UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Future

Currently UNICEF is operating in a rapidly evolving financing landscape, where traditional humanitarian and development funding sources are becoming more constrained, volatile, and less predictable. At the same time, private sector engagement is evolving, with donors and partners increasingly seeking more strategic, measurable, and co-created forms of collaboration. This presents a significant opportunity for UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to strengthen engagement with the private sector and expand high-value partnerships that can accelerate results for children.

In this context, UNICEF is placing greater emphasis on audience-centric engagement strategies to deepen relationships with high-value audiences, including philanthropists, foundations, membership-based organizations (MBOs), and faith-based organizations (FBOs). This shift is particularly relevant in the LAC region, where there is growing potential to unlock greater support from philanthropic actors and mobilize collaborations in the global south.

The Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) team in the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) partners with UNICEF Country Offices (COs) to maximize revenue generation and drive sustainable income growth through strategic fundraising and partnership development across key high-value channels. The team provides integrated strategic oversight, technical expertise, and coordinated guidance to fundraising teams across designated PSFR markets, helping strengthen performance, alignment, and long-term growth.

How can you make a difference?

The Partnerships Specialist sits within the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office reporting to the Philanthropy Manager, Private Sector Partnerships (PFP), with close strategic and technical liaison across the PFP and National Committee ecosystem.

The postholder will help to drive strategic growth of private philanthropy among high-net-worth individuals, foundations and membership and faith-based organizations in the LAC Region. The postholder will also coordinate effectively with philanthropy fundraisers in PSFR country offices in the region, as well as with the LAC PFP team, offering strategic and technical advice and capacity building, where needed.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Job Description Partnerships Specialist (Philanthropy) (P-3), FT, #00113282, Panama City, Panama.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: A completed advanced university degree (i.e. a master's degree or equivalent) in Business Management, Marketing, Finance, International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences or any other relevant field is required.
Work Experience: At least five (5) years of relevant and progressively responsible professional work experience in Philanthropy, Private Sector Partnerships or Fundraising is required.
Experience in direct prospecting, relationship cultivation and management of high value philanthropy partnerships is required.
Skills: Demonstrated ability to cultivate and strengthen strategic relationships with high-value donors and partners.
Demonstrated ability to manage and maintain effective relationships with donors and philanthropic partners.
Demonstrated ability to identify, research and assess prospective donors and funding opportunities.
Demonstrated ability to negotiate fundraising and partnership arrangements.
Demonstrated ability to develop fundraising proposals.
Language Requirements: Proficiency in English and intermediate knowledge of Spanish is required.

Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French or Russian) is an asset.
Relevant work experience in Latin America and the Caribbean region is an asset.
Familiarity with and exposure to UNICEF programmes is highly desirable.
Relevant experience in managing relationships with high-net-worth individual donors is desirable.
Relevant experience in convening philanthropy-related events is desirable.
Relevant experience in managing foundation partnerships is desirable.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and their different levels.

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (1)
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)
(3) Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
(4) Innovates and embraces change (1)
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
(6) Thinks and acts strategically (1)
(7) Works collaboratively with others (1)

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding, and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection, and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks. Background checks will include verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidate's willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female and male candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to staying and delivering in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Partnerships Specialist (Philanthropy) (P-3), FT, #00113282, Panama City – Panama, LACRO