Innovation Officer Partnerships United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Experience: 5 to 10 Years Geneva, Switzerland Apply By: 22-08-2024

The Innovation Officer – Partnerships position will have a pivotal role within UNHCR’s Innovation Service. The incumbent will serve as the primary liaison between the Innovation Service and PSP / DRRM teams within UNHCR. The role involves building and sustaining relationships with various partners, including private sector entities and governmental donors, facilitated through the relevant teams within UNHCR, such as DRRM and PSP. The incumbent, will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, providing intelligence on potential donors, leading partnership management related activities such as preparing proposals, reports, and communication materials for donors as well as supporting the fundraising efforts. The scope of responsibilities extends to include managing collaborations and potential partnerships with organizations/companies beyond the financial components. In this scope the service already has a host of partners in the public and private worlds with whom it has developed strategic partnerships (exp: ITU (International Telecommunication Union), GSMA, LIST, Yale university etc). These partnerships require daily follow up and accompaniment which the incumbent will fulfil.  

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Partnership Development for the Innovation Service: 

• Collaborate with the Innovation Service Programme leads and RMU (Resource Management Unit) to design meaningful programme/project proposals.
• Collaborate with the Innovation Service communication team, to create impactful partnership materials for partners, ensuring consistency in messaging and branding.
• Work closely with DER to provide intelligence on potential donors/partners and contribute to strategic decision-making for partnership development for the Innovation Service.
• Lead the development and updating of the Innovation Service’s fundraising and partnership strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives. Conduct regular reviews and adjustments based on the evolving needs of the Innovation Service and the external funding landscape.
• Provide guidance and supervision to Innovation Service team members involved in partnership and fundraising activities.
• In collaboration with DER, take the lead on all fundraising activities for the Innovation Service, including actively researching and identifying funding opportunities and preparing relevant fundraising materials such as proposals, presentations, talking points, and reports as required.

Coordination of partnership efforts for the Innovation Service:

• Acting as the main point of contact between the Innovation Service and DER (both DRRM and PSP).
• Collaborating with DER relevant teams to identify, develop and maintain relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders and funding partners, facilitating collaboration with relevant UNHCR teams.
• Overseeing and maintaining the various MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) and LOUs (Letter of Understanding) that the service holds.
• Coordinating with DER to ensure a cohesive approach to partnership development and fundraising, ensuring all relevant colleagues are involved in the process.
• Establishing and managing a reporting calendar to ensure timely submission of reports to donors and partners supporting the Innovation Service.
• Create and update a yearly calendar of key strategic partnership events for the Innovation Service, and coordinating participation, key messaging, briefs, and talking points to ensure alignment with the Innovation Service strategy and broader organizational objectives.
• Overseeing and managing the Innovation Service’s employee engagement volunteering programs in place with donors/partners.
• Advancing use of relevant software and tools, in collaboration with DER, to streamline partnership and relationship management
• In Liaison with PSU (Program Support Unit), lead on Partnership due diligence including ethics and other applicable risk assessments

Qualifications, Experience, Key competencies, and skills: 

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in fundraising and partnership development with the private sector.
• Proven experience in proposal development, reporting, and communication with donors.
• Strong understanding of private sector engagement and governmental donor relations.
• Exceptional writing skills: Excellent knowledge of English (both written and spoken) and working knowledge of another UN language an advantage;
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to identify and pursue funding opportunities successfully.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and with external partners.