Philanthropy Partnerships Manager – Europe (Home Based)

Background

The Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development agency, working with 170 governments and hundreds of partners to achieve sustainable development through the interconnected issues of poverty, good governance, environmental protection, crises stabilization to name a few. The Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission.
BERA coordinates, sets the strategy and delivers functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP. BERA is positioned around three service lines: Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners. BERA also delivers through a network of Representation Offices (Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo, Washington D.C and Berlin) and Regional Team Members in five hubs (Africa, Arab States, Asia Pacific, Europe and CIS, and Latin America and the Caribbean) providing audience-centric communications and management and strengthening of relationships with public and private partners.
Cognizant of the evolving landscape of international development cooperation - including the shift in traditional ODA and a renewed emphasis on multilateralism to address global development challenges - UNDP is deepening its engagement with foundations and philanthropies. The upcoming Strategic Plan (2026-2029) envisions a revived platform for collaboration on shared goals by leveraging UNDP’s global presence, multi-stakeholders/partners outreach, and extensive know-how and expertise across critical development areas.
Within the Public Partnerships Group of BERA, the Philanthropy Team leads and facilitates UNDP’s work with foundations, donor collaboratives, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals to collaborate and co-invest for sustainable development outcomes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Within the context of the Philanthropy Team, UNDP requires the services of an experienced International Manager who is responsible for overseeing philanthropic partnerships.
The Philanthropy Partnerships Manager will play a key role in scaling up UNDP’s partnerships with European philanthropies by cultivating strategic, co-created, catalytic, and long-term partnerships. The Philanthropy Partnerships Manager will work closely with the Philanthropy Team and other units in BERA, Central and Regional Bureaux, Country Offices, and relevant technical teams to operationalize new engagements with philanthropic actors on the region. Their responsibilities will include:

1. Landscape Scanning and Intelligence Gathering:

• Map key philanthropic actors in the region ecosystem, including foundations, family offices, donor-advised funds (DAFs), and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), funds and other forms of philanthropy.
• Identify emerging funders, generational shifts in giving, and collaborative mechanisms or pooled funding vehicles.
• Maintain an up-to-date regional database and feed intelligence into corporate CRM systems and global strategy.
• Analyze sectoral and funding trends across thematic and regional priorities aligned with UNDP (e.g., climate, health, gender, digital inclusion, crisis response).

2. New Partnership building, outreach and relationship development:

• Identify, prioritize, and establish new prospective philanthropic partnership opportunities for UNDP to expand its donor base and resource mobilization efforts.
• Develop and implement a targeted and flexible outreach plan for high-potential philanthropic partners.
• Cultivate trust-based, long-term relationships through consistent engagement, listening, and shared value creation.
• Participate in key philanthropic and development finance forums/events, either virtually or in person.
• Coordinate high-level meetings, including preparation of tailored briefing materials, agendas, and follow-ups.

3. Offer development and co-design of opportunities:

• Collaborate with the relevant bureaux to translate institutional priorities and new creative ideas into tailored philanthropic "offers" (flagship projects, thematic packages, cross-cutting portfolios).
• Co-develop new ideas, concepts and funding proposals with philanthropy partners, ensuring alignment with their goals and strategic priorities.
• Identify intersectional opportunities (e.g., climate-health, digital-gender) that respond to philanthropic interests and leverage UNDP’s comparative advantage.
• Support the development of one-pagers, slide decks, and talking points to convey offers with clarity

4. Strategic advisory and partnership structuring:

• Advise on structuring partnerships that balance flexibility with accountability in line with UNDP's internal operational and legal frameworks.
• Facilitate coordination with grants manager, operational and legal teams to navigate constraints and enable ease of transaction and reporting.
• Provide thought leadership and guidance on new partnership models, such as results-based funding, challenge funds, or philanthropic endowments.

5. Promote an internal coordination and enabling environment:

• Work closely with the Philanthropy Team to collaborate, share knowledge, and adjust approach and strategy while serving as a bridge between external partners and internal UNDP colleagues across levels (HQ, Regional, Country Office).
• Support culture change by promoting a strategic, long-term mindset within UNDP around philanthropy partnerships.
• Feed lessons learned and recommendations into institutional planning and change processes, including the development of improved operating mechanisms for philanthropic giving.

6. Promote visibility and positioning:

• Position UNDP as a partner of choice by working with communications colleagues on storytelling, thought leadership, and targeted visibility initiatives.
• Support communications colleagues in drafting impact stories, op-eds, and social media content aimed at philanthropic audiences.
• Facilitate country office field visits or virtual immersions for philanthropies to witness programme results and deepen engagement.

7. Ensure pipeline management and reporting:

• Track and maintain a live philanthropic pipeline of prospective, engaged, and secured partners.
• Prepare periodic reports, briefings, and analyses to inform senior leadership, the Philanthropy Team, and other colleagues across UNDP.
• Contribute to MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning) processes for partnerships, documenting outcomes, lessons, and impact narratives.
• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities for the documentation and communication of best practices, programme results, and lessons learned under the project.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement
The Philanthropy Partnerships Manager will be based in the Philanthropy Team within the Public Partnerships Group of the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA). The incumbent will report to the Philanthropy Team Leader and receive day-to-day guidance from the Partnership Portfolio Specialist—Foundations and Philanthropies, per the agreed work plan and expected deliverables. The incumbent will be responsible for the coordination specifically with partners on the region, developing new relations, engaging existing stakeholders and facilitating linkages across UNDP teams.
As part of the team and in support of the collective and individual results, the incumbent will work closely with the Philanthropy Grant Manager and the Philanthropy Partnership Analyst, among other team members. He/she will also work closely with the BERA Advocacy, Marketing, and Communications Team (ACGM), central and regional bureaux, and country office teams involved in implementing philanthropic partnerships.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results:
  LEVEL 3 - Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively:
  LEVEL 3 - Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously:
  LEVEL 3 - Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility:
  LEVEL 3 - Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination:
  LEVEL 3 - Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner:
  LEVEL 3 - Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter- agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
  LEVEL 3 - Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• Partnership Management:
  Relationship management - Ability to engage with a wide range of philanthropic partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
• Partnership Management:
  Resource mobilization - Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.
• Partnership Management:
  Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding - Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.
• Business Direction and Strategy:
  System Thinking - Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system and to consider how altering one element can impact other parts of the system.
• Business Management:
  Communication - Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  Ability to manage communications internally and externally through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
• Business Development:
  Knowledge facilitation - Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
• Business Management:
  Portfolio Management - Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in International Development, International Relations, Social Studies, Business Administration or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above mentioned fields, in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years (with master´s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor´s degree) of experience in development work that is related to philanthropy or partnerships;

Required Skills :

• At least 7 years of experience in partnership development and management, working with international organizations and philanthropies.
• Experience in designing and implementing partnership and outreach/engagement strategies and initiatives with foundations/philanthropies.
• Experience advising on or implementing partnership strategies with philanthropic foundations or private sector donors.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, as demonstrated by previous research/analytical reports/policy notes on relevant topics.
• Proven track record of excellent coordination, negotiating and communication skills are required.
• Experience in writing proposals, briefings, talking points, reports, and reviewing and editing documents.

Desired Skills:

• At least 5 years of working experience working with a combination of private foundations and/or other public and private grant-making bodies or organizations, including partnership development resource mobilization and project management experience, is desired.
• Demonstrated experience of initiative, client-orientation, risk taking, and working in complex and time-pressured contexts.
• Experience working and living in developing countries.
• Experience working in a foundation preferably in Europe.
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s specific values and ethical standards and acts in accordance with the Standards of Conduct for international civil servants while advocating for UNDP’s mission and vision
• Demonstrated ability to develop creative solutions through participatory methods with various stakeholders is desired.
• Prior experience in coordinating high -level meetings.

Language:

• Fluency in English language is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset, particularly a language from the geographical focus of this position.

Note: this is a home based assignment. The candidate does not have to be based in Switzerland and can work from anywhere.

Equal opportunity

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.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

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. 

Right to select multiple candidates

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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