The European Union (EU) is a key partner of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), collaborating in nearly 140 countries to enhance democratic governance, prevent and recover from conflicts and natural disasters, build resilience, and adapt to climate change. Recently, the Arab States region has become a priority focus within this dynamic partnership, presenting significant opportunities for joint policy and programmatic initiatives between the EU and UNDP due to shared thematic priorities.

The UNDP Representation Office in Brussels has made substantial progress in strengthening the EU-UNDP partnership in the Arab States over the past few years. This has been achieved through establishing a robust inter-institutional dialogue and productive working relationships, tailored to meet the emerging needs, and shifting priorities in the region.

However, developing and maintaining partnerships within this context presents significant challenges, particularly in areas affected by ongoing conflicts such as Gaza and Lebanon. These crises lead to instability, creating operational and strategic difficulties for both on-the-ground activities and broader collaboration efforts. Security risks, limited access to vulnerable populations, and the diversion of resources toward emergency responses rather than long-term development are among the major obstacles. Additionally, geopolitical tensions complicate engagement with key regional stakeholders, affecting the ability to forge new partnerships or sustain existing ones.

Despite these challenges, UNDP must continue building relationships to meet both immediate humanitarian needs and long-term development goals, ensuring that collaboration with the EU remains strong and productive.

Position Purpose

In recognition of the growing scale and complexity of the EU-UNDP portfolio in the Arab States region, the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) must enhance its capacity to support its Regional Programme and Country Offices.

The Partnerships Analyst, stationed within the UNDP Representation Office in Brussels, plays a pivotal role in building partnerships, leading strategic outreach efforts, and driving resource mobilization. The Partnerships Analyst works closely with the RBAS Regional Hub in Amman, as well as the Country Office Management, Programme, and Operations teams across the Arab States region. Coordination with other relevant units at UNDP Headquarters and the Brussels Office is also essential to ensure the effective execution of these responsibilities.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Supporting Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Assist RBAS in developing and implementing EU-funded projects and related activities.
• Strengthen RBAS’s strategic partnerships with the EU and its Member States through organizing outreach and visibility events such as workshops, launches, and other showcases of UNDP’s work as a thought leader.
• Coordinate the planning and execution of these events, including liaising with counterparts, identifying target audiences, and preparing materials (e.g., reports, publications).

Strengthening High-Level Partnerships with the EU

• Facilitate proactive relationships with counterparts at the EU and other offices.
• Organize exchanges and dialogues between leadership, draft briefing notes, talking points, and mission reports, and prepare agendas for relevant meetings.
• Ensure the smooth coordination of missions to enhance collaboration between RBAS and the European Commission.

Enhancing Communication and Outreach

• Support Regional Programme and Country Offices in organizing communication and outreach activities that increase visibility for EU-funded projects.
• Coordinate campaigns, launches, and other visibility initiatives with the COs, Regional Hub, and headquarters.
• Ensure alignment between ongoing projects and EU priorities through regular dialogue between COs, the Regional Hub, and EU counterparts.

Supporting Resource Mobilization

• Identify EU funding opportunities by monitoring relevant EU websites and disseminating relevant information.
• Facilitate collaboration on potential opportunities between COs, the Regional Hub, and the EU.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Disseminate information about EU-UNDP contractual frameworks and share best practices from successful partnerships.
• Organize trainings for RBAS personnel on EU contractual requirements as needed.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core:

Achieve Results

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility 

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination                

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional and Technical:

Business Direction and strategy: System 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.

Business Management: Partnerships Management

• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Partnership Management: Resource Mobilization                            

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.

Partnership management: EU Partnerships

• Knowledge and understanding of EU strategies, approached, processes and systems.

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.

Partnership Management: IFI Partnerships          

• Knowledge and understanding of IFIs (strategies, approaches, processes, and systems)

Business Management: Portfolio Management 

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent in international development, economics, political, social sciences, or any development related field is required, OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

 Experience:

• Minimum two (2) years (with Master s degree) or four (4) years (with Bachelor s degree) of relevant professional experience in partnerships, projects-programme management or relevant related fields is required.
• Experience in design, monitoring, and evaluation of resource mobilization strategies is required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and advanced programmes for data analysis is required.
• Experience in resource mobilization and partnerships building is desired.
• Proven understanding of key UNDP programmatic areas of intervention is desired.
• Proven knowledge of the EU’s policies and implementation modalities for external development and humanitarian assistance is desired.
• Proven knowledge of the Arab States region, including strong understanding of UNDP support is desired.
• Familiarity with the UN/UNDP system and EU-UNDP/RBAS partnership an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of French and or Arabic an asset.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements