Job title: Partnerships Senior Officer (Programme Development)

Job categories: Partnerships

Vacancy code: VA/2023/B5132/26296

Department/office: ECR, AUMCO, Austria MCO

Duty station: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Contract type: Local ICA Specialist

Contract level: LICA Specialist-9

Duration: Up to 150 working days within 1 year, with possibility of extension subject to performance and availability of funds

Application period: 04-Jul-2023 to 14-Jul-2023

Background Information

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Engineering, Political Science, Communications or International Relations.
• A combination of a Bachelor's degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum 4 years of work experience in a related role or working with the government in Turkmenistan is required, international experience is a distinct advantage.
• Strong networks in Turkmenistan desired.
• Good knowledge and understanding of government settings/functions at both national, state and county level is an asset.
• Familiarity with healthcare, infrastructure energy, and/or public procurement sectors is desirable.
• Ability to establish and nurture beneficial partnerships with key government stakeholders is an asset.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Desirable:

• Experience working in Turkmenistan in a similar capacity will be considered an important asset.
• Project and programme management experience is an asset.

Language

• Full working knowledge of English, Russian/Turkmen is essential.

Functional Responsibilities

Working under the oversight of the AUMCO Partnerships Senior Advisor for Central Asia, the Partnerships Senior Officer will assist the AUMCO management team (and relevant BD consultants, as applicable) and provide a range of government relations services to ensure rapid and compliant delivery of all aspects of the AUMCO operations in the areas of responsibilities, in coordination with AUMCO’s Business Development Cluster, procurement, administration, HR and finance teams.

1. Key functions:

• Support UNOPS in establishing and maintaining relations with Turkmenistan’s government entities through continuous networking and communications to identify and pursue business opportunities within UNOPS thematic scope initiating the necessary arrangements;
• Provide linkages between AUMCO and various government stakeholders (DPMs, Ministers, DMs, Governors and Department Heads) paying close attention to all related protocols;
• Maintain relations with relevant government institutions and authorities;
• Assist the supervisor and other AUMCO staff missions in organizing meetings and engagements with various government stakeholders, and during meetings, follow-ups, and negotiations with donors, government and other partners and clients to achieve the most cost-effective and mutually beneficial terms for UNOPS engagements with prospective clients and partners;
• Support project teams to respond and resolve any incidents and other events that may affect projects’ implementation;
• Proactively solve conflicts and address issues and misunderstandings that could occur between UNOPS and the Government’s staff and local authorities.

2. Partnerships development and communications:

• Support UNOPS in developing relations with Turkmenistan based clients, non-governmental actors, IFIs’ and other donors’ in-country offices through ongoing interactions to acquire business opportunities within UNOPS thematic scope;
• Support UNOPS efforts in developing business opportunities with potential partners, using existing information and materials, as well as inputs from and relevant to substantive discussions between UNOPS and partners;
• Collect, analyze and keep abreast of humanitarian and development trends and needs in Turkmenistan to identify areas of collaboration within UNOPS’ mandate;
• Analyze markets for business development intelligence and opportunities (facilitate assessments of partner needs, UNOPS comparative advantages, and partner survey analysis, among others);
• Contribute to the sector review and gap analysis for the potential areas of engagement based on meetings and consultations with representatives of the government, non-governmental organizations, private sector, and civil society organizations as well as through review and analysis of existing reports and publications;
• Support AUMCO in promoting high visibility of UNOPS’ activities in Turkmenistan including the development and distribution of marketing, communication, and partner relationship management materials.
• Interact actively with all existing and potential new partners and clients to follow-up on meetings, decisions, and commitments as well as to solicit feedback and gauge client satisfaction;
• Provide UNOPS activities and projects overview to government stakeholders.

3. Other general responsibilities:

• Ensure facilitation and promotion of knowledge building and knowledge sharing among colleagues;
• Collect, analyze, and utilize data and feedback to identify opportunities to improve the relationship between UNOPS and the line Ministries and government institutions within Turkmenistan.
• Perform other duties as directed by the supervisor to support UNOPS AUMCO’s outreach and business development activities in Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries

To get additional information and apply for the position, please follow the link.