Partnerships Development Advisor

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

The UNOPS South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) supports sustainable development in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based in Belgrade with strong field teams, SEEMCO delivers project management, procurement, infrastructure, HR, and technical assistance to governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Partnering with national institutions, local authorities, civil society, and media, it contributes to sectors such as infrastructure, socio-economic development, social cohesion, rule of law, environment, healthcare, education, digitalisation, energy transition, and governance. Since 2000, SEEMCO has advanced the EU integration agenda, national priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides emergency response, recovery support, and capacity building for institutions. Funders include the EU, European Investment Bank, governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as UN agencies such as UNHCR and UNEP.

The South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) in Belgrade is responsible for the overall management and oversight of UNOPS activities within its geographical scope. It works closely with national governments, international organizations, and civil society partners to deliver high-quality projects and programmes that meet the needs of the region. The SEEMCO is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainability in all its operations.

In light of the changing development assistance context (decreasing grant funding, prominent role of International Financial Institutions, etc.), UNOPS SEEMCO needs to mobilise additional expertise for positioning and better shaping support to partners and countries.

The Partnerships Development Advisor will provide senior-level advisory support to strengthen the strategic positioning, programme pipeline and institutional engagement of SEEMCO across its countries of operation, contributing to identifying and advancing opportunities for the organisation’s growth.

• Strategic advisory support for partnership development and resource mobilisation.
• Technical support in programme/project formulation and proposal development.
• Institutional engagement and high-level stakeholder management.
• Analytical reporting and strategic planning contributions.

The incumbent will undertake the following responsibilities:

• Provide strategic advice to SEEMCO senior management on programme positioning, portfolio development and engagement with government institutions, international organisations, development partners and financing institutions.
• Support the identification and advancement of opportunities that contribute to the expansion and diversification of the SEEMCO portfolio across its thematic and geographic areas of operation, with a particular focus on International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and governments
• Analyse political, economic, institutional and development trends to identify emerging priorities, potential partnerships and opportunities for future programming.
• Advise on strategic approaches for positioning UNOPS services and implementation modalities in response to evolving partner priorities and development financing opportunities.
• Contribute to the conceptualization, design and formulation of programmes and projects by providing strategic and technical inputs throughout the opportunity development process.
• Facilitate institutional dialogue and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, including IFIs, governments, European Union institutions, United Nations entities, bilateral partners and other relevant organisations.
• Provide expert guidance on aligning programme concepts and implementation approaches with partner priorities, funding frameworks and applicable strategic objectives.
• Support the preparation and advancement of strategic engagement plans, partnership approaches and cooperation opportunities that strengthen SEEMCO's competitive positioning.
• Advise on opportunities to leverage UNOPS expertise in project management, infrastructure, procurement, financial and human resources management in support of partner objectives.
• Contribute to negotiations, consultations and strategic discussions related to prospective engagements and support the development of appropriate cooperation frameworks and institutional arrangements.
• Perform other related duties within the scope of the assignment as requested by the Supervisor.

Provision of Technical Support

The retainer will deliver technical and strategic support through a combination of analytical, advisory and coordination activities, including:

• Preparation, review and quality assurance of strategic documents, programme concepts, project proposals, expressions of interest, partnership briefs, presentations, analytical reports and other materials supporting programme development and institutional engagement.
• Provision of strategic advice throughout programme identification, opportunity assessment and initiative development processes.
• Development of analyses and recommendations supporting management decision-making related to portfolio growth, partner engagement and programme prioritization.
• Representation of SEEMCO, as delegated, during consultations, technical meetings, conferences, negotiations and engagement with development partners and stakeholders.
• Delivery of knowledge-sharing activities, advisory sessions and capacity strengthening support for SEEMCO personnel to enhance programme development, strategic engagement and resource mobilisation capacities.

Required:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Public Affairs, International Relations, Law, Social Science, Communications, Politics or other relevant fields with 7 years of relevant experience. 

OR

First level university degree with 9 years of relevant working experience. 

OR 

Secondary school diploma with 13 years of relevant working experience.

Required:

• Relevant work experience in partnership development and resource mobilisation.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in leadership or key expert positions.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.