Communications and Partnership Specialist (Open to internal and external applicants)

Description Tiered Approach In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby: - Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026. - Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments - Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers - Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply. Background Being a development entity, UNDP has a central role in terms of development knowledge sharing, building and strengthening national and state level capacities. UNDP continues to ensure that the achievement of the global Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remain at the forefront in terms of the national and state level development agenda. UNDP’s commitment continues to focus on inclusivity and sustainability, to empower lives and to build a resilient nation and resilient communities. Under the leadership and direct supervision of the Resident Representative, the Communications and Partnerships Specialist will work with the Senior Management to spearhead the Country Office (CO) overall efforts to support the National Development Strategy (NDS), accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSCDF) and UNDP’s Country Program Document (CPD) for South Sudan. This position will require competencies of maintaining effective internal and external donor relations, strategic advocacy and partnership development, strategic communications and communication for development ; and facilitating knowledge building and knowledge sharing whilst fostering trust building and mutual accountability for delivering results. Therefore it is an imperative to focus on substantive contribution to UNDP’s strategic engagements with development partners and tangible contribution to UNDPs resource mobilization. The Specialist will build and sustain strategic partnerships with Government partners, UN and Development Partners, Private Sector and Civil Society. The Specialist will also support the development, regular updating and implementation of the CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategy, tools and procedures. Scope of Work Strategic Communication and Communication for Development: - Define and maintain standard internal and external communications processes, methodologies and guidance documents in line with UNDP corporate standards; - Support implementation of the Country Office Partnerships and Communication Action Plan (PCAP); - Guide the work related to all communication and creative products such as web design, films, social media products, infographics, publication design, etc; - Support coordination and management of all country office publication activities, including content management, editing, norms for publishing, design, liaison with printers and other suppliers to oversee production and supervision of publications dissemination; - Provide well-reasoned innovative suggestions and approaches to address communications issues including documenting country office program undertakings such as field visits; - Support the collection, collation and analysis of information on country office projects and programs for dissemination to development partners, government, media and the general public. Strategic Advocacy and Partnership Development - Manage and coordinate relationships with key partners; provide technical inputs to senior management briefs; - Set and monitor annual priorities, goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) for CO partnerships; - Provide strategic advice on building and maintaining partnerships and positioning; - Advise on the design and implementation of effective strategies and methods for proactive and strategic targeting of partners and donors; - Develop, nurture, and maintain an extensive network of partners within South Sudan including diplomatic representations, civil society, academia, NGOs, foundations, think tanks, the private sector, media and UN Agencies. Effective Internal and External Donor Relations - Analyze trends in the development and humanitarian funding landscape; - Provide technical support to the Representative and Management Team in the preparation of missions, meetings and other consultations with partners/stakeholders, including the preparation of notes, briefs and other materials; - Analyze donors’ external and internal policies and financial instruments that impact on South Sudan and the wider Sub-Saharan African region and pro-actively advise senior management of crucial developments, risks and opportunities; - Represent UNDP South Sudan in donor engagements and working groups; - Promote UNDP South Sudan work and its profile within the UN System, showcasing country office best practices that support maximizing development results, and in strengthening the institutional partnership between UNDP and all the donors; - Design and develop strategic products and initiatives to leverage funding opportunities and identify, map, and engage on key entry points for various donor funding cycles; - Undertake ad-hoc donor studies, research, in-depth analysis of donor-specific ODA trends, political and economic developments, aid policies, practices and budget allocations in specific donor countries to identify funding opportunities; update the resources mobilization strategy as needs emerge; - Identify concrete opportunities for joint programmatic and other activities with donor’s institutions; stimulate and support the development of a programmatic portfolio, including through leveraging relevant UNDP South Sudan/RBA corporate products; - Coordinate the submission of high quality and timely reports to Donors: Maintain systems to promote compliance with the terms of grants and agreements, across the region; - Provide technical support to program managers for the preparation of high quality and timely donor reports and coordinate with the Program Management Support Unit for the collection of information and preparation of results-based reports for external constituencies. Knowledge Management - Contribute to the development of knowledge products and mechanisms to effectively position UNDP South Sudan; - Share knowledge and enhance organizational learning in UNDP South Sudan on partnership building and resource mobilization; - Organize and conduct trainings on Resource Mobilization and partnerships building among the Country - Office team; - Monitor emerging issues that could affect partnerships and resource contributions at the national or regional levels (risk management). - Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice; - Regularly organize meetings and engagements to foster mutual knowledge and experience between UNDP and Donors; - In close cooperation with the Communications team prepare, update and systematically disseminate relevant informational materials, actively promote visibility products and campaigns, contribute to disseminating project results to Donors and other strategic partners in government and private sector, including by use of social media; - Formulate, initiate and develop capacity-building efforts in the Country Office on Donors reporting and on key aspects of Donor-UNDP cooperation (policies, program, projects, visibility); develop, coordinate and deliver Country Office training programs in relevant areas; - Develop and implement a strategy for UNDP policy dialogue, outreach and resource mobilization. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. Institutional Arrangements The Communications and Partnership Specialist will directly Report to the Resident Representative and work in close collaboration with the Deputy Resident Representative (Programs). Competencies Core Competencies - Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact; - Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems; - Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences; - Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands; - Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results; - Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration; - Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity. Cross-Functional/Technical competencies Business Direction & Strategy - Systems 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. Communications - Advocacy strategy and implementation - Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change. - Brand & quality management - Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality. Partnership Management - Emerging partnerships - Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships. - 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. Ethics - UN policy knowledge-ethics - Knowledge and understanding of the UN Staff Regulations and Rules and other policies relating to ethics and integrity. Required Skills and Experience Minimum education requirements - Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Communication, Journalism, Public Policy or related field is required, or; - A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. Minimum years of relevant work experience - Minimum five years (Master’s degree) or seven years (Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in communication/partnership building, including at the country-level. Required Skills - Demonstrated expertise in donor engagement and development cooperation; - Demonstrated track record in communication for development and strategic advocacy and communications of country programs. Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section - Experience in strategy development and donor and UN partnerships/public relations at the international level; specialized experience in development financing and/or South-South cooperation an asset; - Experience in design and implementation of UN/UNDP communications policies and procedures; - Track record of successful engagement and direct experience of strategic engagement with the donors; - Outstanding and proven analytical capability, ability to position UNDP politically and strategically, and knowledge and competency to shape corporate policy; - Proven oral and written communications skills and demonstrated presentation and facilitation skills; - Strong teamwork, and proven ability to work in a complex multi-cultural environment; - Very strong initiative-taker. Capacity to move complex processes forward to achieve articulated results, work at varying levels and on different projects simultaneously (personal organization, and ability for multi-tasking); - Ability to work under pressure, and to live comfortably with change; - Superior networking capability, paired with strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills; - Substantive ability and presence to represent UNDP, as well as to interact effectively with senior management and with other units around results; and; - Supervisory skills and experience; ability to work as part of a team in a constantly evolving work environment. Required Language(s) - Fluency in English is required; - Knowledge of another UN language would be an asset. Equal opportunity As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all. Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. Right to select multiple candidates 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. 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