Stretch Assignment: WCARO, Partnership Office (Onsite)
Title: Private Partnerships Specialist
Level: P3-P4 – we encourage staff from all levels with the relevant experience to apply
Reports to: Senior Advisor, Partnerships
Duration: 3-4 months
Section: Partnership Section
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Dates/Duration: Stretch assignment from April 2025
Eligibility: All Fixed-Term, Permanent or continuing appointment UNICEF staff members currently working in UNICEF worldwide.
Background
Under the general guidance and supervision of the Senior Advisor Partnerships, the Private Partnerships Specialist will focus in this stretch assignment on a portfolio of Foundations, corporate and philanthropy partnerships, including the development of ongoing partnerships and the prospecting of new ones. The incumbent will work closely with regional programme sections, Country Offices, HQ PG and PFP colleagues to nurture ongoing partnerships, identify priority opportunities, develop pitches and proposals and to implement the WCAR private sector resources mobilization strategy, with a major focus on Foundations (including corporate foundations) and Philanthropists (African and global).
Duration
This stretch assignment will be for a period of three (3) to four (4) months.
Key expected results
Forge the existing collaboration with Key Stakeholders:
Establish regular coordination meetings with the corporate, philanthropy and foundations partnerships team in PFP, select National Committees and partnerships sections in the other predominantly African Regional Offices, to map and ensure strategic alignment on partnership objectives for WCAR. Collaboratively identify the top 10 Foundation prospects (Global and Regional) based on the existing regional strategy to maintain, nurture and engage, prioritizing those with the highest capacity for sustainable impact. This mapping should include potential timelines, aligned programmatic areas, and a clear action plan for engagement.
Support Tier 1 Country Offices to grow the financial resources from private partners, specifically Foundations and Philanthropy:
Collaborate with Tier 1 COs in the region (Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal) to conduct or build on existing thorough mapping of priority private sector partners, including both local, regional and global structure with decision-making capabilities at the local level. This includes close collaboration with PFP on the provision of tailored guidance to COs on identifying high-impact prospects, level of potential programmatic impact and capacity for long-term partnership. Provide strategic and technical steer in ongoing negotiations and the management of existing partnerships at local level.
Engage Leading African Philanthropists:
Initiate targeted outreach to a selected pool of philanthropists, leveraging existing networks and contacts to establish regional-level discussions around potential areas of support for UNICEF’s work in the region, to support in the growth development and interlinkages to emergency fundraising and the development of the individual giving platform reach.
Criteria for eligibility:
To be eligible, applicants should normally:
- hold a permanent, continuous or fixed term contract and normally have served with UNICEF for a period of at least one year in the current role
- have approval from supervisor and Head of Office to go on a stretch assignment for this duration.
Minimum qualifications and competencies
- An advanced university degree (Masters) in business administration, marketing/communications, international development, public affairs, international relations, political science or another related field.
- A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in external relations, reporting, liaison and/or any resource-mobilization related activities, preferably in an international organization, is required.
- A minimum of three years working with private sector donors or related work in private sector partnerships and fundraising is required.
- Previous experience of work in a country or regional office is a plus.
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of basic French is highly desirable.
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Conditions of the assignment
The location of the stretch assignment will be in Dakar, WCARO. If selected for this opportunity, the assigned staff member will remain in his/her existing post and be temporarily assigned to UNICEF WCARO for the duration of the stretch assignment. Thus, no changes will be made to staff member’s existing status (post number, etc., will remain as is).
Funding arrangement
This is a temporary development opportunity and there will be no changes to the staff member’s status (position number, level, etc.).
The Office will cover the ticket for economy class travel and 100% of the UN DSA rate during the first 30 days, and 50% DSA for the remaining time.
Interested UNICEF staff should discuss this opportunity with their supervisor and seek the approval of their management before applying.
Candidates considered potentially well-matched for the stretch assignment will be contacted for an informal interview. Supervisors may also be contacted for references.
