Description

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

The Organization

Heifer International is a global development organization on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. We work with farmers and their communities to identify and invest in business opportunities that deliver living incomes. Since launching in 1944, Heifer International has assisted more than 40 million families to build sustainable food and farming businesses that strengthen rural economies and put people on a pathway to Sustainable Living Income. We work with local farmers, and food producers because we believe ending poverty begins with agriculture.

Heifer International started work in Uganda in 1982 and has since reached and helped over 5 million families across the country. Heifer has worked in 52 districts of Uganda and currently, we are present in 15 districts of Central, Eastern and Northern Uganda. In the last 12 years, Heifer Uganda has reached over one million families through agriculture and environmentally sound economic development programs.

FUNCTION

Delivering on the project objectives will require a full time Partnership Manager for the duration of the activity and She/ He will report directly to the Project Director-Strengthening Agribusiness for Youth Employment and will have the overall responsibility for overseeing the coordination of all aspects of the partnership, and compliance deliverables of the partners. She/ He will be responsible for naturing and strengthening partnerships, support a range of assessments including assessing partners coming on board and their operational capacity, developing capacity building plans in liaison with the partners.

The role will also ensure that partners prepare accurate and timely reports and any other project documentation.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS

Builds networks, negotiation skills, positive, coordination, stake holder focus, manages complex environments, effective communicator, respectful, team player and enthusiastic.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES

A. Risk Assessment and Management (30%)

• Work with the cluster coordinators in defining, drafting, and co-designing partnerships with intervention partners.
• Lead and complete due diligence and capacity assessments for potential partners.
• Partner contracts management and ensuring that partners deliver on their mandate.
• Conduct compliance checks to ensure partners are in conformity with the terms and conditions of the agreements.
• Maintain contract files and ensure reports and relevant documentation is kept up to date and in an orderly manner.
• Coordinate with the Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning team to ensure partners are being monitored for progress against deliverables as well as against donor and Heifer compliance.

B. Partnership Management (30%)

• Develop and roll out a partnership engagement plans to harness and maintain mutually benefiting relationships.
• Organize and conduct periodic partnership reviews and provide support to partners in closing the gaps.
• Establish and further develop partnerships with development agencies, private sector organizations and civil society organizations to diversify project opportunities.
• Develop Partnership Road Maps – concise opportunity diagnostics and support plans to enhance implementation of each partnership roadmap (PRM) agreed upon activities, outputs, and deliverables to reach specific commercial and inclusive objectives.
• Introduce the project to relevant stakeholders and foster ongoing positive engagement among the different stakeholders.
• Serve as the focal point person and participate in and report on the relevant partner and government coordination meetings including addressing project/partner development issues in consultation with cluster coordinators.
• Develop and manage partnerships with key private sector actors, proactively building relationships with partners and networks in the agribusiness space.
• Develop framework partnership agreements that can increase opportunities within the target area.

C. Capacity Building (20%)

• Conduct partner organizational capacity assessments, develop capacity building plans and follow up on implementation progress.
• Ensure capacity building plans are implemented in a timely and effective manner.
• Follow up with partners in respect to areas of improvement identified during assessments and work closely with the partners in closing issues.
• Arrange and oversee the quality of the provision of regular operational and compliance capacity building and training for partners.
• Provide support supervision and oversight function on subcontracts compliance to ensure that the overall project implementation complies with Mastercard Foundation and Heifer International regulations and policies.
• Monitor and, when necessary, mentor subcontractors (implementing partners, hubs) in the requirements of proper project management to adhere to Mastercard Foundation and Heifer International programmatic goals and objectives.
• Maintain and ensure proper storage of partner documents, filing of partner documents both in soft and hard copy.
• Maintain an updated partner data base.

E. May perform any other duties assigned (5%)

Minimum Requirements

1. The partnership manager shall possess a bachelor’s degree in business administration or economics with at least 8 years’ experience developing and managing partnership engagements.

Most critical Proficiencies

1. Experience within the development /NGO sector.
2. Experience building and navigating complex business relationships.
3. Excellent networking and negotiation skills.
4. Evidence of successful management of partnership process from assessment through implementation to close out including ability to design capacity building plans and to provide mentorship and support.
5. Ability to focus on day-to-day tasks at hand while also working towards longer-term objectives with an understanding that these will change continuously.
6. Demonstrated flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to learn and to be continually adaptive within a dynamic and often self-directed working environment.
7. Highly analytical and systematic thinker.
8. Experience in large grant management and reporting through Foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors.

Essential Job Functions and Physical demands

1. Strong leadership, teamwork, mentoring and coaching skills.
2. Ability to prepare and present project reports in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
3. Must be able to assign and review the work of line managed staff and to use participatory management skills with senior and junior staff.
4. High level of interpersonal, technical, and analytical skills including a demonstrated ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with a broad range of public and private sector counterparts and other key stakeholders.
5. Excellent organizational, analytical, and oral and written communication skills in English.
6. Excellent skills and experience in collaborative working relationships with senior level government leadership, internal teams and partners.

NOTE: The Mastercard Foundation adheres to the highest standards of care related to its programs, those involved in carrying out its mission, and the millions of young people it supports in accessing dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of misconduct and takes seriously its responsibility to improve the safety and well-being of the young people who participate in its programs. This duty of care is shared by the Foundation’s partners. As such, during recruitment of staff for Foundation supported programs, all necessary mechanisms are put in place to ascertain that candidates under consideration share our commitment to safeguarding.