Regional Resource Mobilization Advisor to Africa at Diakonia Sweden

We now seek a Resource Mobilization Advisor to Africa. We offer you an exciting job in an international environment where you, together with our talented colleagues and partner organizations, will change the world!

We know that it is possible to change the world. But we also know that it takes time and requires persistence and courage. Diakonia is a Swedish faith-based development organization that works to change unfair structures that generate poverty, inequality, oppression, and violence.

We work with around 400 local partner organizations in about 25 countries in four continents. Diakonia’s identity is characterized by five values; Solidarity, Justice, Courage, Commitment and Accountability. They serve as both a reminder of who we are, and a description of the work we do.

In Sub-Saharan Africa Diakonia employs more than 100 staff at country offices in Burkina Faso, DRC, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe; and at the Regional Office in Kenya. Diakonia’s Africa programs are currently funded by Sweden, EU, U.K., Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, UN agencies, Swedish individual sponsors and private foundations.

Diakonia has identified the need to increase the organizations’ funding, and to diversify the funding stream. Therefore, we seek to employ a regional resource mobilization advisor for Africa. Reporting to the Regional Director Africa, the position will work together with similar positions in our other regions in Middle East, Asia and Latin America.

The position will liaise and collaborate closely with the Head Office based Coordinator for Resource Mobilization who holds the global responsibility for resource mobilization.

Role & responsibilities:

With the overarching purpose to allow Diakonia to maintain its political and financial sustainability in Africa the Regional Resource Mobilization Advisor will work very closely with the regional and country management teams to identify and build relationships with new donors and strategic allies.

Reporting to the Regional Director, s/he will coordinate between national, regional, and global levels within Diakonia and assure synergies and quality in the development of proposals.

S/he will be responsible for cross-regional collaboration and knowledge management on resource mobilization with regional peers and in close coordination with the head office.

Main tasks for the position are:

• Explore and map new and innovative funding opportunities on regional and country level and assist Regional and Country Directors to cultivate relations with new potential funding partners (including foundations and non-traditional donors).
• Support the Regional Director to draft the annual regional fundraising priority plan and to operationalize it in close collaboration with the regional management team and Country Directors.
• Support country offices to develop and implement viable resource mobilisation strategies.
• Assist country offices to draft qualitative program and project proposals, tenders and concept notes ensuring the highest quality on content, language and format including innovation and added value. In some instance s/he will lead the proposal writing process depending on specific needs.
• Provide capacity development/training for regional and country offices in resource mobilization skills (e.g. formulation of proposals including components of innovation and added value) and give hands-on coaching and support to selected country office based on needs.
• Ensure that internal learnings, donor statistics and best practices are shared within the Africa region and between the regions and with Head Office.

Experience & qualifications:

• We are looking for a person with an innovative and flexible mind with the social skills to develop relationships and partnerships built on trust, interest and a strong commitment and support for the rights holders of Africa.
• You are willing to work independently as well as part of a team and contribute to a positive work environment. For you it is natural to contribute to a more equal society through gender conscious behaviorFrom your professional life you have documented experience from:
• Successful fundraising (minimum of three years) from international agencies such as international NGOs, multilateral agencies, private foundations, philanthropists, and others.
• Networking and contacts with and knowledge of potential new donors for Diakonia Africa.
• Development aid sector in Africa, including proposal writing, program design and reporting.
• Diakonia’s thematic priorities; human rights, democracy and gender justice.
• Degree in relevant areas such as development.
• You have excellent writing and speaking language skills in English and French

This is a plus:

• Experience in communication, campaigning and advocacy.
• Experience of participatory proposal writing processes with right holders and civil society organizations.
• Experience in PMEL (planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning) with a special emphasis on learning.

We offer:

Diakonia offers you an attractive and secure work environment and you will become part of a culture that is characterized by commitment, openness and participation. We value work-life balance; the possibility to competence development, and the right level of challenge to remain professionally motivated.

Place in the organisation: The Regional Resource Mobilization Advisor reports directly to the Regional Director based in Nairobi

Location: Diakonia’s regional office in Nairobi, Africa.

Start date: January 2021 or as per agreement.

Employment type: The contract is for a defined term of 24 months, with possibilities of extension.

Travel requirement: The job requires frequent trips to the region's country offices and possibly other countries.

Fee: National position, in line with regional salary structure and policy.