Director – Partnerships, Governance and Resource Mobilization

Job Description

Director – Partnerships, Governance and Resource Mobilisation

Organization

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

Location

New Delhi, India

Job Posting Date

1 January 2024

Grade

Director

Salary and benefits

Salary and benefits will be offered commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Contract

Fixed Term Contract (3 years), extendable to another 3 years, Full-Time

Occupational Groups

Partnerships, External Relations, Governance, Resource Mobilisation, Fund Raising

Last Date of Application

31 January 2024

About CDRI:

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.

Vision

“CDRI seeks to rapidly expand the development and retrofit of resilient infrastructure to respond to the SDG of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.”

Mission

“To support countries to upgrade their systems to ensure disaster and climate resilience of existing and future infrastructure.”

Impact (that CDRI aims to achieve)

By 2050, over US$10 trillion of new and existing infrastructure investments and services are resilient to natural hazards and climate change through enhanced capacity, informed policy, planning, and management, leading to improved quality of environment, livelihood, and life of over 3 billion people.

CDRI Mandate & Value Proposition

CDRI has been envisioned and established as a global network to advance the agenda, support coordinated action among stakeholders, and focus on bringing voices from vulnerable geographies and populations to international policy forums. Internationally agreed-upon goals in the SDFRR, the SDGs, and the Paris Climate Agreement provide the foundational framework that guides the Coalition’s vision and mission.

As a global partnership, the Coalition aims to ensure that the investments of its members and partners are aligned and well-coordinated in support of the shared ambition of disaster and climate resilience of new and existing infrastructure. The two unique yet interconnected roles that CDRI shoulders in this direction are:

• A Strong Coalition Driving Collaborative DRI Action: In 2023, CDRI stands as a partnership of 31 national governments, six international organizations and financial institutions, and two private sector organizations. The Coalition enjoys robust political support, which propels its efforts to advance the interests of its members and partners.
• A Solution-Focused Centre of Excellence for DRI: As a Centre of Excellence for DRI, the Coalition strengthens the individual and collective capacities of its members and partners by aggregating and sharing knowledge, brokering need-based partnerships, and strengthening capacities through collaborative learning and action.

Strategic Work Plan 2023-2026

CDRI’s Strategic Work Plan 2023-26 describes the broad contours of its priority actions and planned initiatives in the next four years. The Strategic Work Plan sets out a clear direction for the Coalition to pursue a transformational agenda for DRI in response to a changing risk landscape and evolving on-ground realities of its members. In the next four years, the Coalition will continue to leverage the expertise of its Member Countries and partners to develop context-specific, innovative solutions for resilient infrastructure towards the achievement of national priorities and global commitments of its members.

With the strategic work plan for 2023 – 2026, CDRI has set out the following strategic outcomes.

Strategic Outcome 1: A strong Coalition that has the membership, resources, and global leadership to drive global, national, regional, and local DRI action.

Strategic Outcome 2: Global DRI research, Coalition-led peer engagement, and CDRI-curated and generated knowledge promote risk-informed policy and practice.

Strategic Outcome 3: Enhanced capacities of government, private enterprises, and communities to implement post-disaster recovery and DRI action at scale.

CDRI Head Quarter (Secretariat)

The CDRI headquarter is established in New Delhi, India, to act as the Secretariat of the Coalition. The Secretariat functions under the direction of the International Governing Council and Executive Committee to implement the programmes of CDRI.

Position

This position will be based at the CDRI secretariat in New Delhi, India, as a full-time staff with a Fixed Term Contract of three (3) years, renewable for an additional three (3) years.

The position is open to candidates from CDRI member countries. For candidates demonstrating considerable international experience, an international salary and benefits package will be offered.

Candidates will have to demonstrate considerable experience in at least 5 countries across two UN geographic regions (from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern America, and Oceania) to meet the criteria for international staff.

Objective of this position:

CDRI seeks an experienced professional for the role of Director – Partnerships, Governance, and Resource Mobilisation at the Coalition. Reporting to the Director-General CDRI, the incumbent will ensure the effective accomplishment of activities under Strategic Priority 1 of the Strategic Work Plan 2023-2026 while also providing leadership to other strategic priorities as appropriate.

The Director – Partnerships, Governance, and Resource Mobilisation will provide expert advice, develop policies, and contribute to organization-wide strategic planning to ensure Partnerships, Resource Mobilization, and Governance systems are established and rolled out.

The role will ensure compliance with governance frameworks and regulations as per the CDRI Charter, fundraising efforts, fostering positive relationships and participation from member countries and developing efficient and effective processes and policies across the Secretariat.

Key responsibilities of this position are:

1. Lead the Partnerships Portfolio of the Coalition

• Develop a comprehensive Partnership strategy that aligns with the Coalition’s Vision and Mission. Identify potential partners and collaborations.
• Ensure stakeholder management by building and maintaining relationships with all existing and potential members and Coalition partners. Also, identify and cultivate partnerships, alliances, and collaborations that contribute to the organization’s impact and fundraising.
• Negotiate and secure partnership agreements, MOUs, and contracts in alignment with the Coalition’s objectives.
• Prepare regular reports for DG, the Executive Committee, and the Governing Council.
• Represent the Coalition as a spokesperson at global, regional, and local platforms focused on DRI.
• 2. Provide Thought Leadership to the Coalition
• Be well-versed in global and regional agreements and commitments, such as the Sendai Framework for DRR, Sustainable Development Goals, and G20 communique, that influence global and regional actions related to disaster-resilient infrastructure.
• Provide thought leadership to members of the Governing Council, Executive Committee, and the Director General on these global and regional agreements and commitments.
• In partnership with coalition members, support the development of agendas related to DRI that CDRI should promote or support on the regional and global stage. This includes building partnerships and support with governments, global organizations, and regional bodies that have shared interests in the advocacy agendas.

3. Be part of the Leadership Team at the Secretariat

• Be part of the senior leadership team along with other Senior Directors and Directors, under the guidance of the Director General, to manage the operations of the Secretariat.
• Develop innovative partnerships strategies to provide maximum outreach for key initiatives such as IRIS, IRAX, or the Biennial Global Report on Resilient Infrastructure.
• Engage in organization-building activities, providing leadership as needed, to support the Coalition’s transition to an international organization.
• Be responsible for engaging with Coalition members and partners on the preparation and delivery of Coalition’s communications products, including CDRI’s website, annual reports, and marketing materials such as brochures and summaries of key initiatives to the external stakeholders.

4. Managing Governance Processes of the Coalition

• Develop and maintain Coalition Governance framework, policies, and procedures as per the Charter and alignment with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements and to guide the organizational governance agenda toward achieving CDRI’s mandate.
• Support the coordination between the CDRI, existing and prospective member countries and partners, and the relevant Host Country Agencies (Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and others as applicable).
• Plan and organize Governing Council and Executive Committee meetings and events regularly, and in a timely manner, and effectively document all discussions and decisions.
• Oversee the preparation of all relevant governance materials, documents, and instruments (e.g., background papers, reports, briefs, presentations, analysis, etc.)
• Build the CDRI Secretariat’s internal capacity related to the governance of the Coalition.
• Perform other reasonable duties as decided by the Director-General, CDRI.

5. Lead the Resource Mobilisation function at the Collation

• Develop and support CDRI in mobilizing resources from CDRI Member Countries and other stakeholders, understanding their priorities and areas of interest and adapting content and approaches of resource mobilization activities to their requirements
• Prepare and implement CDRI’s resource mobilization strategy to determine key functions and assess the required capacity to best position the Secretariat to deliver on its mandate.
• Lead preparation of funding proposals and related pitch documents for application of external funding.
• Provide advice and support to the Director General and to the Senior Directors on securing external funding in a proactive manner.
• Proactively engage with donors (public, private, and non-profit) to secure funds for the CDRI’s programs, projects, and activities.
• Participate in negotiating contribution agreements with donors towards CDRI’s trust fund.
• Provide advice, make presentations to, and respond to requests from Member Countries

Competencies (refer to Annexure 1 for the detailed definitions)

1. Technical and Analytical Skill

• Meticulous
• Timeliness
• Analytical & Problem Solving

2. Delivering Results

• Dependability
• Managing people & process
• Innovation & Resourcefulness

3. Engaging & Partnering (Interpersonal / Teamwork)

• Stakeholder Management
• Working Collaboratively
• Appreciate and encourage different culture context

4. Leadership

• Able to see Big Picture
• Decision Making
• Inspires, motivates & empowers others.
• Team Management

4. Communication

• Willingness to listen and express dissenting views
• Is able to clearly convey ideas and information.

Qualifications:

Educational Criteria:

• Post-Graduate qualification in international relations, public relations, international cooperation for development, communications, social science, journalism, political science, or related field.

Experience Criteria:

• Over fifteen years of relevant experience in building partnerships, external relations, and communications, governance, and resource mobilization, preferably related to disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, social development, environment, or related areas, is required.
• Demonstrable experience developing and managing partnerships and external relations to influence high-level leadership, policymakers, industry, and other external stakeholders.
• Experience in leadership positions, including leading complex planning processes, interacting with, and establishing productive cooperation with a diverse number of partners comprising Governments, the UN, multi-lateral systems, industry, the financial sector, knowledge and research institutions, and others, is required.
• Demonstrable strength in speaking publicly at high-level international conferences and events.
• Experience in leadership positions at global organizations, including familiarity with internal organizational systems and processes related to procurement, team management, budgeting, resource allocation, etc.
• Experience in setting up governance processes and procedures and leading events in a multi-government setting.
• An impeccable record in mentoring and developing teams to perform and contribute to strategically delivering organizational governance outcomes.

Reporting Line:

The Director – Partnership, Governance, and Resource Mobilisation would report to the Director General of CDRI.

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English.
• Knowledge of any of the 6 UN official languages will be an asset.