Partnerships Officer

The Partnerships Officer will lead strategic oversight and management of USDA McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace programs, including team supervision, resource mobilization, donor engagement, compliance, and grants management to support program growth and sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for the USDA McGovern-Dole portfolio or US Food for Peace programs, ensuring effective coordination across WFP offices and alignment with donor policies and programmatic goals.
• Directly manage a portfolio of countries and supervise a team, offering guidance, support, and oversight to ensure high-quality implementation across all assigned portfolios.
• Foster a culture of accountability and performance by clearly communicating expectations, offering regular feedback, and supporting professional development through coaching and development planning.
• Proactively address performance issues, taking timely and appropriate action to support improvement and uphold team standards.
• Continuously seek to improve people management skills by soliciting feedback and implementing strategies for personal and team growth.
• Lead the design and management of resource mobilization processes, providing strategic guidance and resourcing advice to senior leadership and developing tailored strategies for USDA.
• Coordinate the development and submission of McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace proposals, working closely with HQ, Regional Offices, and Country Offices to ensure high-quality, timely submissions.
• Provide technical support to Country Offices in programme design, strategy development, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and budgeting, including leading workshops to support proposal development.
• Develop and maintain standardized templates and guidance materials to support consistent and effective proposal writing across the portfolio.
• Serve as a final reviewer for all USDA proposals, ensuring quality control and alignment with donor expectations prior to submission.
• Lead negotiations of USDA McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace contributions and related legal frameworks, ensuring compliance with internal policies and donor regulations while advocating for favorable terms for WFP.
• Facilitate partnership growth by identifying opportunities to expand existing collaborations and initiate new ones, conducting due diligence and presenting strategic recommendations to senior management.
• Build and maintain strong, transparent relationships with USDA and other partners by proactively communicating program risks, challenges, and opportunities.
• Serve as a liaison between WFP units and USDA, facilitating consistent information flow and expanding engagement across geographies, sectors, and projects.
• Coordinate and lead donor meetings, ensuring strategic alignment and effective representation of WFP’s priorities.
• Provide technical support and quality assurance to Country Offices and Regional Offices for donor deliverables, including semi-annual financial and performance reports, annual work plans, and evaluation products, ensuring timely and accurate submission.
• Develop and deliver training materials, guidance, and best practices related to donor deliverables, strengthening internal capacity for effective donor engagement.
• Collaborate with other functional units to align messaging and engagement strategies with the donor.
• Collect, analyze, and share partner intelligence using internal systems (e.g., WINGS, Salesforce, WFPGo) to inform strategic decision-making and partnership development.
• Advise WFP on the new Food for Peace process, as the entire in-kind humanitarian food aid portfolio has shifted to USDA from USAID/ State Dept.
• Develop, update, and disseminate guidance, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), tools, templates, and best practices to support Country Offices in operating in full compliance with USDA donor agreements and WFP processes.
• Prepare and deliver virtual and in-person trainings and orientations for Country Office and WAS staff on USDA compliance topics, including applications, funding proposals, risk management, and award terms.
• Provide technical support and problem-solving assistance by investigating grant and award histories, and liaising with relevant teams across WAS, Country Offices, Regional Offices, and Headquarters.
• Leverage data and insights from internal systems and engagements to identify trends, inform process improvements, and develop innovative solutions that enhance donor compliance and partnership value.
• Promote the use of digital tools and technologies to collect, analyze, and share data-driven insights that support continuous learning and operational excellence across the USDA portfolio.
• Provide advanced technical support on grants and financial systems, troubleshooting complex issues and contributing to the design and implementation of system improvements.
• Lead and support training initiatives for staff on McGovern-Dole or US Food for Peace budgeting and grants management processes to ensure consistent understanding and application.
• Assist Country Offices in developing project budgets and monitor expenditures throughout the award lifecycle to ensure alignment with donor requirements and financial targets.
• Oversee and ensure accuracy of grants management entries in WINGS for USDA-related contributions, maintaining compliance with internal and donor standards.
• Maintain internal tracking databases, analyze program and financial reports to support informed decision-making, and proactively address budgetary challenges as they arise.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree Required; Master's Degree in International Affairs or related field preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in partnerships or fundraising for an internationally focused organization.
• Strong experience in writing and managing grant proposals and awards, with a thorough understanding of US compliance and general requirements.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and collaborate across teams.
• Experience with developing and monitoring programme budgets, ensuring compliance with donor guidelines and financial reporting requirements.
• Solid understanding of the UN system, WFP, US government agencies and food aid and agricultural policies in general.
• Knowledge of and experience with USDA McGovern Dole school feeding programs or US Food for Peace programs is highly preferred.
• Fluency (level C) English.
• Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second UN language is a plus.
• Applicants must already have valid US work authorization as WFP is not able to sponsor visas for this position.

Skills

• Partnership Development
• Fundraising
• Grant Proposal Drafting
• Grant Management
• US Compliance
• Project Management
• Programme Budgeting
• Donor Compliance
• Financial Reporting
• UN System Knowledge
• WFP Knowledge
• US Government Agencies Knowledge
• Food Aid Policy
• Agricultural Policy
• USDA McGovern Dole Programs
• US Food for Peace Programs
• Resource Mobilization
• Donor Engagement Strategies
• Team Supervision

Languages

English