External Relations Officer

The External Relations Officer supports the Division of Funding Partner Relations by managing strategic engagement with funding partners, coordinating programming and consultative processes, managing contractual and administrative aspects of funding agreements, and providing guidance on resource mobilization and funding diversification. The role involves negotiation, donor reporting, and strategic positioning to strengthen UNIDO's funding base.

Responsibilities

• Act as focal point concerning aspects of voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities for selected funding partners, such as European Union institutions, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and foundations.
• Coordinate programming and consultative processes with funding partners in close cooperation with relevant organizational entities, providing guidance to such units to enable timely and accurate submissions to funding partners.
• Contribute to the Organization’s regular reporting mechanisms, including to its policymaking organs and relevant subsidiary bodies.
• Lead the coordination of selected institutional assessments undertaken by funding partners and contribute to their follow-up.
• Draft and negotiate, in close cooperation with relevant UNIDO services, including the Office of Legal Affairs and the Division of Financial Resource Management, funding agreements regarding voluntary contributions for technical cooperation activities of UNIDO.
• Contribute to quality assurance procedures in the formulation and approval process of projects and programmes and related reporting requirements and advise relevant services on compliance requirements of specific funding partners.
• Actively contribute to the design and the continuous innovation of procedures and information management instruments, notably through the application of artificial intelligence, when indicated, required for the discharge of GLO/FPR’s functions and contribute to the further development of policies and procedures under the purview of the Division.
• Manage donor reporting-related tasks under the purview of GLO/FPR in close cooperation with the Division of Strategic Programming, Results Monitoring and Quality Assurance (SPP/SPM), the Division of Financial Resource Management (COR/FIN), and UNIDO’s technical cooperation functions.
• Monitor and analyze evolving financing and donor trends and emerging funding instruments.
• Translate funding partner priorities and trends into strategic guidance for UNIDO’s technical cooperation directorates and field network, identifying where funding opportunities are emerging and how UNIDO may position its technical offer.
• Advise senior management on opportunities, risks and strategic shifts required to diversify and strengthen UNIDO’s funding base.
• Develop and maintain funding intelligence to support strategic resource mobilization and organizational decision-making.
• Support the assessment coordination of UNIDO’s technical cooperation pipeline and its strategic positioning vis-à-vis available funding opportunities, as applicable.
• Identify and support the diversification of funding sources and modalities, in cooperation with other relevant divisions.
• Contribute to institutional mechanisms enabling UNIDO’s financial and operational infrastructure to accommodate and effectively manage diversified forms of financing and contributions.
• Support UNIDO’s engagement with IFIs, MDBs and development finance institutions, in close cooperation with the relevant divisions.
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for UNIDO to participate in joint programming, pooled funding and other collaborative funding arrangements.
• Provide guidance to technical cooperation directorates and field offices on funding opportunities, partner engagement, funding instruments and resource mobilization strategies.
• Develop practical guidance, tools and frameworks to strengthen the capacity of technical and field teams to identify, position and develop funding opportunities.
• Facilitate cross-organizational coordination and knowledge sharing on funding-partner engagement, funding trends project formulation and best practices.
• Contribute to the work of GLO/FPR in inter-agency and inter-institutional mechanisms and bodies on matters related to administrative, legal and financial aspects of funding mechanisms, resource mobilization and strategic engagements with funding partners.
• Perform other related duties and assignments as required by the Chief of the Division.

Requirements

• First-level university degree (bachelor’s or equivalent) in economics, business administration, international relations, international development, public administration, international law or other field relevant to UNIDO’s mandate is required.
• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) or Doctorate in the same fields are accepted with a reduced requirement for years of professional experience.
• A minimum of professional experience aligned with the educational level is required: First-level university degree (Bachelor’s): at least 10 years of relevant professional experience; Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent): at least 7 years of relevant professional experience; Doctorate: at least 5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Progressively responsible professional experience in establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships with bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial institutions, and other funding partners, including international levels is required.
• Demonstrated experience in engagement and funding modalities of International Financial Institutions (IFIs), European Union institutions, foundations, and the private sector is required.
• Extensive experience in negotiating and drafting funding arrangements as well as in addressing related financial and administrative matters throughout the management cycle of funding agreements is required.
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization, donor engagement, and portfolio-level programme coordination is desirable.
• Proven track-record in the management of institutional assessments performed by funding partners is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in fiduciary oversight, donor compliance and results-based management (RBM), including institutional assessments, performance monitoring, donor reporting, and coordination with finance and programme management functions is desirable.
• Knowledge and understanding of Technical Cooperation implementation is desirable.
• Exposure to the needs, conditions and problems in developing countries is desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency in or working knowledge of other languages of the United Nations, particularly French, is desirable.

Skills

• Strategic Partnerships Management
• Donor Engagement Strategies
• International Financial Institution Engagement
• Public Funding Modalities
• Funding Negotiation
• Funding Agreement Drafting
• Finance Management
• Administrative Management
• Resource Mobilization
• Programme Coordination
• Institutional Assessment Management
• Fiduciary Oversight
• Donor Compliance
• Result-Based Management
• Performance Monitoring
• Donor Reporting
• Technical Cooperation
• Contract Management

Languages

English, French