Partnerships Specialist

About the role

The UNOPS Office of the Regional Director (ORD) for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Panama City, Panama, seeks a Partnerships Specialist. The specialist develops and implements partnership and programme development plans, builds relationships with governments, UN agencies, donors and other stakeholders to mobilize resources and expand the office's portfolio, and keeps partnership initiatives aligned with UNOPS' global and regional priorities.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement a partnership and programme development plan aligned with UNOPS' Strategic Plan and Regional Strategies, including analysis of the country and regional context, identification of key partners and a pipeline of opportunities.
• Coordinate with Partnerships personnel at global, national and liaison levels, as well as Project Managers, and examine risks and opportunities for sustainable growth.
• Monitor humanitarian and development trends, research events and publications, and advise HQ and the Regional Office on framework partnership agreements.
• Contribute to the design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programmes, draft concept notes and project briefs, coordinate technical and financial inputs, and lead negotiations to finalize proposals.
• Manage partnership opportunity records in the ERP, communicate UNOPS pricing policies and value proposition to partners, and support portfolio diversification.
• Build partnerships with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, foundations, NGOs and private-sector actors; lead or support advocacy and communication initiatives; and take part in inter-agency, donor and government coordination forums.
• Contribute to UN common planning and programming, including country analyses, the UNSDCF and response plans.
• Implement HQ standards, tools and templates, share lessons learned, build partnership capacity and negotiation skills among Project Managers, and give regular feedback on systems and tools.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with 7 years of relevant experience, or Master's degree (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience in international development, including partnership and programme development, project development and proposal writing, and establishing partnerships with UN agencies, international organizations, governments, foundations or private-sector organizations.
• Desired: experience in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country, in development or humanitarian contexts, and in project and programme management.