Senior Partnership Officer (Washington DC, USA)

Organizational context

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and  advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

Post's organizational accountability

As part of the External Relations and Governance Department (ERG), the Global engagement, Partnership and Resource mobilization (GPR) Division has a specific focus on global engagement, partnerships (including with the private sector, foundations, bilateral and multilateral organizations), and on driving the resource mobilization efforts with traditional and non-traditional donors and partners. Within this framework, the GPR Division addresses three main functions: (i) Global engagement and multilateral relations; (ii) South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC); and (iii) replenishment, resource mobilization and advocacy.

The GPR Division is organized in three teams, each led by a Chief Partnership Officer, working to address the aforementioned functions, and broadly charged with the following focus areas:

1. UN engagement, US and Americas relations (government, financial institutions, and civil society), World Bank, GAFSP, IDB, private sector and foundations, CFS, G20 and RBA relations.
2. SSTC, China and Brazil relations, AIIB and BRICS, private sector
3. Replenishment process, supplementary funds management, private sector, Europe, Asia and Pacific, Africa and Arab/Gulf states relations (government, financial institutions, and civil society), ADB, AfDB, EU, EBRD, EIB, IsDB.

The purpose of the Senior Partnership Officer position is to establish and nurture corporate level collaboration with key stakeholders. S/He may also serve as focal point and resource for GPR colleagues on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance for partnership and global policy development. The key result is to ensure greater visibility and influence for IFAD in support of its mission. The Senior Partnership Officer is assigned to a regional or focus-area portfolio, e.g. Europe, Asia & Pacific, Africa & Arab/Gulf states regional relations with governments, financial institutions, and civil society, or vis-à-vis relations with high level committees/organizational relations (e.g. CFS, G20 and RBA)

The Senior Partnership Officer works under the general supervision of the Chief Partnership Officer (team lead), across GPR organizational units with cross-functional key partner management teams to leverage relationship management skills, assets and, most importantly, professional social networks.

Senior Partnership Officers are experts and knowledge builders in their focus areas. They provide technical expertise and substantive contributions reflecting new approaches which materially expand the range of services or programmes delivered to closely support internal and external stakeholders, including Partnership Officers. Senior Partnership Officers work collaboratively with other colleagues across the GPR Division to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support. In this function, and within the assigned portfolios, the accountabilities/key results include:  

1. Promoting, Advocating and Communicating Divisional Priorities
2. Implementing Partnership Strategies
3. Managing Technical Expertise of Global Policy Engagement, SSTC, Replenishment, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy
4. Managerial Functions

Key results expected / Major functional activities

PROMOTING, ADVOCATING AND COMMUNICATING DIVISIONAL PRIORITIES: The Senior Partnership Officer manages and communicates knowledge for increased support of traditional and non-traditional donors, taking into account IFAD's Strategic Framework and Programme of Work, setting clear quantitative targets to evaluate for results- focused partnerships capable of supporting IFAD's mandate and resource mobilization objectives. S/he acts with credible technical authority by facilitating and participating in consultations and coordination meetings and ad-hoc visits with external stakeholders at all levels as required.

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES: The Senior Partnership Officer collaborates with internal stakeholders to strengthen IFAD's approach to partnerships. In particular, s/he assists the Programme Management Department (PMD), Country Directors (CDs) and Country Programme Managers (CPMs) in mainstreaming partnerships with traditional and non-traditional donors by providing them with substantial technical advice and recommendations. The Senior Partnership Officer tracks progress under engagement strategies, builds institutional capacity and knowledge for its partnership performance and ensures the development of efficient approaches for implementing partnership strategies. S/He negotiates new partnership and grant agreements.

MANAGING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE OF GLOBAL POLICY ENGAGEMENT, SSTC, REPLENISHMENT, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND ADVOCACY: The Senior Partnership Officer is responsible for contributing and providing senior expertise to the development and implementation of corporate strategies for the engagement in global policy debates. S/he is responsible for IFAD’s engagement in SSTC and other policy dialogue relative to IFAD’s mandate and produces an annual assessment of achievements in the fora for which s/he has responsibility, including replenishment, resource mobilization and advocacy.

MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Senior Partnership Officer is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes:

• People Management through support to the recruitment of staff within the team, capacity building, coaching and mentoring of new and/or more junior staff as well as supervision and evaluation of performance of consultants and staff under his/her purview.
• Resource Management by providing strategic and technical advice for Knowledge and Content Management.

Impact of Key results / Key performance indicators

The Senior Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officer has credible authoritative capacity with independent responsibility for a specific technical area which s/he is leading.  S/he works with minimal supervision and is expected to pursue new areas of activities going beyond established procedures or models. The Senior Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officer also monitors and guides the work of other Partnership Officers, external consultants and assistants and participates as technical expert in group meetings and consultations with external stakeholders and collaborators at all levels.

Representation / Work relationships

The Senior Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officer, as authority in the subject field, typically provides technical and managerial leadership to the substantive development and execution of the assigned technical area, including providing (i) managerial direction to Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officers and assistants and (ii) effective representation with external stakeholders and collaborators.

Internally, the Senior Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officer collaborates with internal stakeholders to strengthen IFAD approach to partnerships.

Competencies

Organizational

• Strategic thinking and organizational development: Personal influence (Level 1)
• Demonstrating Leadership: Personal leadership and attitude to change (Level 1)
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge and innovates (Level 1)
• Focusing on clients: Focuses on clients (Level 1)
• Problem solving and decision making: Demonstrates sound problem solving and decision making ability (Level 1)
• Managing time, resources and information: Manages own time, information and resources effectively (Level 1)
• Team Work: Contributes effectively to the team (Level 1)
• Communicating and negotiating: Communicates effectively: creates understanding between self and others (Level 1)
• Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains effective working relationships (Level 1)
• Managing performance and developing staff: Manages staff and teams effectively (Level 1)

Technical/Functional

• Authoritative knowledge of partnership development and resource mobilization.
• Ability and skill in identifying best practices and implementing innovations in the field of work and adapting them to partnership issues in the Fund.
• Ability to lead a team.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of resources management and outreach- related activities.
• Ability to conduct sound policy analysis.
• Skill in the identification of new opportunities or requirements to meet challenges in the field and propose changes.
• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to substantially contribute to formulation of strategies and policies.

Minimum recruitment qualifications

Education:

• Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in international development, international relations, political science or related field or other job-related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively relevant experience is required.
• Experience in providing strategic policy advisory services and relationships building with progressively responsible supervisory experience is highly desirable.
• Successful track record in establishing, building and managing partnerships with various stakeholders. Knowledge of development finance systems is desirable.

Language requirements:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Working knowledge of another official IFAD language (Arabic, French, or Spanish) is desirable.
• Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD, and they may be assigned by him/her to any of the activities of IFAD, including field assignments and/or rotation within IFAD.
  
  In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful

Other information

In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful

Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

IFAD is committed to achieving diversity and is seeking a balanced workforce from its Member States. Women are particularly encouraged to apply.