Partnership Officer

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Description

Job Title                                             Partnership Officer

Organizational Unit                          Country Office- Field location

Job's aim                                          The Partnership Officer aimed at providing technical and field support to both the Market Systems Development                                                               Advisor and the Project Partnership Manager in maintaining healthy partnership relations with Generate Rwanda                                                             Project partners and various stakeholders on the ground to strengthen different value chains. The partnership                                                                   officer is responsible for all partners’ support and management in the specific market sectors to create lasting                                                                   changes and have a large-scale impact.

Job Specification                            Reporting to the Partnership Manager, the Partnership Officer will help manage and carry out activities for the                                                                  ReGenerate.Rwanda program in the Western and Southern provinces. This person will help local businesses and                                                            other target clients of the project to understand and improve their work using the market systems approach.                                                                      He/she will also help connect these groups through training workshops, and financial support linkages. The main                                                              goal of this position is to ensure the program runs smoothly and meets its goals in the field. Applying a market                                                                  systems development approach, he/she will deliver capacity building, market analysis, and access to finance                                                                    linkages to different stakeholders (private, public sector and value chain actors) within the market system.

Aim of the Organizational Unit      Is responsible for implementing the program in specific operational area.

Job Category                                     Cordaid Rwanda Salary Scale Grade 7 

Supervisor                                       Partnership Manager

Supervises                                       none. 

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Results Areas                                                           Description

Market system function support             Manage relationship with partners in conducting capacity assessment, track performance, ensure activities                                                                       are in line to address systemic problem, identify potential intervention areas for expansion and scale up.

                                                                   Provide mentorship, coaching and other guidance to partners value chain actors under ReGenerate                                                                                 Rwanda collaboration and support in order to maximize the agreed impact on each deliverables.

                                                                   Explore opportunities to bring new potential partners and/or key actors on board through identification of                                                                           linkages with smallholder initiatives along the value chain that connect input providers, extension service                                                                           providers, financial institutions, insurance companies, post-harvest value chain actor, processors, experts                                                                         and/or farmers;

                                                                   Identify and map potential synergies among key market systems actors from other development                                                                                       organizations working in the same areas and fields; and recommend to the MSD Advisor and Partnership                                                                         Manager.

                                                                   Conduct, and evaluate partner business analysis and prioritizes market actors for program intervention.

                                                                   Create enabling environment for interventions and development of partnerships to address social norms                                                                           which exclude women and youth and the poor from accessing markets, follow Do No Harm principles.

Monitoring & Evaluation and Reporting  Facilitates MSD and gender and youth inclusion assessments, research studies and stakeholder                                                                                       consultations, as appropriate, to inform program strategies and approaches; Learning Agenda; and                                                                                  adaptive management.

                                                                    Provide relevant technical input for program work plans, budgets, and MEL Plan, including Learning                                                                                  Agenda, as appropriate.

                                                                  Actively participate in program monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities, including results reviews                                                                    and other learning exchanges.

                                                                   Provide key support for data collection and analyses in collaboration with the MEL team to ensure                                                                                     interventions are impact-oriented and adjusted.

                                                                   Contribute relevant technical input for donor reporting and external program communications, such as                                                                                technical reports, case studies/business cases, video/radio content, social media blogs/posts, etc.

                                                                    Participate in development of the annual work plan, ensuring alignment with technical strategy

                                                                   Undertake regular visits to the field to support implementation of M&E and to identify where adaptations                                                                            might be needed

                                                                   Prepare program progress reporting.

Partnership                                              Establish, maintain,  and effectively manage strong relationships with market system actors (e.g. private                                                                            companies operating in the relevant value chains, representatives of the target group, local government                                                                            offices, etc.)

                                                                  Networking and representing the organization in the given operational area through coordinating with                                                                                stakeholders, partners, government officials such as project line Ministry and JADF to ensure the                                                                                      organization efficiency.

                                                                 Represent the program at networking and relationship meetings with private and public actors, as appropriate.

People management, capacity building and risk mitigation

                                                                 Support private sector capacity building efforts, including technical assistance to partners to build their                                                                                understanding of the business case for regenerative and environmentally sustainable solutions, in                                                                                    collaboration with market system development Advisors

                                                                  Support other tasks as required by the Partnership Manager

                                                                  Work closely with the entire Regenerate program team to ensure compliance with organizations and donor                                                                      regulations and policies.

Compliance                                             Complies with Cordaid’s policies and procedures related to integrity, monitoring, procurement, finance

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Experiences

• Bachelor's Degree in Agribusiness, Business Management, Economics or related fields. Master’s degree would be an added advantage.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in NGOs or working with other agencies such as private sector in market systems facilitation, livelihood programs, rural development, financial inclusion and women / youth empowerment programs in the agriculture sector.
• At least 3 years’ experience in private and civil society sector project proposal writing, pitching, and partner mobilization for both private and public institutions.
• Demonstrated understanding of development and socio-economic issues in Western and Southern Provinces.
• Demonstrated understanding of - and commitment to challenging - barriers that disadvantage the vulnerable, women and youth and people living with disabilities and exclude them from economic opportunities.
• Good understanding of market systems and their role in poverty reduction from a systemic perspective; experience conducting market analysis to make business or investment decisions.
• Demonstrated orientation toward innovative thinking with strong ability to generate creative ideas/solutions and predict possible outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience leading and coordinating consultative planning processes that involve input from a range of experts and stakeholders toward strengthened evidence-based programming and decision making.
• Strong adaptive management skills, including critical thinking, foresight, and vision to actively analyze program activities, challenge assumptions, and make decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills in a multicultural environment, including experience building relationships and managing conflict with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Confident, diplomatic and quick-thinking in the company of senior executives.
• Able to engage with low-income populations with a high degree of humility.
• Ability to work with tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and programs.
• Detailed orientation, including strong organizational, analytical, and quantitative skills.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other administrative applications.
• Strong private sector market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker.
• Robust analytical skills; ability to synthesize information and distill insights and conclusions.
• Strong interpersonal and management skills required; Personnel management experience required.
• Demonstrated strong problem-solving skills.
• Very strong attention to details and commitment to high quality, error-free end products.
• Ability to develop well written, clearly structured, cohesive analyses and reports in English, quickly and efficiently.
• Learning mindset and a passion for learning.

Others/Extra Details

Cordaid is fully committed to provide a safe and welcoming workplace to its employees, and to maintain respect and dignity of everyone that comes into contact with Cordaid. Therefore, Cordaid participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more information about Cordaid’s work on integrity https://www.cordaid.org/en/who-we-are/integrity-and-code-of-conduct/.