Partnerships Officer, Consultancy Level II at World Food Programme (WFP)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

• This job will be based in Nairobi in the Kenya Country Office. Job holders work with high degree of independence using technical knowledge and experience to analyze data, prepare reports, provide advice and solutions to problems, and identify opportunities for improvements.
• In Country Offices, these jobs report to the Communications Officer, to ensure that the Country Office partnership activities serve WFP needs in the country of assignment, taking into consideration the overall regional partnership plan and WFP's corporate goals.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

• WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, with a mission to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  WFP Kenya is one of the 15 largest operations in the organization, with a yearly budget of approximately USD 200 million and a complex portfolio of activities spanning relief operations for refugees/vulnerable Kenyan populations; resilience building through asset creation and food systems strengthening; capacity strengthening activities (school meals, emergency preparedness and response), and logistics services including management of a major regional port and the UNHAS service.
• The Country office is seeking an appropriately qualified consultant for a period of 11 months, to provide support in the areas of Partnerships (Donor Relations).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
The assignment will involve some or all of the following responsibilities:  

• Coordinate the implementation of agreed segments of the donor relations workplan, specifically private sector and selected government donor engagement, to enable WFP to identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships in support of WFP strategic objectives.
• Contribute substantively to the development, implementation and periodic revision of the Partnership Action Plan, working with functional units and RB staff to develop coordinated outreach plans. Support alignment of partner engagement across the organization.
• Proactively support a wide range of aspects of the donor relations/partnerships portfolio, including:
• profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach planning, to maximise resources for Kenya country office and regional/interagency initiatives, and to leverage policy and technical support for WFP’s work.
• Gather and share donor intelligence, including forecasting, using key information systems (eg WINGS, Salesforce, WFPgo, RBN Dashboards and Kenya CO resource management systems) to track activity and assess results.
• Extend support on partnership/contribution management, in line with corporate norms, processes and legal agreements, including quality proposal and (on occasion) report writing, engaging with other WFP entities (eg. global offices and Friends groups) and external stakeholders.
• Facilitate partnership growth, by exploring opportunities to expand existing partnerships and scope of new partners, guided by assessments, analysis and due diligence;
• Ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (cont.)

• Facilitate corporate dialogue with partners through preparation of quality briefing materials and meeting reports;
• Proactively highlight strategic opportunities and issues to senior management and propose options for the best course of action to nurture trust and interest in the work of WFP, ensuring follow up.
• Support the preparation of joint events (UN pledging conferences, regional drought response and interagency initiatives) that can advance WFP interests and objectives.
• As required, support WFP’s effective positioning with national governments, regional and international institutions, with the aim of influencing engagement and the policy agenda.
• In the context of the UN System and selected multilateral for a, support the development of partnerships with member states, civil society and intergovernmental organizations to advocate for attainment of the SDGs and Zero Hunger.
• Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work to ensure equal participation of women and men.
• Other related duties as required.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• A written summary covering
• Summary of proposals submitted and status of prospective donors in pipeline
• Events and donor missions supported, and lessons learned/suggestions for future collaborations
• any other key achievements during the period of appointment.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:

• Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications, Social Sciences or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses. 

Experience:

• Six years or more of postgraduate professional experience in a relevant field of work, with a background and interest in international humanitarian development. Prior experience working within, or in connection with, a UN system organization or in the humanitarian sector is desirable. Prior experience working in, or supporting projects based in, developing countries will be highly regarded.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (cont.)
Knowledge & Skills:

• Has a good understanding of government and corporate strategy and priorities and has gained experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnership.
• Has developed long term partner relationships and expanded engagements across geographies and sectors
• Has gained significant experience in exploring new opportunities and developing proposals to design and develop solutions with prospective partners and expand existing engagements and partner relationships.
• Has designed and managed resource mobilization processes, negotiated contract terms and provided resourcing advice to senior management.
• Has gained experience in gathering, documenting, and analyzing partner intelligence (both data and qualitative information such as partners’ focus areas and organizational operations) to develop a Unique Value Proposition and engagement strategy for partners.
• Has experience of using technology and digital tools for managing partner information and to share insights to add value to partnerships corporately.
• Has demonstrated sound teamwork, collaboration and motivation abilities and contributed to a gender-balanced, inclusive, and positive working environment.

Languages:

• Written and oral proficiency in English is essential. 
• Intermediate (or better) knowledge of another WFP official language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish or WFP’s working language) is highly desirable.