Partnerships Senior Officer

Job Summary

Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFCO activities cover a range of sectors including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

 

Job Requirements

Role Purpose 

The Senior Partnerships Officer supports the identification, development and management of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization opportunities for the Country Office. The role provides analytical, coordination and project development support across the partnership lifecycle, from opportunity identification and pipeline management through proposal development, partner engagement and agreement preparation. Working closely with programme teams, senior management and external partners, the incumbent contributes to strengthening UNOPS' strategic positioning and expanding a diversified portfolio of partnerships aligned with country and organizational priorities. 

Functions / Key Results Expected 

1. Partnership Strategy, Intelligence and Opportunity Identification

• Support implementation of the Country Office partnership strategy and annual partnership workplans by analysing the country context, donor priorities and partnership landscape, identifying opportunities and contributing to strategic positioning and portfolio growth. 

• Conduct partner intelligence, donor research and funding analysis to identify emerging partnership opportunities.

• Monitor donor priorities, financing trends and funding announcements, recommending opportunities for engagement.

• Maintain partner mapping and strategic analysis to support resource mobilization planning

• Maintain the Country Office partnership pipeline, tracking opportunities, deadlines, responsibilities and follow-up actions.

• Manage Opportunity+ and partnership engagement records, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.

• Prepare partnership dashboards, pipeline reports and portfolio analysis for management.

• Monitor risks and opportunities affecting the Country Office partnership portfolio and provide analysis and recommendations to support strategic decision-making. 

 

1. Develop Partnership Opportunities

 

• Monitor and analyze humanitarian and development trends to identify areas of collaboration aligned with UNOPS’ mandate and capacity.

• Research and track events, publications and announcements to screen opportunities and identify emerging trends that can drive new partnerships.

• Contribute to the identification, design, formulation and negotiation of new projects and programmes, including drafting concept notes, slides, proposals and project briefs for partner discussions.

• Create and maintain partnership opportunities and engagement records in Opportunity+ and OuP, ensuring alignment with corporate guidelines.

• Initiate and follow-up on internal engagement approval and clearance process

• Coordinate technical and financial inputs, for proposals and support internal review and clearance processes. 

• Support preparation of agreements, engagement documentation and related partnership documentation. 

• Support communication of UNOPS pricing approaches and value proposition during partnership discussions and proposal development. 

• Support the diversification of the office portfolio in line with UNOPS' strategic, regional and country objectives.

• Coordinate responses to partnership enquiries and requests for engagement, ensuring timely follow-up across programme and support teams.

• Coordinate internal proposal calendars, review processes and partner engagement tracking.

 

 

1. Representation and Inter-Agency Partnership

 

• Support development and maintenance of productive working relationships with governments, donors, UN agencies, IFIs, foundations, NGOs and private-sector partners. 

• Support partner engagement, outreach and advocacy activities, working closely with the Communications & Partnerships Officer where appropriate.

• Participate (as authorized by line manager) in inter-agency, donor, and government coordination forums, providing updates on project development issues in consultation with UNOPS project managers and technical experts.

• Contribute to UN common planning and programming processes, including strategic country analyses, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and response plans.

• Maintain productive working relationships with partner focal points and monitor political, economic and development trends affecting partnership opportunities. 

• Represent UNOPS at technical partnership meetings, coordination forums and external events, as delegated. 

 

1. Knowledge Management and Innovation

 

• Maintain partnership development tools, templates and tracking systems to improve efficiency and consistency.

• Capture and disseminate lessons learned and good practices from partnership development activities.

• Support Project Managers through guidance on partnership development processes and proposal preparation.

• Monitor partnership performance data and recommend improvements to systems, tools and business processes.

• Contribute to knowledge-sharing initiatives and continuous improvement across the Country Office.

Skills  Business Development Companies, Communication, Partnerships, Planning, Proposal Writing, Stakeholder Engagement Competencies  Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion. Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground. Education Requirements 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with 4 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience is required

 

 

Experience Requirements 

Required

• Experience supporting partnership development, proposal coordination, business development, donor engagement or resource mobilization in an international development context. 

 

Desired

• Experience of resource mobilization through bilateral donors, IFIs and MDBs

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Experience in project and programme management is desired.

Language Requirements 

Language	Proficiency Level	Requirement
English	Fluent	Required