UNV’s websites and social media platforms, ensuring brand consistency and relevance.
• Design and implement high-impact campaigns to promote volunteer mobilization and SVF/FF partnerships in line with agreed strategic priorities.
• Manage the promotion and dissemination of UNV’s advocacy assets, including the Annual Report and other reports related to volunteer mobilization and SVF/FF.
• Advance UNV’s mandate through high-level advocacy and media relations, directly engaging with UN partners, government officials, and international media to increase institutional visibility and volunteer mobilization.
• Organize and support advocacy events, press engagements and public outreach activities, including executive briefings, to promote key initiatives and partnerships.
• Provide innovative and creative solutions to address emerging or sensitive public engagement needs related to volunteer mobilization and/or SVF.

Contribute to Knowledge Management and Capacity Building

• Curate a knowledge repository for communications, advocacy and donor engagement, continuously capturing and sharing best practices in advocacy and external relations for development.
• Synthesize insights from SVF allocations, UN partner demand (NYO, VSS), and Member State engagement (ERCS).
• Draft briefing notes and analytical products for senior management.
• Monitor global trends and news to provide senior management with accurate, timely, and data-driven guidance on public positioning.
• Actively engage in corporate and regional knowledge networks and communities of practice, providing sound contributions, including corporate communications repositories.
• Contribute to the organization and provision of capacity building to UNV staff on strategic external outreach and integrated partnership approaches.
• Drive the use of digital platforms (blogs, social media, and community of practice) to widely disseminate UNV positions, events, and debates.
• Facilitate continuous learning loops across Field Units, Regional Offices, HQ, and New York Office.
• Support senior management with internal messaging initiatives as needed.

Ensure high- level quality assurance

• Perform rigorous quality control over all high-level publications, policy documents, and outreach materials, ensuring strict alignment with corporate branding norms and SVF objectives.
• Provide senior management with compelling speeches, and comprehensive briefing materials by synthesizing thematic inputs from across the organization.
• Facilitate seamless cross-unit coordination (ERCS, NYO, VSS, Regional Offices, and the Executive Office) to ensure coherent, integrated external messaging and the successful rollout of global outreach strategies.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Ad-hoc non-staff capacity contracted on a non-continuous basis.

Core Competencies

Achieve Results

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Learn Continuously

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Adapt with Agility

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Act with Determination

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

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.

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.

Partnerships Management

• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

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.

Advocacy Strategy and Implementation

• Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.

Media Relations

• Ability to develop media relations across all aspects of media work including relationships with media and preparing media materials such as messages.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in International Relations, Communications, Journalism, Social Sciences, or any related field is required. or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with master´s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor´s degree) of relevant experience at international level in partnership management, communications, media relations, or journalism is required.
• Extensive international-level experience in partnership management and communications related to development, the Sustainable Development Goals, and crisis/protracted crisis development-related issues are an asset.
• Experience in developing and implementing communications strategies in a development context is desired.
• Experience in initiating and using innovative approaches to develop, including but not limited to social media and digital and visual approaches to communication is desired.
• Experience in overseeing and developing advocacy initiatives is desired.
• Proven capacity to manage communications-related sensitivities and reputational risk issues is desired.
• Experience in integrating partnership, communication and advocacy strategies, planning, and implementation is desired.
• Experience in knowledge management and synthesis, stakeholder coordination and partnerships development is highly desired.
• Knowledge of and experience with the usage of computers and MS Office packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems is required.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required. (excellent verbal and written communication skills; excellent drafting and presentation skills).
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.

Disclaimer

• Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
• The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment for a Temporary Assignment
• This vacancy announcement is open to Open to Tier 0, 1 and 2.

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.

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