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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
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For every child, HOPE!
Vacancy Announcement: Consultant
Consultancy Title: Fundraising/Partnership Consultant
Section/Division/Duty Station: Education-ADAP Section, New York HQ
Duration: July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 (Six Months)
Home/ Office Based: REMOTE
About UNICEF
If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.
BACKGROUND
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
There is an increasing gap in learning to skills acquisition, which is widening with each year of a child’s life. The situation is compounded by continued disruption of learning due to escalating humanitarian emergencies, climate change and systemic failures. This requires an urgent call to action to end the learning crisis; ensuring every child is learning and skilled.
Furthermore, in an increasingly resource constrained environment, in which resource partners are keen to play a more active role and access greater visibility of the impact and effectiveness of their investments, UNICEF is establishing a new resource mobilization and partnership platform to attract and manage resources, ensuring mutual ownership and accountability.
Situated in the Education Section of UNICEF Headquarters, and under the supervision and guidance of the Resource Mobilization Manager, the purpose of this short-term assignment is to support an intensive resource mobilization effort in the run up to UNICEF’s new strategic plan period 2026-2029. The role focuses on designing and establishing a new Resource Mobilization and Partnership platform, in support of the global Education Programme, at a time where “business as usual” is becoming redundant.
The objective of the new modality is to mobilize and catalyze new, sustainable education financing from both public and private sector partners. This will entail developing a platform that offers partners multiple, catalytic, flexible and sustainable ways of supporting UNICEF’s Education programme. The platform will:
1. Create new entry points for public and private sector partners to support UNICEF’s Education programme, including through technical and flexible financing instruments.
2. Offer a space for strategic engagements enabling partners to convene around shared education priorities, monitor progress and contribute expertise and influence.
3. Nurture joint accountability and ownership allowing partners to align around common goals, strengthen accountabilities in resource generation and allocation, as well as accountability in progress towards results.
To ensure a strategic and robust approach, UNICEF seeks to engage an experienced individual consultant to drive the work of designing and establishing the platform to better attract, structure and consolidate funding flows to UNICEF’s global Education Programme, and to create joint ownership and accountability for achieving global goals. It is anticipated that this new approach will attract and leverage new partnerships by aligning with donor priorities and deploying creative financing models to maximize the impact of every dollar invested. The Consultant will also support partner sensitization, strategic communication to position and promote aligning with donor interests and launch of the platform.
The consultant will help define the architecture of the platform, and pathways to operationalize it. This will include the launch of a new partnership platform that enables coordinated and equity-focused allocation of resources together with partners. The platform promotes joint ownership and accountability.
Given the urgency and unique skill sets needed for this initiative—and its potential to transform the way UNICEF mobilizes and directs education resources globally—dedicated technical expertise is essential.
Scope of Work:
• Platform design including value proposition, structure design/mechanisms, governance, launch plan.
• Partnership targets: Map and analyse partner interest and expectations, engagement opportunities, including identifying potential champions and sequencing of events; Identify key investment areas and financing windows aligned with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan priorities.
• Partner engagement and communication strategy: Strategic communications and engagement plan for prospective partners, including sequencing for tailored outreach and approaches.
• Launch roadmap: Develop a launch roadmap including key milestones, timelines, and strategies for phased implementation, including pitch deck, high level brief and FAQs.
• Technical Support to donor/partner consultations: Provide technical inputs, briefing notes and preparation support for initial donor and partner consultation facilitated by UNICEF, contribution to positioning and partnership building efforts.
Terms of Reference / Specific Deliverables
Platform design including value proposition, structure design/mechanisms, governance.
- Design Concept Note (~15 pages), annexing roadmap, key milestones, draft partnership and governance framework, and consultation plan developed and approved.
1 August 2025
Partnership targets: Map and analyse partner interest and expectations, engagement opportunities, including identifying potential champions and sequencing of events; Identify suitable investment areas and financing windows aligned with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan priorities and partner interests.
- Partner landscape analysis report that includes key investment opportunities.
8 August 2025
Partner engagement and communication strategy: Strategic communications and engagement plan for prospective partners, including sequencing for tailored outreach and approaches. Engagement and communication strategy with key principles, approaches, and proposed timelines, as well as other supplementing resources. 22 August 2025
Revise Concept Note incorporating feedback, insights and design of different components.
- Updated Fund Concept Note (~15 pages)
19 September 2025
Launch roadmap: Develop a launch roadmap including key milestones, timelines, and strategies for phased implementation, including pitch deck, high level brief and FAQs.
- Launch package, including concept brief, FAQs and a high-level pitch deck tailored to public and private partners.
3 October 2025
Plan and launch new partnership platform.
- At least one meeting/event (depending on plan) to launch the platform with key potential partners engagement conducted.
31 October 2025
Technical Support to donor/partner consultations: Provide technical inputs, briefing notes and preparation support for initial donor and partner consultation facilitated by UNICEF, contribution to positioning and partnership building efforts.
- A set of supporting materials tailored for 5 priority donor meetings/consultation including briefing notes, presentation deck (10-12 slides) and partner follow up inputs (notes, response to questions or revised documents) following key consultations.
30 November 2025
Submit final package (final Concept Note with value proposition, partnership platform/governance framework, partner engagement materials.
- Final consolidated package.
31 December 2025
Travel International (if applicable)
1 International travel to New York (for the launch in September)
Qualifications
(1) Education
Advance University Degree (Masters) in International relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.
Language Proficiency:
• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Knowledge of an additional UN Language (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) is an asset
(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
• A minimum of seven years of professional experience in partnership design and resource mobilization in multilateral or global development contexts
• Proven experience designing or managing global/multi-partner funds, preferably in the education or social sectors
• Familiarity with innovative financing instruments.
• Ability to implement clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies, identify priority activities and assignments, adjust priorities as required.
• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach-related activities.
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written.
Requirements:
Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and
- Upload copy of academic credentials
- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
o the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
o travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
o Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
o Indicate your availability
- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.
U.S. Visa information:
With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles 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.
Remarks:
Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
