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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Future

How can you make a difference?

The Public Partnerships Division (PPD) leads UNICEF to secure quality public sector income for all children, promotes international development and humanitarian resources for child focused outcomes, and facilitates UNICEF’s intergovernmental and interagency engagement to champion child rights. The Division does this through its core functions of income, influence, insights and stewardship by: maintaining and expanding flexible resources for children from a diverse range of key international development and humanitarian partners; leading UNICEF’s engagement with public sector partners globally; providing strategic insights and analytics on public partnerships; undertaking evidence-based influence & engagement with public sector partners to raise income and to champion child rights; providing global strategic direction, guidance and oversight of the public partnerships function.

The UNICEF Nordics+ donor relations team in Copenhagen works to strategically strengthen UNICEF's position as a partner of choice for children's rights among governments and intergovernmental partners, and to ensure that children’s rights and humanitarian assistance to most vulnerable children and their families remain a political priority. The public partnerships team is part of UNICEF’s Global HQ and works closely with colleagues in New York, Regional, Country and UNICEF’s programme teams to effectively engage its government and public institutions’ counterparts as resource, policy, and programme partners. A key premise for PPD is that the engagement with countries should be holistic, based on multiple aspects of partnerships, including policy advocacy and resource mobilization.

Under the leadership of the Nordics+ Team Lead (Copenhagen-based) the Public Partnerships Specialist serves as UNICEF global focal point for its government and institutional partnerships with Norway and manages the day-to-day engagement of the partnership, including its internal coordination role to support effective programme, resource mobilization and policy engagement.

The Public Partnerships Specialist will be part of a dynamic PPD Nordics team and based in Copenhagen; however, the selected candidate might be required at times to work remotely within/outside the duty station.

The Partnerships Specialist supports UNICEF’s Public Partnerships Division (PPD) in strengthening UNICEF’s position as a partner of choice among governments and intergovernmental actors. The role ensures effective policy advocacy, resource mobilization, and strategic engagement with public partners, contributing to UNICEF’s mission of promoting children’s rights globally.

1. Executes planned activities to achieve partnership objectives and deliver results on time and within budget. Ongoing communication maintained with the Norwegian MFA and Norad through calls, regular correspondence, and coordinated meetings and engagements. Contributions timely managed and followed through.
2. Strategic briefings drafted and senior leadership engagement facilitated with Norwegian government officials, including visits and participation at relevant dialogues and consultations, ensuring strategic alignment with Norwegian priorities.
3. Contributes through briefing notes and direct engagement to policy discussions to influence government priorities and integrate child rights into decision-making.
4. Acts as a focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, in key thematic areas (Education, Health, WASH, Nutrition, Climate Change etc.) including on how to respond to partners’ 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.
5. Tracks political developments and advises management to safeguard UNICEF’s interests. Donor relationship and tracking tools regularly updated, with inputs provided to support informed strategic decision making on Norway.
6. Provides support and guidance to Regional and Country offices prior to and during proposal development, donor reporting and on grant management issues.  Monitors implementation and work with respective offices and the donor to address bottlenecks.
7. Work closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights that UNICEF’s supports. Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision makers. Liaises with National Committee for targeted ODA advocacy.
8. Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TORs Partnerships Specialist Level 3 TA- PPD Nordics.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Minimum requirements

• • 1. 1. Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Political Science,Communications,International Development, international relations and any other related fields.
       2. Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Partnerships, partnership management, resource mobilization, grant management, strategic communication. and any other related fields.
       3. Skills: Leadership Engagement, Donor Relations, Policy Advocacy, Grant Management, Resource Mobilization, Public Partnership.
       4. Language Requirements : English - Proficient/Fluent

• Desirables
  
  1. 1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish)
     2. UN experience, UNICEF experience, field experience, programme experience, Norwegian language, Nordics
     3. Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

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

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.