Partnerships Officer (Private Sector Partnerships) International Consultant Level I based in Dakar

🚩 Vacancy Announcement n°: 828984

📢 Job Title: Partnerships Officer (Private Sector Partnerships) CST I

✨ Contract type and Grade: Regular Consultant Level I (Full time)

📧 Duration: ASAP until 31 Dec 2023

✅ Unit / Division: Partnerships & Reporting Unit

📍 Duty Station: Regional Bureau Dakar, Senegal

⏰ Closing date: 24 August 2023

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance. Female Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operates in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger. At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do, and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high-performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: UN World Food Programme (WFP), and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

As the leading humanitarian agency with a mandate to both save and change lives, WFP is leveraging its expertise and wide- reach across the 19 West and Central African Countries. WFP’s private sector partnership actions drive WFP’s effective positioning with private partners to attract resources, technical assistance and innovative solutions to advance the work of WFP in the region.

As WFP implements its private sector partnership strategy, we believe that there is more that the agency can do to strategically engage with private sector partners across West and Central Africa. With increased funding from private sector partners, programs across the region will be supported in addition to filling capacity gaps of WFP country offices with in-kind support as well as innovation opportunities.

One of the priorities for enhanced private sector engagement in the region for 2021 is an actionable regional strategy to be supported by a robust and thorough land scape of opportunities in all 19 countries along the following dimensions: 1) income; 2) impact and 3) innovation. Of particular and critical importance is the identification of programmatic interventions that WFP together with the private sector can engage in at the country office level to improve program quality in order to achieve better programmatic results such as better access to markets by beneficiaries. Some of the opportunities will be at country level, regional and where it makes sense, global particularly for private sector partners that may have an interest in West and Central Africa, though not based at the regional or CO-level. The landscape exercise will be critical to ensure that our approach to private sector partnerships is not “business as usual”.

Compounding the critical importance of the landscape exercise with the other equally important, but competing priorities of the private sector partnerships officer, the purpose of this assignment is to therefore hire a short-term consultant to focus on the land scape exercise with the officer in the lead.

ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSABILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Private Sector Partnerships Officer, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

1. Support Country-Offices with rolling out the findings of the landscape analysis.
2. Implement the 2023 private sector work plan to enable WFP to identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships with private partners in support of WFP strategic objectives.
3. Proactively contribute to the private partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach activities, with the aim to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for WFP’s work; Ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.
4. Solicit inputs from other functional entities with the regional office on WFP’s programmatic offering that can gain traction with private sector partner audiences; Conduct analysis and draft quality briefs in support of outreach opportunities.
5. Provide inputs to country office private sector partnerships strategies, including the development of Partnership Action Plans that incorporate partnerships with the private sector; Draw up quality partner proposals and reports by engaging with other WFP entities and external stakeholders.
6. Facilitate corporate dialogue with partners through networking and information sharing; Proactively highlight strategic issues the regional officer and propose options for the best course of action to nurture trust and partnership growth.
7. Support business development opportunities and help to manage relationships with existing and new Private sector investors for WFP in West Africa
8. Ensure strategic oversight, programme coherence and governance of private sector partnerships
9. Drive the development of internal and external communications strategy to ensure optimal private sector partnership visibility
10. Proactively identify promising opportunities for public-private partnerships and initiate and structure grant as well as collaborative relationships.
11. Support on special projects and undertake additional responsibilities as needed.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

1. Portfolio of private sector partners to support the business development exercise.
2. Briefs to support outreach opportunities.
3. Partner proposals to be submitted to potential donors.
4. Guidance notes to support private sector visibility at the country office level.

Education:

You have

Advanced university degree (Master's degree equivalent, BAC+4/5), recognized by https://www.whed.net/home.php in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, Marketing Communications or other relevant field, OR a first university degree (Bachelor's degree equivalent, BAC +3) in the same disciplines with additional years of experience.

Experience:

You have:

At least three (3) years of progressively responsible professional post graduate experience working in partnerships development, including private sector.

Desirable experiences

• Excellent understanding of development and humanitarian sectors, strong portfolio of contribution to successful partnership initiatives, and engagement with the public and private sector.

Languages:

Fluency (level C in reading, writing and speaking) in English and French.

Knowledge & Skills requirements:

• Knowledge and awareness of private sector funding issues, strategies and institutions across various program areas and geographies in West Africa
• Excellent oral, facilitation, and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus.
• Ability to work at fast pace and under tight deadlines
• Ability to think creatively, proactively, strategically, and problem-solve with flexibility and adaptability
• Ability to manage and coordinate projects involving a broad range of stakeholders
• Ability to be self-guided and work effectively and comfortably with sensitivity across barriers such as language, culture, and distance.
• High capacity for organization and coordination
• Excellent drafting skills
• Sound interpersonal skills
• Strong negotiation and advocacy skills

Deadline for application: 24 August 2023

WFP Value Proposition

• Meaningful and impactful careers – Our day-to-day work makes a difference in the lives of the people we serve.
• Continuous learning and training – We provide learning tools for our staff to continually develop their careers.
• Multicultural and stimulating working environment – We encourage gender and cultural diversity to make our teams stronger.

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU APPLY

• All employment decisions are made based on organisational needs, job requirements, merit and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Join Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
• Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply. WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
• Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance
• WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.
• WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
• All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment.

Special Notice on WFP RBD office relocation:

WFP and other UN Agencies will be moving to the new United Nations House, presently under construction in Diamniadio, 30 kilometres from downtown Dakar. The name of the duty station for this position will remain Dakar, Senegal.

Special recommendation:

Before you apply, please confirm that both (i) your on-line profile and CV are accurate and up to date, (ii) your CV should include your employment history, academic qualifications, and language skills.

Apply For Job