Partnerships Officer, P-2, Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Position- Public Partnerships Division (PPD), Washington DC, post #134781- (Open to Canadian nationals only)

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 Partnerships ...

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations. 

Job organisational context and purpose for the job :  

In 2025 UNICEF established an Office in Washington D.C., which serves as the leadership hub for its partnerships with the Governments of the United States, Canada and Israel, as well as for UNICEF’s partnership with International Financial Institutions.  The overall team is co-located with colleagues also operating from New York, under the overall Direction of UNICEF Headquarters’ Public Partnership Division. 

UNICEF’s Public Partnerships Division (PPD), which works to strengthen UNICEF's position as a partner of choice for children's rights among governments and inter-governmental actors around the world. The Division is doing this by positioning children's rights in the intergovernmental and multilateral fora and engaging with governments and public institutions as resource, policy and programme partners. A key premise for PPD is that the engagement with countries should be holistic based on multiple aspects of partnerships, including policy advocacy and resource mobilization.

How can you make a difference? 

The JPO will contribute to managing and strengthening partnerships with key public partners through the coordination of high-level advocacy, daily engagement with counterparts, and support to resource mobilization in consultation with the Deputy Team Lead, Director and other parts of UNICEF.

The position’s purpose is to provide support in deepening collaboration with key stakeholders and helping to provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence within the scope of assignment.  The key result is to ensure greater visibility for UNICEF and influence in support of its mission.  

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JPO TOR Washington D.C..pdf

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Contribute to the implementation of the work plan for UNICEF’s Public Partnerships in the North America/IFI Pillar, to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s partnership strategy.
2. Promote and maintain direct relationships with public sector development partners, contributing to preparation of meetings with donors, consultations, donors’ briefings and other forms of engagement with development partners. Support the preparation of concept notes, proposals, and briefing notes.
3. Support supervisor in maintaining effect