Partnerships Officer (Private Sector & Government/IFI Relations) NOA

The Partnerships Officer (Private Sector & Government/IFI Relations) NOA, based in the WFP Kuwait Office, supports senior staff to position WFP with public, private and external partners to attract policy support, resources, and innovative solutions. The role involves building and maintaining strategic partnerships with private sector entities, governments, and international financial institutions to support WFP's resource mobilization and programmatic goals.

Responsibilities

• Support the work plan & the implementation of the work plan for private-sector partnerships to enable WFP to identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships in support of WFP strategic objectives.
• Proactively contribute to a private-sector partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling and outreach activities, with the aim to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for WFP’s work; support partner visibility and ensure partner conditions are met.
• Use data to present managers with well-researched ideas to expand support from existing partners and to scope new partners, guided by programmatic assessment and context-specific analysis with the aim to enhance the impact of WFP’s work and diversify the resource base.
• Solicit inputs, including operational updates, from other WFP entities to inform partner audiences on WFP’s programmatic offering; draft quality briefs and proactively highlight strategic issues to senior staff to inform best course of action and nurture partnership growth.
• Gather and present internal and external data/information, using key information systems (e.g. Salesforce, WINGS, WFPGo), to support WFP’s effective positioning vis-à-vis national governments, regional and international institutions with the aim to influence the policy agenda.
• In the context of the UN system and multilateral fora, support the development of partnerships and joint events 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 objectives.
• Contribute to partnerships strategies, including the development of Partnership Action Plans; draw up quality partner proposals and reports by engaging with other WFP entities and external stakeholders.
• Support senior managers in the preparation of strategic agreements, joint strategies and MOUs in order to promote the SDGs and Zero Hunger on the national, regional and global agenda and to reach advantageous outcomes for WFP.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance, and monitor defined risks.
• Directly support the Head of Office in engagement with the Government of Kuwait and International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including preparatory research, briefing, and coordination for high-level meetings and strategic dialogue.
• Coordinate logistics, scheduling, and information flow for Head of Office engagements with government and IFI counterparts, ensuring timely preparation of materials and accurate record-keeping of outcomes and follow-up items.

Requirements

• First University degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications or other relevant field, with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
• A minimum of one (1) or more years of progressively responsible, relevant professional work experience, including experience gained in the private sector, research, project/programme management, stakeholder engagement, donor relations and monitoring & evaluation experience.
• Demonstrated research background, with the ability to translate research and data analysis into actionable partnership and business-development insights.
• Proven experience in project and programme management, including work planning, budgeting, and cross-functional coordination to deliver results.
• Strong track record in stakeholder engagement, building and sustaining relationships across corporate, government and civil-society actors.
• Experience in donor relations, including managing partner commitments, negotiating contributions, and reporting against donor requirements.
• Experience supporting senior management or a head of office in engagement with government counterparts and/or International Financial Institutions, including briefing preparation and high-level meeting support.
• Fluency (level C) in English and Arabic languages.
• Desirable: Good understanding of government strategies and the broader socio-economic context in Kuwait and the region.
• Desirable: Experience designing and applying monitoring & evaluation frameworks to track and demonstrate partnership and programme performance.
• Desirable: Developed powerful, evidence-based narratives using data analysis and visualization to enable action-oriented discussions with partners.
• Desirable: Previous experience with UN agencies will be an asset.
• Desirable: Motivated team spirit and contributed to a gender-balanced, inclusive and sound working environment.

Skills

• Project Management
• Programme Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Donor Relations
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Research Analysis
• Data Analysis
• Business Development
• Work Planning
• Budgeting
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Partner Relationship Management
• Negotiation
• Briefing Material Preparation
• High-Level Meeting Support
• Government Relations
• Data Visualization
• Policy Support
• Resource Mobilization
• International Financial Institutions

Languages

English, Arabic