Partner Communications Specialist

Job Description

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a 'leave no one behind' approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) leads and supports the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in cultivating, building, and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances that are essential for advancing and successfully achieving the mission of UNDP. The main functions of BERA are (1) Resource mobilization, coordination and partnership management, (2) UN & Multilateral coherence, and (3) External communications to raise UNDP's profile and improve communication. Within BERA, the Public Partnerships Group (PPG) guides engagement with public partners in support of UNDP Strategic Plan. This involves coordinating multi-stakeholder partnerships including quality assurance; and engaging with key political constituencies and actors, and intergovernmental and inter-agency processes. The Advocacy, Marketing and Communications Group (AMCG) leads and manages external communications through strategy, media, digital communications, marketing, branding and global storytelling.

The landscape of international development cooperation and development financing is at a critical juncture, with the disparity between the availability of funds and unmet development needs reaching unprecedented levels. The allocation of funding for development interventions and crisis prevention is significantly affected by funding practices that favour earmarked funds over core contributions, and short-term emergencies over investments in long-term development and peacebuilding efforts. In this context, a Partner Communications Specialist is needed to highlight the impactful work UNDP accomplishes with donor support, and to increase visibility for UNDP's donors and partners.

The Partner Communications Specialist conceptualizes and implements communications plans and visibility-raising initiatives, driving forward impacts on UNDP's corporate resource mobilization strategy and positioning the organization with donors and other partners. To ensure support for accelerating actions to implement UNDP's resource mobilization strategy, the Specialist works to strengthen partnerships through communications and engagement, and to open up new engagement opportunities with funding partners. The Specialist collaborates with teams within BERA (specifically the Public Partnerships Group and the Advocacy, Marketing and Communications Group) and across UNDP.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conceptualizes and implements a comprehensive strategy for positioning of UNDP and its work with donor audiences.
• Provides strategic input and support to the development and implementation of partner-targeted campaigns and communications plans, including, but not limited to the Partners At Core Campaign, coordinating across media, digital, social media, and other platforms and channels.
• Drafts and edits products including press releases, funding announcements, social media messages and key messages for use in external communications, taking these products through signoff processes.
• Coordinates and engenders cross-bureau collaboration and support for donor communications and engagement campaigns for donor audiences.
• Identifies and strengthens outreach to partners through strategic activations within BERA and across UNDP BERA Public Partnerships and Communications teams and including the Global Policy Network (Bureau for Policy and Programme Support & Crisis Bureau), and working with UNDP Regional Bureaus and Country Offices to embed partner communications and engagement at country level.
• Provides strategic guidance and input to UNDP Representation Offices in proactively working to increase the visibility of UNDP's impact including through partner events and activations, and profile and awareness-raising initiatives.
• Identifies and monitors donor communication and engagement training needs and supports the development and rollout of guiding tools and methods to enhance donor visibility at all levels across the organization.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

She/he will have a matrix line of reporting to the Deputy Director of PPG and the Deputy Director of AMCG.

Competencies
Core Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area Name Definition General (across the functions) Public relations
Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public

image for the organisation, its mandate and its brand,

while ensuring that individual campaigns and other

communications and advocacy initiatives are

supported in reaching the public
Communications
Advocacy strategy and

implementation

Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies

which lead to impactful change
Communications Creative direction and copywriting
Ability to creatively communicate concepts in an

engaging and simple way
Partnership management
Strategic engagement

Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and

agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision

makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision

and objectives
Business Direction & Strategy 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. Business Management Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Communications Multimedia writing/editing Ability to create and / or edit written content for multimedia

Minimum Qualifications
Education requirements

• Advanced University Degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Communications, International Relations, Global Communications, or other relevant field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor's degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience

• Minimum seven years (with master's degree) or 9 years (with bachelor's degree) of relevant professional work experience in corporate communications, strategic partnerships, global campaigns, resource mobilization, donor relations or other relevant field.

Required skills

• Experience working on and/or developing global communications campaigns or communications products is required.
• Experience working on partnerships development and managing donor relations is required.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Experience working within the UN system is desirable.
• Strong understanding of the multilateral development landscape including its actors, approaches and architecture and related institutions.
• Experience providing strategic advisory services and inter-bureau and/or inter-organizational coordination is an asset.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English is required-
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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