Partnerships Officer

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance. WFP is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

TÍTULO DEL CARGO:	Partnerships Officer
UNIDAD:	Partnerships
LUGAR DE TRABAJO:	Bogotá
DURACIÓN DEL CONTRATO:	un (1) año, prorrogable
MODALIDAD CONTRACTUAL:	Fixed Term (FT)
NIVEL:	NOC

 

 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

 

This position will be based in Bogotá WFP office. Job holder will respond directo y to the Country Director and will supervise a team of around 10 people including partnership and reportimg staff.

 

Job holders operate across an assigned area and work independently, using technical knowledge and experience, to analyse data and identify solutions for partnerships and fundraising activities. They typically support process improvements and partnership opportunities with a host of public, private sector and external entities. These can include governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental institutions and their member states, international financial institutions, individuals, corporations, foundations and NGOs. While at HQ level Partnerships Officers are likely to focus on either public, private sector or external entities, those at RB and CO level may cover a whole range of such partnerships.

 

JOB PURPOSE:

Drive WFP’s effective positioning with public, private and external partners to attract policy support, resources, technical assistance and innovative solutions to advance the work of WFP, while supporting the Government of Colombia in the achievement of the SDGs and Zero Hunger and emphasizing WFP’s contributions in this regard.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

1. Lead the implementation of a work plan for an assigned area to enable WFP to identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships in support of WFP strategic objectives. The Job holder will be responsive to identify a variety of funding opportunities to support WFP operations.
2. Engage with other functional units, RBs and COs on WFP’s thematic, regional and countryspecific offerings, developing content and language that speak to individual audiences and align with on-going policy dialogue in national and global fora; Support alignment of partner engagement across the organization. 
3. Proactively support a wide range of aspects of a partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach plan, to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for WFP’s work; Ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.
4. Facilitate corporate dialogue with partners through preparation of quality briefing materials; 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; Support the preparation of joint events (e.g. UN pledging conferences) that can advance WFP interests and objectives.     
5. Gather and share partner intelligence (including forecasting), using key information systems (e.g. WINGS, Salesforce, WFPGo), and asses results. 
6. Support functional units, RBs and COs on partnership strategies (including the development of Partnership Action Plans); Extend support on partnership/contribution management, in line with corporate norms, processes and legal agreements, on quality proposal and report writing by engaging with other WFP entities and external stakeholders. 
7. Facilitate partnership growth, by exploring opportunities to expand existing partnerships and scope of new partners, guided by assessments, analysis and due diligence; Present recommendations to senior management and ensure follow-up. 
8. Contribute to the preparation of partnership proposals, strategic agreements, joint strategies and/or MOU, taking into account corporate norms, processes and external regulations; Ensure quality control of content by engaging with relevant functional units, RBs and COs.
9. Use socio-political insights to support WFP’s effective positioning vis-à-vis national governments, regional and international institutions with the aim to influence the policy agenda.
10. In the context of the UN system and multilateral fora, support the development of partnerships with member states, civil society and intergovernmental organizations to advocate for the SDGs and Zero Hunger on the global agenda, and advance WFP priorities and policies, based on a good understanding of member states’ dynamics and interests.
11. Solicit inputs from other WFP entities that contribute to inter-governmental/inter-agency work to ensure that WFP positions are properly explained and taken into account in decision making.
12. Manage staff, providing coaching, training and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance. 
13. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work to ensure equal participation of women and men.
14. Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance; Monitor defined risks and make recommendations how to manage these effectively.
15. Other as required.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR

Leads by Example with Integrity	Upholds WFP values, principles, and standards Demonstrates and encourages others to uphold the WFP values, principles and standards	Respects others and values diversity Values diversity using respectful and inclusive language, and encourages others to do the same	Stays focused and calm under pressure Stays focused and calm when under pressure, encourages others to do the same, and offers guidance and support to manage difficult situations	Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn and share knowledge, frequently seeking and acting on feedback, and pursuing opportunities to develop
Drives Results and Delivers on Commitments	Delivers results for maximum impact Identifies and aligns objectives to the required outcomes, holding self and/or others accountable for the delivery of results for maximum impact	Delegates appropriately Delegates responsibly and provides appropriate support empowering others to deliver results	Adapts readily to change Responds readily to change in different contexts and adapts accordingly
Fosters Inclusive and Collaborative	Is inclusive and collaborative Promotes inclusive teamwork and psychological safety by encouraging colleagues to collaborate by sharing ideas and openly raising issues	Gives timely and constructive feedback Supports development for others by giving timely and constructive feedback	Builds and shares new perspectives Seeks out, trusts and listens attentively to diverse views to capture, learn, build and share new perspectives
Applies Strategic Thinking	Communicates and fulfils WFP’s vision Communicates and fulfils WFP’s vision and operational outcomes to deliver meaningful solutions	Embraces curiosity and new ways of doing things Demonstrates curiosity, designs and implements new ways of doing things when relevant	Analyses and evaluates data Gathers data and different perspectives, shares knowledge and uses evidence to inform decision making	Considers the impact of decisions Implements decisions, considering the risks and implications of actions for teams, projects and other initiatives
Builds and Maintains Sustainable Partnerships	Builds partnerships Initiates and builds partnerships by identifying and promoting opportunities for mutual areas of interest and benefit	Collaborates to deliver common objectives Collaborates with partners to deliver common objectives by sharing information and cocreating innovative solutions with beneficiaries when appropriate

 

16. FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES:

Capability Name	Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level
New Partner Prospecting	Applies awareness of socio-political context, country-specific focus areas and partner’s interest areas and activities to determine shared interest in working together.  Engages with prospective partners to explore new opportunities. Understands and applies basic due diligence, legal and contracting processes in pursuit of new partners. Provides inputs into designing and developing solutions with prospective partners
Partner Relationship Management and Strengthening	Builds and nurtures trust and transparency with existing partners by proactively sharing programme risks and challenges with partners. Brokers between WFP units and partners to expand partner engagement across geographies, sectors or projects.
Resource Mobilization	Designs and manages all resource mobilization processes. Provides resourcing advice and briefs to senior managers, and strategically allocates material and other appropriate resources. Develops resource strategies for specific donors or Country Strategic Plans. Negotiates contract terms with partners and WFP stakeholders to create a win-win situation for both WFP and the partner.
Analysing and Using Information/Data	Leverages insights from multiple sources of data to identify trends, determine interrelationships among multiple issues and identify innovative solutions that impact partnerships. Leverages data-based narratives from across WFP engagements to add value to existing and new partnerships. Uses and promotes technology and digital tools to collect, collate, analyse and share data and databased insights.
Positioning WFP for Partnership	Applies understanding of partner’s focus areas to translate WFP activities into a Unique Value Proposition relevant to external stakeholders. Engages in mutually informative discussion with partners and influencers to identify areas that will position WFP. Supports creation of external communication and internal briefing materials based on understanding of partnering landscape.
Business Process Support and Technical Guidance	Identifies opportunities for service delivery excellence to strengthen partnerships. Provides advanced technical support to other business areas. Troubleshoots complex system issues and contributes to the design and implementation of system changes. Provides input into training and support strategy for technical systems users. Demonstrates managerial skills in the delivery of support and guidance.

 

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• • Has a good understanding of government and corporate strategies and priorities and gained experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships.
  • Has gained significance experience in exploring new opportunities and providing inputs to design and develop solutions with prospective partners.
  • Has developed long-term partner relationships and expanded engagements across geographies and sector.
  • Has used understanding of partner’s focus areas and knowledge of internal capabilities to create a Unique Value Proposition for the partners.
  • Has gained experience in using technology and digital tools for data collection, analysis and shared data-based insights to add value to all partnerships.
  • Has experience in managing a team. 
  • Has motivated team spirit and contributed to a gender-balanced, inclusive and sound working environment. 
  • Minimum five or more years of relevant professional work experience in partnership roles.

STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:       Experience:

Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience   A minimum of seven (7) years of postgraduate professional experience in partnership roles. Has designed and managed all resource mobilization processes and resource strategies, negotiated contract terms and provided resourcing advice to seniors. Has provided input into training and support strategy for technical systems users and provided advanced technical support. Has experience leading a mid-size to large team to ensure the effective delivery of objectives

Language:

Fluency (level C) in English and Spanish language.

For this vacancy, only applications of candidates with Colombian nationality that comply with all the requirements established in the job profile, will be taken into consideration. Applications using P11 format are encouraged, and it may be found by typing “Fomato P11” in the search engine of your preference. Download it, fill it out, sign it and attach it to your application.

 

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and all employment applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

 

Please visit the following website for more information on the work that WFP does (http://www.wfp.org)