Careers at UNICEF

Partnership Officer

Job Code-108
Location: New Delhi 
Closing Date: 6th January 2010

Purpose of the post:

Under the general supervision of the resource mobilization specialist contributes to:
• Relationship building with large bilateral donors,
• Coordination on multi-sectoral and multi-state reporting,
• Monitoring fund utilization across states and programmes, particularly with respect to adherence to donor conditions.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:-

1. Acts as the focal point for coordination of activities supporting partnerships with DFID and other large bilateral donors.  This includes: preparing and sharing information in accordance to strategic partnership agreements (e.g., through documentation, reports, workshops, meetings, joint reviews, field visits); summarizing results and key action points of discussions, and ensuring that both donor and UNICEF teams are well-informed; following up as necessary on the status of action points;  gathering and consolidating inputs from the programme sections and state offices to ensure that the donor receives timely and clearly written progress and final reports, usually following prescribed report templates; responding to donors’ ad hoc queries and concerns.

2. Works with programmes and state offices who benefit from support within a particular grant agreement in developing and maintaining an enhanced system to manage the contribution and in particular, to ensure that funds utilization is in line with agreed upon conditions. This includes: screening PBA reports, analyzing and consolidated statements of allocated funds by programme memorandum output, preparing of programme status reports to review and manage results, provide guidance and feedback to state offices on donor priorities and conditions, and initiating appropriate discussions with programmes officers and managers with a view to resolving discrepancies and gaps.

3. Leads in the documentation of data related to the donor funded project, its implementation and impact. This level of documentation fulfils knowledge sharing and cross-learning between UNICEF and the donor, and also contributes to strengthening knowledge management within UNICEF.  Gathering and compiling documentation may include primary research on field visits, and synthesizing information from existing reports and documents prepared from donors’, UNICEF programme, and relevant third party perspectives.

4. Represents UNICEF at working level meetings, workshops, and discussions with donors on contribution management.  This includes participating in making recommendations to improve processes, and following with programme and state colleagues to ensure that recommendations are understood and implemented in a timely and effective manner.

Qualifications, Experience and competencies required:

• University degree in Social Sciences, or a technical field related to the work of UNICEF.
• Two years of professional work experience that involves project management and includes demonstrated experience of interacting and negotiating with donor partners; data gathering and consolidation; experience in planning agendas, itineraries, and field trips; consolidating material and writing reports according to a log frame analysis; research; monitoring and evaluation.
• Fluency in English. Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset.
• Excellent negotiating skills
• Drive for results
• Demonstrated clear oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to analyse, synthesise information and to write, quickly and well.
• Computer skills, including internet navigation and various office applications.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the organization.
• Proven ability to work as part of a team.

Candidates meeting the above requirements may send their application consisting of a cover letter and an up-to-date CV by e-mail to spenta@airtelmail.in before 6th January 2010. In order to ensure that your application is sorted correctly, please clearly mention the Job Code of the post (108) and location in the subject line of your e-mail/application.

Only applications of short listed candidates will be acknowledged. This vacancy is open to Indian Nationals only.

UNICEF is a non-smoking working environment. Applications from qualified women are encouraged.