Senior Advisor, Partnerships, Blended Finance and Strategic Initiatives - Home-Based [Open to All applicants]

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The primary objective of this position is to advise the Head of the Secretariat on strengthening the Joint SDG Fund’s partnerships, catalytic financing, and country co-creation agenda, providing strategic leadership to translate global and national priorities into investable, multi-partner programmes aligned with the Fund’s mandate. The Senior Advisor (IPSA-12) will primarily engage with public and private sector actors, including development finance institutions, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and private sector partners, in support of resource mobilization, partnership development, and the advancement of innovative and blended financing approaches for the Joint SDG Fund.

This role does not lead Member State donor relations, formal resource mobilization with contributing governments or intergovernmental engagement. The role is advisory and catalytic in nature and does not entail formal representation of the Fund vis-à-vis Member States or Governments, nor engagement in intergovernmental processes or official negotiations. Within this scope, the role focuses on enabling high-value, opportunity-driven engagement with the development finance ecosystem and non-traditional partners; advancing early-stage programme design, pipeline development, and blended finance innovation; and informing the Secretariat’s strategic positioning.

• Lead the design, development, and strategic advancement of strategic partnerships with non‑Member State stakeholders, including development finance institutions, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and private sector partners, aligned with the Joint SDG Fund’s mandate and priorities, and focused on identifying and shaping high‑value, opportunity‑driven collaboration and financing pathways.
• Serve as a senior advisor to the Head of the Secretariat on the development of partnerships expansion, authoring and coordinating strategic proposals, high-level correspondence and partnership agreements to secure new funding. Drive resource mobilization efforts through partner mapping, concept and proposal development, preparation of pitch materials, and tailored engagement strategies.
• Identify and advance opportunities to align partner interests with Joint SDG Fund country pipelines, thematic portfolios, and catalytic financing instruments.
• Support engagement with both traditional and non-traditional partners, including sub-national actors and private-sector-adjacent institutions, as appropriate.
• Contribute to knowledge management and performance tracking by monitoring contributions, and results while actively staying abreast of global financing trends to adapt best practices for the fund.
• Lead, guide, and mentor team members, fostering teamwork, professional development, and clear communication within the Fund and across organizational boundaries.
• Participate in international, regional, and national meetings and engage with representatives of partner institutions on behalf of the team, as required.
• Map and analyze partnership opportunities with existing and prospective development finance institutions, collaborating with the Head of the Secretariat to develop strategic pitches, key messages, and engagement approaches.
• In close collaboration with the Fund’s programme team, provide strategic advice, guidance, and support on the design, implementation, and positioning of existing and new joint programmes within local, regional, and global partnership frameworks.
• Lead and coordinate blended finance engagement with development finance institutions and other financial actors, providing strategic input to updates and reporting on the Fund’s catalytic financing efforts.
• Collaborate with the Fund’s communications team, to strengthen the visibility, coherence, and impact of partnership-related communications, announcements, and external engagement.
• Support the Joint SDG Fund Secretariat’s engagement with the Strategic Advisory Group to engage non-Member States and other strategic partners while providing relevant technical documents on partnerships.
• Co-lead and co-coordinate the Joint SDG Fund’s participation in key fora, including global conferences and meetings, including the co-organization of relevant side events and coordination of the Secretariat’s engagement calendar.
• Prepare and deliver briefings and partnership-focused updates for Fund governance bodies and engagements with strategic partners.
• Provide strategic advice and guidance on blended finance innovation, driving improvements across the programme cycle, policies, templates, and operational procedures.

Facilitate collaborative co-creation processes with external partners and UN Country Teams, including programme design sprints, early-stage concept development, and partner engagement.

• Foster cross-functional coherence by liaising closely with internal teams (communications, programme, policy, results) and coordinating with key UN entities (including UN Global Compact Network, DCO and the MPTF Office) and partners to align partnership efforts with programmatic pipeline delivery.
• Contribute to the development and strengthening of programmatic partnerships at country, regional, and global levels to scale, impact, and financing of joint programmes, including the activation of local ecosystems and strengthened linkages with regional and global initiatives.
• Co-lead advocacy and narrative development to position the Joint SDG Fund as a platform for SDG-aligned investment, enhancing visibility around catalytic results, partnership value-add, and localization outcomes.
• Support the preparation of briefs, presentations, and background materials for senior leadership engagements with partners and external stakeholders.
• Capture, document, and disseminate lessons learned from partnership and co-creation processes, contributing to internal learning and external knowledge products.

Ability to respond to partners’ needs in a timely, solutions-oriented manner; deliver consistent, high-quality results; anticipate evolving partner priorities; and identify opportunities to add value beyond immediate requests.

Ability to build and maintain a strong public profile for the organization, its mandate, and its brand, while ensuring communications and advocacy initiatives effectively support outreach, visibility, and engagement objectives.

Education:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Business Management, Economics, Social Sciences, Management Science, or a related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields combined with an additional two years of qualifying professional experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years (with a Master’s degree), or 12 years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic partnerships, external stakeholder engagement, and relationship management. This experience must include substantive engagement with development finance institutions, banking and financial institutions, foundations, private sector actors, and/or international development organizations.
• Proven ability to identify potential sources of funding, develop aligned proposals, and to secure major new sources of funding for large projects.
• Extensive experience designing, managing, and advancing strategic partnerships in support of sustainable development outcomes, with a strong focus on blended finance, catalytic capital, and UN pooled financing mechanisms, including joint programmes and inter-agency initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic advice to senior leadership and governing bodies, supporting informed decision-making on partnership models, financing structures, and programmatic priorities in system-wide or multi-entity contexts.
• Proven ability to lead partnership and programme co-creation, shape strategic engagement processes, and facilitate effective collaboration across public, private, philanthropic, and actors.
• Strong analytical, drafting, and strategic communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex financial, technical, and institutional information into clear, authoritative messages for senior leadership and external partners.
• Excellent interpersonal, coordination, and negotiation skills, with demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with donors, investors, implementing partners, and UN entities, and to operate effectively in multicultural and multi-institutional environments.

• At least 5 years of hands-on experience in blended finance and catalytic financing, including direct engagement with private sector entities, multilateral institutions, pooled funding mechanisms, and/or the UN development system.
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization and partnership across institutional sectoral, and geographic contexts.
• Professional experience within the UN system or comparable international organizations, with a strong understanding of agency mandates, joint programming, and global pooled funding arrangements.
• Experience in team leadership, including overseeing partnership portfolios, managing operational processes, or guiding matrixed teams.
• Professional experience in systems innovation and change management within the international development context with a demonstrated ability to support institutional adaptation and new financing models.
• Strong expertise in partnership development and blended finance instruments in complex, multi-stakeholder and inter-agency environments.
• Prior professional experience in the UN system or comparable multilateral organizations, with a proven ability to navigate complex governance structures, coordinate high-level events, and apply an in-depth understanding of agency mandates and pooled funds.
• Experience working with government counterparts in development coordination roles (including Ministries of Finance and Central Banks), contributing to enhanced coherence, alignment, and effective finance programme implementation in support of sustainable development priorities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is desirable.

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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