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Chief Partnership Officer

Rome

  • Organization: IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • Location: Rome
  • Grade: Senior level - P-5, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
    • Public, Private Partnership
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Vacancy Announcement Number 1873
Date of Issue 03/02/2020
Deadline for Applications 03/03/2020
Organizational Unit Global Eng., Part. & res. Mob.
Level P-5
Duty Station ROME
Duration of Assignment 2 years

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:

  • 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

  • SSTC, China and Brazil relations, AIIB and BRICS, private sector

  • 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 Chief Partnership Officer works under the general supervision of the Director GPR, across GPR organizational units with cross-functional key partner management teams to leverage relationship management skills, assets and, most importantly, professional social networks. The Chief Partnership Officer is a policy and strategy leader. In this function, the accountabilities/key results include:

  1. Leading a Multi-Functional Team on Strategic Focus Areas

  2. Leading Global Engagement and Multilateral Relations Efforts in Assigned Regions

  3. Leading SSTC efforts

  4. Leading Replenishment, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy Efforts in Assigned Regions

  5. Managerial Functions


Key results expected / Major functional activities

1. LEADING A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL TEAM ON STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS: The Chief manages the work of the team and is responsible for implementation of the programmatic and operational activities of IFAD. Accountabilities may include:

  • Provide policy advice to the Director and develop forward-looking strategic proposals on resource mobilization;
  • Develop and maintain strategic partnership and collaboration with Governments, public and private institutions including NGOs, Foundations and Research entities in the Region through policy dialogue;
  • Oversee advocacy and knowledge sharing within deliberative and policy processes in the region and leverage expertise to advise Senior Management on regional strategic issues as required;
  • Organize and coordinate representation activities to secure support for, and implement policy, to achieve the objectives of the organization;
  • Advise on issues affecting the organization's external relations.

2. LEADING GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND MULTILATERAL RELATIONS EFFORTS IN ASSIGNED REGIONS: The Chief leads the development and implementation of corporate strategies for the engagement in global policy debates. S/he is a leading professional who has the overall responsibility of IFAD’s engagement in global processes of policy dialogue relative to IFAD’s mandate and produces an annual assessment of achievements in the fora. S/he enhances the development of innovative, viable and sustainable policy through authoritative advice in his/her focus areas. The incumbent develops and maintains a network of external peer contacts to keep up-to-date on activities to support joint advocacy to enhance the Fund’s profile as a highly competent and viable development partner.

3. LEADING SSTC EFFORTS: The Chief works in close collaboration with other key departments and divisions across the Fund and other stakeholders as needed, to increase opportunities for partnerships, innovation and the scaling-up of SSTC initiatives in IFAD's operations with the aim to accelerate rural poverty alleviation, enhance rural productivity, advance rural transformation and promote investments among developing countries. The Chief represents IFAD in selected international SSTC events (e.g. UNOSCC Global South-South Development Expo) and leads support to the Regional divisions in their efforts to include an articulated SSTC narrative in selected COSOPs.

4. LEADING REPLENISHMENT, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS IN ASSIGNED REGIONS: The Chief develops and maintains a network of key stakeholders in the assigned regions to enhance the Fund's profile as a highly competent and viable partner. The Chief is responsible for the delivery of a number of key outputs, including:

  • Ensuring sustained support from current funding sources for IFADs replenishment process;
  • Identifying and cultivating potential new sources of funds;
  • Ensuring increased, consistent, and strategic visibility for IFAD in its resource mobilisation efforts;
  • Positioning IFAD to exert greater influence by expanding  partnerships and increasing resources for smallholders;
  • Representing IFAD amongst intergovernmental organizations and international financial institutions based in the assigned regions.

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

  • People Management through support to recruitment of Senior/Partnership Officers, capacity building, coaching and mentoring of new and/or more junior staff, supervision and evaluation of performance of consultants, short-term staff, interns and staff under his/her purview;
  • Resource Management by providing strategic and technical advice for Knowledge and Content Management;
  • Information and reporting through effective engagement with internal and external clients.

Impact of Key results / Key performance indicators

Assignments require the provision of authoritative professional expertise. The Chief leads and manages the team and represents IFAD amongst intergovernmental organizations and international financial institutions based in the assigned regions.

Work at this level is considered of critical concern to the Fund as it serves to improve IFAD's partnerships, corporate outreach and engagement in the assigned regions. An inadequate handling of activities may result in damaging the credibility of the Fund with partners in the assigned regions.


Representation / Work relationships

The Chief serves as the Fund's lead expert in the team and exercises wide professional latitude in developing and maintaining strategic partnerships and collaboration with key contacts in the assigned regions in order to expand partnerships and increase resources for smallholders. S/he acts as a credible voice of the organization and represents IFAD combining the capacity to present, identify opportunities, establish frameworks for interaction and maintain/grow relationships over time.


Competencies

Organizational:

  • Strategic thinking and organizational development: Personal influence (Level 2)
  •  Demonstrating Leadership: Personal leadership and attitude to change (Level 2)
  • Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge and innovates (Level 2)
  • Focusing on clients: Focuses on clients (Level 2)
  • Problem solving and decision making:  Demonstrates sound problem solving and decision-making ability (Level 2)]
  • Managing time, resources and information: Manages own time, information and resources effectively (Level 2)
  • Team Work: Contributes effectively to the team (Level 2)
  • Communicating and negotiating: Communicates effectively: creates understanding between self and others (Level 2)
  • Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains effective working relationships (Level 2)
  • Managing performance and developing staff: Manages staff and teams effectively (Level 2)

Technical/Functional:

  • Authoritative expertise with the demonstrated ability to formulate new approaches in respect of partnership building and resources management.
  • Proven track-record of building strong relationships with clients, focusing on impact and results.
  • Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice.
  • Ability and skills in identifying best practices and implementing innovations in the field of work and adapting them to partnership issues in the Fund.
  • Strong results-oriented decision-making skills, with the ability to translate business strategies and needs into practical solutions.
  • Strong diplomatic communication and negotiation skills and ability to develop a close and effective working relationship with clients and counterparts at the appropriate levels, demonstrated by a track record of developing and sustaining effective relationships with clients and stakeholders

Minimum recruitment qualifications

Education:

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

Experience:

  • Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively relevant experience is required. Experience in providing strategic policy advisory services and relationships building with progressively responsible supervisory / team leader 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. Workingknowledge of another official IFAD  language (Arabic, French, or Spanish) is desirable.

 


Other information

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

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


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


This vacancy is now closed.
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