The Aga Khan Foundation, EA is currently seeking a dynamic and motivated individual to fill the role of Partnerships Manager, to be based in Nairobi. AKF EA works in collaboration with partners to develop and promote innovative solutions that contribute to improving the quality of life in East Africa. AKF responds to local and regional priorities by developing effective programming, measuring and documenting results, and sharing its lessons with governments, donors, and development actors to influence policy and practice. The Partnership Manager roll calls for a high degree of results-orientation, service-focused, and action-orientation, and is considered a crucial member of the Senior Management Team.

The Mission of Partnerships is to strengthen & promote the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) through:

1. Building strategic partnerships to addressAKDN development priorities;
2. Securing resources from institutional donors (national governments, bi-laterals, multi-laterals, foundations, corporates);
3. Ensuring & strengthening our reputation through first-class grant management;
4. Influencing the development sector & communicating practical lessons & results.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Mobilizing Resources (40%)

• Pipeline development, management, and tracking: develop & track a diversified pipeline of funding opportunities, manage them from early opportunities, through to signing of agreements, to project initiation. Coordinate across donor units, Global Programmes Team (GPT), and AKDN agencies to pursue opportunities, ensure streamlined donor communications & follow up.
• Community-led design: through regular field visits & interactions with AKF programme staff & beneficiaries, identify funding needs/intervention opportunities & update priorities accordingly.
• Concept and proposal development: coordinate, facilitate, & lead the development, review, & quality assurance of expressions of interest, concept notes & full proposals as well as pitch materials.
• Contracting and negotiation: coordinate & lead processes of contracting & negotiation, ensuring contracts ‘get over the line’ in a timely & efficient way. Lead & coordinate processes of donor contracting and internal sub-granting/contracting.

Strategic Relationship Management (20%)

• Donor landscaping and analysis: research & perform systematic analysis of market trends on new donors, peer organisations, & funding opportunities to identify potential funding & partnering matches for AKF & AKDN. Conduct due diligence on new partners & donors in coordination with finance & programme teams.
• Stakeholder engagement and positioning: continuously scan & engage with new & existing donors & partners to identify solicited & unsolicited funding opportunities. Develop positioning materials to enable effective stakeholder engagement.
• Build strategic partnerships: work with donor units, AKDN agencies, & GPT to identify, build, & support strategic partnerships on global & regional initiatives with likeminded donors & partners.

Grants Management & Compliance (35%)

• Donor reporting: oversee & coordinate the review of donor reports & technical papers to ensure the highest quality possible.
• Donor relationship management: interface with donors & communicate on a regular basis about the implementation of ongoing grants. Address queries or challenges diplomatically & effective way. Ensure strong relationship cultivation throughout the grants cycle, anticipating, & planning for future funding & project extensions.
• Donor deliverables coordination, quality assurance, and compliance: oversight, coordination, review & quality assurance of donor deliverables is upheld. Ensure adherence with donor requirements, rules, & regulations, & that deliverables are produced on time & to a high standard. Ensure proper coordination of components, such as financial reports, across different departments, or partners as necessary.
• Contractual amendments and adaptations: coordinate contractual amendments, changes, & project adaptations, engaging with donors in a pro-active & diplomatic way, & flagging potential changes in advance.
• Routine grant monitoring and administration: facilitate grant monitoring efforts, including grant kick-off meetings, dissemination of key information to staff, donor steering committees, & donor monitoring missions. Ensure project teams are apprised of donor compliance measures, deadlines, & expectations. Undertake coordination related to grants & support the maintenance of grant management tools.

Strategic Leadership (5%)

• Actively participate as a member of the country’s Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Support the CEO of AKF in monitoring progress against AKF in the country’s strategic plan.

Other duties as assigned.