Partnership Officer

Job title: Partnership Officer
Contract type: Local (full-time)
Starting date: July 1, 2024
Contract duration: until June 30, 2025
Salary: 30036 MDL gross
Duty Station: Chisinau, Moldova
Application deadline: July 5, 2024

GENERAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND:
HELVETAS is the largest Swiss nongovernmental organization with a dual mandate for long term development and humanitarian response. It has been present in Moldova since 2018 implementing projects in the field of market systems development in the field of agriculture.

Currently HELVETAS is implementing the project aiming at advanced socioeconomic integration of Ukrainian refugees and vulnerable Moldovans to increase independence from humanitarian assistance while promoting resilience and self-reliance for vulnerable populations. In this regard we are looking for a Partnership Officer to join our team.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Partnership Officer works across departments (Programme and Operations) to support the country office in coordination and networking with the relevant stakeholders for the realization of the project activities to assure the successful accomplishment of project outputs. The Partnership Officer also engages externally, particularly in coordinating our partnership work with other NGOs, representing the organization in partnership discussions, helping to identify and pursue new partnership opportunities.

MAIN TASKS:

Objective 1: Partnership Systems and Policies

• Work across departments to improve systems and policies that are supportive of the Partnership Strategy and ensure periodic review and updating of policies once they are in place.
• Develop, and/or coordinate with other departments in the management and monitoring systems regarding partner programming.
• Ensure effective and collaborative partnership assessments and vetting on a routine basis so that the organisation is not exposed to undue risk in cooperation with Acquisition Desk.
• Help ensure partners’ involvement in strategic planning, program design and proposal/concept paper development.
• Establish and ensure implementation of standard communication framework and medium with partners, so that both HELVETAS and partners have easier access to information.
• Define a standard framework of roles and responsibilities among various departments and between area office levels for partnership communication and engagement.
• Establish and maintain a partnership database that maps out partner capacity, influence, and strategic alignment.

Objective 2: Establishing partnerships

• Assess the current partnership portfolio identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks related to current partners.
• Identify and create partnership with public institutions and stakeholders in a manner so that project outcomes would be fulfilled successfully.
• Review existing partnering resources and identify additional needs to support capacity assessment, monitoring, compliance/vetting, project cycle management etc., coordinating closely with the field teams.
• Undertake the initial risk and capacity assessment of the partners.

Objective 3: Partnership Management and Monitoring

• Coordinate key processes and actions between and among partners and HELVETAS staff.
• In collaboration with partners, plan and facilitate regular partnership meetings between partners and HELVETAS staff, ensuring that discussions are as constructive, relevant, and mutually beneficial as possible.
• Under supervision of Emergency Response Representative, receive and revise the activities reports, M&E reports and Ad-Hoc reports from the partners.
• Promote relationships of mutual respect and mutual learning with partners and provide guidance to relevant staff on balancing between holding partners accountable while supporting them.
• Facilitate partners’ feedback on their partnership with HELVETAS and work with relevant departments to address feedback.
• Develop a system for accountability towards partners where HELVETAS regularly seeks feedback from partners on its strategies and plans.
• Secure mutual learning with partners in terms of program delivery and partnership building.
• Analyse results of on-going partnerships, remote management and results on the ground to produce lessons learnt and inform strategic decision-making.

Objective 4: Data collection and reporting

• Coordinate data collection and recoding regarding the project indicators and the potential beneficiaries.
• Report to the Emergency Response Representative regarding challenges and obstacles that may impact the overall implementation of project activities.
• Approve the use of materials and possible improvements.
• Support in the design, implementation and/or monitoring of any activity relevant for the projects.
• Coordinate and monitor the writing of the reports as per donor’s requirements.
• Maintain an accurate reporting and data management of the activities.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Postgraduate or Masters degree in International relations, Social Sciences, economic development and/or relevant field
• Sound understanding of remote management / monitoring practices
• Excellent skills in problem solving and mediation
• Excellent presentation and persuasion skills
• Work with State Officials and public institutions
• Usage of tailored and case management approaches
• Knowledge in projects implementation and programme quality assurance
• Strong time management skills
• Ability to deliver messages to a large audience in a comprehensive manner
• Ability to multitask
• Excellent communication skills in English, Russian, Romanian, oral and written, including a good track record of report writing
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• Capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances
• Reporting capacity organized and rigorous
• Learning capacity
• Ability to work in a team

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 2 years work experience in the development / humanitarian sector/with NGOs or other development institutions
• Good skills and experience in all aspects of programme cycle management - design and development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation

Please mention the name, position and contact details of at least two references, including the line manager during your last job. Family members are to be excluded.

Send your application (resume and cover letter) in English to HR.Moldova@helvetas.org.

Please indicate in the subject line the position you are applying for. Only shortlisted candidates will be interviewed.
 
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