Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager - Sudan at Mercy Corps

• The Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager will be the main support role of the Country office, leading the development of new initiatives, managing partnerships and providing oversight and support to ensure donor compliance and quality reporting and filing for all active and future programs in Mercy Corps Sudan. The role will work closely with the PaQ team to ensure quality standards are in place and quality donor reporting systems. The Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager will assist in securing new programs by coordinating or leading proposal development processes, including the expansion of the portfolio across core objectives including humanitarian response, durable solutions, and resilience. The Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager will be expected to advise program teams on donor rules and regulation to ensure all programs are compliant with our internal and donor regulations and timely submission of quality donor reports across the country portfolios.

Essential Job Responsibilities
PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Map existing implementing partners and other donor projects across a variety of technical sectors including market systems development, livelihoods, natural resource management, social cohesion
• In partnership with the Director of Programs (DOP), Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Program Leads help build strategic relationships with key stakeholders, peer agencies and donors that lead towards funding opportunities.
• In partnership with The DoP and SLT help build relationships with potential partners, including international and national NGOs for sustainable programming
• In partnership with the Director of Programs, work with teams to develop a comprehensive and functional mission-level stakeholder engagement strategy aligned with the Country Strategy to determine opportunities, and support donor engagement and partnerships management.
• Participate in key donor meetings and consultations, support donor contacts, when necessary, to foster long-term collaboration, engagement, and strategic prepositioning.
• In close collaboration with HQ, ensure key contacts, required formats and donor strategies are kept up to date at the country office level.
• In partnership with DoP and Regional Program Team (RPT) update and maintaina tracking system for potential and current donors and new business opportunities.
• Interface with Mercy Corps headquarters and the regional office to keep abreast of donor strategic priorities, specific requirements, and deadlines.

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• Lead proposal development processes, including drafting and producing high quality concept notes and proposals that support Mercy Corps Sudan’s strategic programming goals.
• Develop systems and ensure all program development/new business development opportunities are systematically managed and ensure regular updates and engagement of the senior management team and Country Director.
• Identify and act on capacity building and inclusion strategies to increase the voice of national staff in the new initiatives process, with an eye for leveraging internal talent and know how appropriately into new initiative processes, including but not limited to, supporting trainings, facilitating participatory design workshops, capacity building trainings, etc.
• Coordinate with programming teams to identify key public stakeholder relationships and wherever possible, strengthen the voice of external stakeholders in the design process, ensuring necessary co-design components, alignment and support with the Government of Nigeria in new initiatives.
• Ensure new initiatives processes comply with PM@MC standards and are in alignment with Mercy Corps Country Strategy, GEDSI, GDI, and do no harm approaches through the involvement of relevant MEL, gender, youth, and conflict advisors in the design process.
• Ensure full internal and HQ review and sign off as per the proposal development process.
• Support communications and coordination with the HQ-based Regional Program team and Regional communications advisor, support internal communications between teams.
• Conduct and document after action review processes for new initiatives and partnerships, maximizing learning and internal organizational documentation.
• Following new initiative awards, facilitate teams through a handover process, supporting the onboarding of new staff to the program design and development process, ensuring full understanding of program scope. Provide inputs to Start Up processes, particularly as it relates to key concerns and priorities raised during the design process and relevant partnership strategies.
• Liaise with the Programs, Finance and Operations Teams in the development of budgets of funding proposals.

REPORTING AND PROGRAM COMMUNICATIONS

• Oversee reporting workflows and processes between Program Teams, senior leadership, and HQ to ensure the timely and quality development, review and submission of reports and other communication products.
• Maintain a reporting tracker and share regularly with Program and MEL Teams.
• Collaborate with the DOP and PAQ Director on the development of strategies, position papers, thought leadership pieces, and other related initiatives leveraging evidence from programs.
• Provide timely, thorough responses to information requests from internal and external sources.
• Develop strategic communication materials, such as sector profiles, impact reports, program briefings, leadership and positioning pieces, key messages, talking points, and other relevant pieces.
• Ensure high-quality information sharing among internal and external audiences.
• Represent Mercy Corps in external coordination forums, as requested.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE AND RECORD RETENTION

• Support the adherence of teams to PM@MC minimum standards in partnership with the DoP and PaQ Director and teams.
• Support program kick-off, regular portfolio review and close-out meetings to ensure that all program information, including deadlines, donor priorities and requirements, are communicated and understood by the team, and programs are closed in compliance with donor regulations.
• Maintain effective communications with headquarters staff, providing timely updates on programs and flagging potential issues promptly.
• Coordinate with PAQ to develop an evidence base and learning pieces to improve program quality.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA degree in relevant field and MA preferred.
• 3 to 5 years of progressive work experience, with demonstrated strengths in program or portfolio management, proposal development, and donor reporting.
• Familiarity with US, EU and other donor regulations related to reporting requirements and ability to understand and adjust to the donor contractual requirements preferred.
• Excellent planning, management, and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a workload comprised of varying and changing tasks and responsibilities.
• Experience in staff management, supervision, and capacity building.
• Demonstrated experience in working in a multi-cultural and high-stress environment.
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English required.
• Excellent representation skills required.
• Previous work experience in Sudan, preferred.