JOB DESCRIPTION

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, a champion.

UNICEF Mexico is strengthening its strategic engagement with public and private partners to advance the rights and wellbeing of children. This includes mobilizing resources, influencing policy, and forging high-impact alliances that drive meaningful change.

To maximize impact, UNICEF seeks to proactively identify and pursue strategic partnership opportunities. This role will serve as a key interface for stakeholder collaboration, environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, and advocacy—ensuring that partnerships are aligned with UNICEF’s mission and deliver tangible results for children. Key focus areas include:

• Leading UNICEF’s engagement around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leveraging this global platform to promote programmatic priorities, fundraising initiatives, and communication strategies in collaboration with national and international partners.
• In stretch collaboration with the Chief of Field Operations (P-4) facilitate effective implementation of programmatic agreements in the central region of the country, through ongoing collaboration with local authorities, government entities, and strategic partners. This includes providing technical support and coordination to ensure timely and efficient delivery of interventions, as well as monitoring progress to achieve agreed operational results.

For more information related to the work of our organization in Mexico, please visit our website: UNICEF Mexico, the video of our amazing results in 2023: A good six-year term for children: Un buen sexenio para la niñez or read our Annual Report 2023: Informe Anual 2023 UNICEF México.

How can you make a difference?

The Partnership Specialist is responsible for strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders and also act as a focal point and resource for colleagues on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance to partnership development. The ultimate goal is to enhance UNICEF’s visibility and influence in support of its mission.

Reporting directly to the UNICEF Mexico’s Representative (D-1), the Partnership Specialist (NO-3) will play a key role in developing and managing high-level strategic partnerships with relevant counterparts, including senior government officials and stakeholders across various sectors. Within the scope of this assignment, the incumbent of the post:

1. Implements the work plan for assigned area, in order to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s partnership strategy.

1. Seeks and promotes new partnerships and resource mobilization, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.

1. 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.

1. Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to senior management and other UNICEF staff in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.

1. Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a database of key contacts and to UNICEF’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization.

1. Expands UNICEF’s network of key interlocutors to build stronger relationships between UNICEF and governments, other key-decision makers, regional development institutions, foundations, civil society organizations, international financial institutions and/or other relevant constituencies.

1. Develops and implements annual partnership engagement and resource mobilization plans.

1. Acts as a 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.

1. Contributes to the development of new partnership and resource mobilization practices and approaches by formulating recommendations for action based on ongoing monitoring, analyzing current trends within designated partners and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.

1. Contributes to strategies for engagement and the development of communications products to enhance UNICEF’s visibility and influence with existing and prospective partners and key stakeholders by providing analysis of the current environment and trends and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development. Works closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the programmes that UNICEF supports. Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision makers.

1. 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 (ToR) here: ToR- Partnerships Specialist (NO-3).pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced university degree (Masters’s Degree) is required in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.

Two years of additional relevant work experience that was gained after obtaining a bachelor’s degree may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. 

• Work Experience: 
  • A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant areas.
  • Experience developing partnerships in the political context of Mexico.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish and proficient level in English.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies.
• Experience working in UNICEF and/or other UN agencies.
• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation.
• In-depth knowledge of partnership development and resource mobilization.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach- related activities.
• Skill in the identification of new opportunities or requirements to meet challenges in the field and propose changes.
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written.
• In-depth familiarity with political and governmental processes.
• Ability to conduct sound policy analysis.
• Fluency in English and/or knowledge of any other UN official language.

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

The 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 from underrepresented groups 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.

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.

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.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category. As this is a national officer position, we are looking for candidates with Mexican nationality. 

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements