Senior Partnership Officer

Under the authority and overall responsibility of the Director of Partnerships in the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP), the direct supervision of the Director of the UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels, and in close cooperation with the Office’s Programme Liaison Officers, the incumbent will act as the Head of the Partnerships team in the UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels and contribute to strengthening the partnership between UNESCO and the European Union (EU) Institutions.

Partner intelligence and strategic positioning:

• Analyze EU priorities, policies, frameworks and programmes related to UNESCO’s fields of competences and identify potential cooperation opportunities to be shared with UNESCO’s colleagues in Headquarters, Field Offices and Category I Institutes.
• Build strong relationships with relevant counterparts in EU Institutions and ensure constant formal and informal interactions with a view to advocating UNESCO’s mandate (Medium-Term Strategy (C/4) and Approved Programme and Budget (C/5)) and assist colleagues to reinforce the policy dialogue and operational  cooperation with the EU.
• Lead and coordinate the development of policy briefs, fact sheets and other documents to provide real-time donor intelligence to relevant UNESCO colleagues.
• Develop and coordinate engagement strategies, leveraging key UNESCO senior officials to strategically position UNESCO with the EU, including by proposing and supporting official visits by the Director-General, Assistant Directors-General, Directors, including Field Office Directors, and other key colleagues.

Partnership and programme development and follow up:

• Provide substantive advice on strategic planning for the UNESCO partnership with the EU by providing inputs to the policy dialogue between UNESCO and the EU, develop and co-create new partnerships with the EU around shared priorities.
• Provide backstopping in the preparation and formulation of programme/project proposals while aiming at improving quality and relevance in light of EU frameworks and shared priorities. Participate in negotiations with the EU on programme aspects. Advise and assist Programme Sectors, Field Offices and Category I Institutes in drafting agreements to be concluded with the EU, in close cooperation with the Grants Management Unit within the Bureau of Strategic Planning.
• Prepare and participate in EU coordination meetings, steering committees, and other governance mechanisms for EU-funded programmes and for policy dialogue.
• Provide oversight for the tracking and monitoring of the implementation of the existing UNESCO-EU portfolio, support the timely analysis on overall portfolio implementation highlighting critical developments and their impact on programming and partnership building with the EU.
• Liaise with colleagues in the Bureau of Strategic Planning, Legal Affairs, Bureau of Financial Management, Human Resources and other internal stakeholders to ensure that new and existing programmes comply both with EU and UNESCO rules and regulations and best practices in programme development and management.

UN Coordination:

• Represent UNESCO in UN meetings, taskforces and other groups in Brussels related to European Institutions and share minutes and short notes with the Director of the Liaison Office in Brussels, BSP and other pertinent colleagues and services at UNESCO.
• Support the UNESCO Brussels Liaison Office Director to develop, build, and nurture strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, proactively seek joint initiatives of a policy and programme nature to advance UNESCO’s mandate.

Management

• Manage a small team of partnerships specialists, consultants and other personnel in line with best human resource management standards.
• Support the Brussels Liaison Office Director in the day-to-day management of the Office.
• Deputize the Brussels Liaison Office Director when required for internal and external meetings.
• Perform any other related duties and tasks as assigned by the Director of the Brussels Office and/or the Director of Partnerships.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in social and political sciences, international relations, development studies, business administration, public policy or related fields.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in the fields of partnership development, resource mobilization and programme management, of which preferably three (3) years acquired at the international level.
• Experience with the European Union and/or other prominent development actors.

Languages:

• Excellent knowledge of English and French.

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Brussels-Senior-Partnership-Officer/814112002/