High-value Fundraising Specialist

Digital Inclusion (DI) Partnerships team seeks a High-value Fundraising Specialist who will be responsible for originating, developing, converting and managing a portfolio of high-value partnerships for DI/Giga, with a primary focus on securing new business from corporate, foundation and philanthropic partners. The incumbent owns partnership opportunities end-to-end — from pipeline development and partner engagement through proposal development, negotiation, contracting, stewardship, renewal and growth — across assigned audiences.

UNOPS Geneva Office is providing support to a wide range of portfolios, including UNEP, UNICEF, UNHCR, and other partners.

This position is a Partner Personnel role. The selected candidate will be hired by UNOPS under its rules and regulations and will be engaged as UN Partner Personnel for UNICEF - Digital Inclusion (DI) and will operate under the effective management and supervision of UNICEF.

UNOPS is supporting UNICEF-DI as a UN Partner and acting on its behalf to provide recruitment and administrative support for this position.

About UNICEF Digital Inclusion

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

UNICEF’s Digital Inclusion team accelerates access to affordable, sustainable, safe and resilient digital infrastructure for every child. We do so by supporting governments and partners to expand equitable and affordable connectivity across child-facing service locations such as schools, health facilities, and social protection locations, and addressing related infrastructure such as electricity and computer. Our work empowers children and their communities through information, opportunity, choice and dignity. The Digital Inclusion team includes functions that support Giga, the joint partnership between UNICEF and ITU to connect every school to the internet. The Giga team is based at the Giga Connectivity Centre in Geneva and the Giga Technology Centre in Barcelona. 

Digital Inclusion team is part of the Digital Impact Division (DID), which is at the heart of reshaping how UNICEF delivers lasting results for all children everywhere, and is committed to harnessing the full potential of emerging digital technologies to advance UNICEF’s mission. DID works in close collaboration with a network of colleagues in more than 190 countries and territories at country, region and headquarters levels to leverage technologies and capabilities that accelerate progress on UNICEF’s goals, strengthen community resilience, and expand access to essential digital services and information.

Under supervision of DI Partnerships Manager and working closely with the partnership team, the programme and technical teams, communications, legal/contracting colleagues, and relevant National Committees and Country Offices, the postholder translates partnership opportunities into signed agreements, funded initiatives and long-term strategic relationships.

DI is looking for an experienced High-value Fundraising Specialist with strong commercial fluency and a working understanding of the technology, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, cloud, satellite, connectivity, AI and related investment sectors. The role is intended to strengthen our team’s ability to engage credibly with corporate partners, structure practical collaboration opportunities that raise funding for our work, and convert private sector interest into funded, operational, or market-shaping partnerships that advance our work.

The contractor will bring private sector discipline to DI’s partnership development work. This includes identifying companies with a strategic interest in connectivity, understanding their interests and translating DI’s technical and programmatic offer into propositions that are relevant to corporate decision-makers, and supporting the development of concrete partnership pathways with funders, operators, infrastructure companies, technology firms, and institutional investors.

The assignment requires someone who can operate comfortably with senior corporate audiences and internal UNICEF stakeholders. The contractor should be able to interpret how companies think about market entry, infrastructure expansion, social investments, digital inclusion, brand positioning, product relevance, data, innovation, and long-term growth and find relevant entry points to engage. The role has a strong focus on fundraising in combination with leveraging technical expertise, solutions, data, advocacy, convening power, and other support. The role requires an experienced partnership professional able to independently identify, shape and advance opportunities within UNICEF’s partnership framework, with limited need for close supervision or foundational onboarding. High technological competence, understanding of the corporate sectors and the technology that drives and advances digital inclusion are essential. A strong network with the respective industry sectors is a decisive advantage. 

 

Under the general guidance of the Partnerships Manager, this role will develop and manage a designated portfolio of high-value partnership opportunities (focus on new prospects and/or active leads) to advance DI/Giga and UNICEF resource mobilization and engagement priorities, with a strong emphasis on new business generation and conversion that leads to significant additional income / resources.

 

The incumbent will define and execute tailored business development approaches for assigned segments, markets and/or geographies, recognizing that different partner types require distinct entry points, value propositions and engagement models. The role is tasked on building a strong sales funnel, generating qualified leads, advancing priority opportunities, and closing financial or shared value partnerships that generate significant value.

Business development and pipeline ownership

• Define and execute tailored business development approaches for assigned partner segments, markets and/or geographies, aligned with DI/Giga priorities.

• Build and actively manage a prioritized pipeline and disciplined sales funnel of qualified partnership opportunities, using market intelligence and partner insight to identify high-potential prospects and conversion pathways.

Lead generation and partner engagement

• Design and implement targeted outreach, cultivation and lead generation activities to originate new partnership opportunities and expand the prospect base.

• Position DI/Giga credibly with prospective partners through tailored engagement approaches, messaging and use of strategic moments, events, networks and senior engagement opportunities.

Partnership development and deal conversion 

• Develop pitches, concept notes, proposals, presentations and other partner-facing materials, in collaboration with programme, technical and communications colleagues, to shape compelling and feasible partnership opportunities.

• Drive negotiations and internal processes required to move opportunities from prospect stage to signed partnership agreements, maintaining momentum through disciplined follow-up and active deal management.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Item

Outputs/Deliverables

Month/Year

1

Pipeline built and actively managed: A healthy, prioritized pipeline of qualified leads and opportunities is maintained across assigned segments and geographies, with clear funnel stages, ownership, next steps and conversion pathways. 

Ongoing

2

New business originated and advanced: Strong partner-facing materials are developed and deployed to support partner positioning, cultivation and conversion.

Ongoing

3

Partnerships closed: Priority opportunities are converted into signed partnership agreements through effective negotiation, internal coordination and timely progression of approval and contracting processes.

Ongoing

4

Performance tracked and acted upon: Pipeline health, funding potential, conversion progress and key opportunity risks are reviewed regularly, with bottlenecks and growth opportunities identified and addressed.

Ongoing