Partnerships Advisor
Organizational Context
UNOPS operates in Madagascar, supporting sustainable development initiatives in health, energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. The organization collaborates closely with national institutions and development partners to enhance resilience, essential service delivery, and local economic growth. UNOPS's work in Madagascar focuses on improving quality of life through projects funded by international bodies like the World Bank and IFAD.
Job Purpose
The Partnerships Advisor provides high-level strategic support to the UNOPS office in Madagascar. This role is crucial for refining the understanding of national strategic priorities, facilitating high-level dialogues, and identifying partnership opportunities. The advisor will guide advocacy efforts with the government and technical/financial partners to maximize UNOPS's contribution to sustainable development. While not directly supervising, the advisor will mentor the partnerships team and related roles. Key responsibilities include supporting the development and implementation of the partnership strategy, coordinating with the government and stakeholders, providing situational analysis, mapping stakeholders, and offering technical support for program formulation, leveraging their network to enhance communication.
Responsibilities
The Partnerships Advisor is responsible for strategic planning and partnership development, including advising on a comprehensive partnership strategy aligned with UNOPS's global and regional plans. This involves analyzing national and regional development landscapes, identifying key partners, and strategically positioning UNOPS in high-value sectors to optimize its impact. The role also entails advising leadership on strategy implementation, supporting project development planning, and researching donor strategies to identify funding opportunities. In stakeholder engagement, the advisor will foster strong relationships with governments, UN agencies, donors, and the private sector, working closely with program and support teams to ensure project alignment. They will mentor partnership officers, collaborate with communications on external positioning, and lead key partnership meetings and negotiations. The advisor will also coordinate and coach staff involved in partnerships, facilitate high-level meetings, support partners in implementation options, and establish standards for communication materials. Additionally, the role involves contributing to inter-organizational planning, ensuring results-based management principles, and overseeing monitoring and reporting for partnership activities. Knowledge management and innovation are also key, focusing on best practices and enhancing partnership and project development capabilities.
Work Experience
Proven experience working with or in collaboration with the Government of Madagascar in program development and monitoring, international collaboration, or partnership development is required. Experience in multicultural environments, UN organizations, developing countries, project/program management, or humanitarian contexts is desirable.
Skills
Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Proposal Writing, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking, Communication, Negotiation, Project Development, Results-Based Management.