Chief Partnership Advocacy and Communications P4, Fixed Term, Dakar Senegal Country Office

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 131,270 USD and 169,245 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a champion of advocacy and communication

UNICEF Senegal continues to establish and maintain partnerships with the public and private sectors. The Country Office (CO) has active funding partnerships with numerous public-sector donors and a growing portfolio of private sector and non-financial partners. Efforts to expand public- and private-sector partnerships are ongoing, and UNICEF Senegal strives to provide ‘best in class’ recognition and relationship management for our partners. The CO is also in the early stages of engaging with the private sector, with a Business for Results roadmap for 2022, and a private sector engagement strategy to follow.

The Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications team at UNICEF Senegal manages the development of new partnerships and ongoing activities related to relationship management, including but not limited to partnership development (including concept notes, proposals, and materials to support high-level partnership engagements), partnership management (due diligence and similar activities), visibility actions and partner field visits.

As part of its obligations to donors, UNICEF Senegal is also committed to providing high quality, results-based planning and reporting on programme achievements. Such project documents/documentation and reporting require coherent quality assurance across all UNICEF sectors as well as ensuring timeliness of reports.

How can you make a difference?

The Chief for Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications reports to the Representative and is responsible for the development and nurturing of public and private partnerships; resource mobilization; and the development, management and implementation of an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and acvities to promote child rights and UNICEF’s mandate. The chief will matrix report to the Deputy Representative for Programmes to ensure the contribution and integration of the Business for Results (B4R) approach to the programmatic key results for children in Senegal.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Seeks and promotes new public and private partnerships and resource mobilization opportunities, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs. Receives and screens inquiries from potential collaborators and facilitates communication with appropriate UNICEF staff. Scans and scouts external environment within designated partnership area for opportunities and risks and shares information in a timely fashion with relevant UNICEF staff. Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to senior management and other UNICEF staff in corporate engagement and interaction with partners.
2. Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective public and privte partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a database of key contacts and to UNICEF’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization. Expands UNICEF’s network of key interlocutors to build stronger relationships between UNICEF and governments, other key-decision makers, regional development institutions, foundations, the private sector, international financial institutions and/or relevant constituencies.
3. Acts as focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, including on how to anticipate and respond to partners’ concerns and priorities, ensure that UNICEF’s interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes, and ensure that they are fully aware of UNICEF’s perspectives, policies, priorities and capabilities. Contribute to the development and management of initiatives for high-level outreach, including for UNICEF’s Senior Management.
4. Ensures that the Country Office has a clear communication and advocacy strategy and associated workplan to support the country programme objectives and key results for children. Mobilizes support to get children’s issues into the public demain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, and enhances the organisation’s credibility and brand.
5. Ensures that the Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed engagement with key stakholders, including national and international media outlets and leaders, influencers, child rights champions, opinion leaders and others whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving UNICEF’s advocacy and communication objectives.
6. Oversees the design and implementation of the business for results strategy and initiatives in pursuit of key results for children, through a systematic mapping of stakeholders and opportunities and design of innovative partnership and communication initiatives. Work very closely with the programme team to accelerate programmatic results for children through engagement with national and international private sector stakeholders.
7. Maintains close collaboration with the regional partnerships and communication advisors, relevant HQ Divisions, focal points in UN Agencies for effective overall coordination and alignemment with regional and global priorities and strategies.

Impact of results

The Partnerships, Adovacy and Communications Chief is a seasoned professional in the field of external relations, in particular partnership development and resource mobilization, as well as a strong communicator on and advocate for child rights. The quality of engagement with key UNICEF’s partners, as well as the external communications and advocacy initiatives performed by the chief and her/his team directly impact on the achievement of results for children and the overall reputation of UNICEF. S/He follows established procedures but is expected to make recommendations on strategies for engagement and initiatives. The Chief is accountable for quality, substantive input and ability to project a competent and trusted image of UNICEF to national and international stakeholders.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Education

An advanced university degree (master's degree) is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, marketing, public affairs, or other related field.

Experience

At least five (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience is required in one or more of the following areas: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, communications and advocacy.

Language requirement

Strong fluency in French & English is required with knowledge of another UN language considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate

Cores Values

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are

Core competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3)
• Works Collaboratively with others (3)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (3)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (3)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (3)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (3)

Functional Competencies:

• Persuading and Influencing (2)
• Applying Technical Expertise (2)
• Entrepreneurial Thinking (2)
• Analyzing (2)
• Deciding and initiating action (2)
• Learning and researching (2)
• Planning and organizing (2)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.