Partnership, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Manager at Plan International

Role Purpose

• The purpose of this role is to plan, organize, lead, coordinate, support and control efforts and resources with the aim to build and maintain strategic relationships including civil society, government, private sector and development partners and individuals that will strengthen Plan International strategic presence in the country and mobilise necessary resources for programme and policy influencing.
• While this role sits in the Partnership and Resource Mobilisation team, it will work closely with the Policy Research and Influencing Manager in creating necessary synergy and harnessing necessary resources for delivery.
• It is a creative way of recognising resource mobilisation as an important advocacy and influencing effort, and influencing as a mechanism for resource mobilisation.

Dimensions of the Role

• The Partnership, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of Plan Nigeria resource mobilization efforts; works with the partnership and influencing units to build and manage strategic partnership, and promote policies and laws that favours philanthropy and resourcing for children and girls; communicates widely within Plan International Nigeria, with partners and related government institutions.
• The position holder will contribute in the development, implementation and periodic review of policy and accountability, defining effective tactics and partnership strategies, and influencing projects’ design and activities, engagement with broad range of stakeholders, support to projects’ financial and administrative management processes, protocols and systems, including identified risk elements.
• He/she will provide specialist advice on resource mobilization, partnership and advocacy issues in Nigeria; and support in building partners’ and staff competencies.
• This role requires the ability to generate and analyse data, and communicate findings to the understanding of a wider audience; requires creativity and innovation while being realistic and practical; and calls for being proactive in writing proposals, preparing budgets, and working with others to gain consensus on a program approach.

Accountabilities
Partnership Development:

• Continually carries out strategic partnership mapping, identification, the mutual appraisal, and risk assignment of potential strategic partners for effective and successful partnership relationships.
• Facilitates effective negotiation, development, appropriate signing and management of partnership agreement with strategic partners and Plan International Nigeria.
• Builds and manages relationships with strategic partners (including institutions) at different levels, current and potential funders to support the country program implementation and growth.
• Supports in carrying out annual partnership reviews for improved relationship and effective attainment of the partnership objectives.
• Promotes and ensures Plan International partnership principles, values and standards are understood and applied in Plan International Nigeria partnership relationships.
• Supports in the mobilization of strategic partners towards a greater voice on issues affecting the rights of children, particularly the girl and gender equality.
• Works with the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of Plan International to capture learning in the humanitarian and development programs for knowledge creation, and impact dissemination for the mobilization of financial and non-financial support for country program.

Advocacy and Influencing:

• Collaborates with the Policy Research and Influencing Manager to develop and carry out influencing strategies that persuade donors, foundations, philanthropies, and individuals to contribute enthusiastically their financial and non-financial resources for the rights of children, girls and young women in Nigeria.
• Produce a wide range of high-quality written outputs for various audiences including high-quality, well targeted research reports, policy briefings, key messages, blogs and other outputs with the aim of educating and influencing stakeholders for resource mobilization.
• Foster strong relationships and work closely with the Policy Research and Influencing Manager and external stakeholders in policy and influencing work to keep abreast of key policy changes and relevant external issues that would require the mobilization of support for the change Plan International Nigeria aims to achieve.
• Proactively engage on a strategic basis with institutional donors in order to facilitate technical programme exchanges, influence policy and thinking, and identify key areas of potential cooperation, including programme funding.

Resource Mobilization:

• Lead the development and implementation of fundraising strategy to meet the strategic requirements of the Country Programme.
• Provide advice on institutional donor requirements and private foundations including reporting timeliness and expectations.
• Support proposal development through coordinating the establishment of proposal development working groups with representatives from key departments (on as need bases) within the CP and ensure key actions are delegated and timeliness maintained.
• Depending on the nature of the funding opportunities, draft proposals and concept notes.
• Advice the Country Office on potential funding opportunities and donor priorities.
• Establish and maintain regular contacts with agencies as appropriate, covering a specific set of donors to be agreed upon. This entails contributing to maintaining networks and actively engaging in knowledge sharing, information dissemination on the Plan International Nigeria.
• Help prepare and participate in internal/external meetings with donors-thematic meetings and related resource mobilization events.
• Support the facilitation of the negotiation and signing of new funding agreements, working in close collaboration with the Grant Unit.
• Maintain up to date knowledge on donor funded projects and ensure reporting is completed to the donor in a timely manner.
• Support with the drafting of external reports and work with programme teams to finalize these in accordance with requirements and timelines.
• Lead on the creation of products, packaged and positioned to attract and secure increased resources for Plan International Nigeria.
• Drive improvements in new business development and fundraising practices across Plan Nigeria
• Build and maintain relationships with Plan Nigeria’s network partners, donors and external partners, civil society stakeholders and provide relevant, effective and timely support to all current and new donors and partners.
• Support the Director of Partnership and business development to build strong external network and representation through engagements in funding partnerships and advocacy opportunities.

Team Management:

• Manage and co-ordinate all the department work, ensuring correct, full transparent and accountable financial, administrative and operational procedures are followed.
• Manage Staff performance and provide regular feedback to staff including interns and volunteers on their performance.
• Liaise with other teams to obtain input and support for the work of your team.
• Ensure all procurement is in accordance with Plan International and donor guidelines.
• Submit all internal progress reports (monthly, quarterly) in a timely Manner.

Technical eexpertise, Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• A graduate of any Social Studies discipline, preferably post-graduate (master’s or higher) Degree in a development studies – specializing on development related discipline.
• Have at least 7 years’ experience working in the sector, including field and management experience.
• Advanced experience in partnership development.
• Strong knowledge of child and women’s rights and gender justice.
• Strong evidence of influencing decision and policy makers, and brokering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Proven record of accomplishment of leadership within an international organization
• Compelling influencer and communicator – able to inspire, build consensus and bring people together around a common agenda.
• Experience with a diverse set of stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
• Project management and grant development experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing, implementing, and monitoring programs
• Demonstrated problem solving skills, collaboration experience, creativity and willingness to innovate.
• Experience in drafting project reporting and monitoring project progress.
• Experience of managing people and ability to build, develop and motivate a high performing team, prioritizing effective cross organizational working as a key element of high performance.
• Experience of managing budgets and planning and reporting protocols.

Desirable:

• Uses evidence-based results to make choices and drive change.
• Taking initiative to be innovative and creative to achieve results.
• Strives for quality in all he/she does, respecting deadlines, working continuously to improve performance.
• Takes responsibility for his/her actions, and learn from success and failures.
• Uses resources as intended, and can account for how he/she has used resources.
• Supports gender equality and diversity, and challenges forms of inequality or harassment.
• Encourages children young people, partners and colleagues to be meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them.
• Listens to and understand views of colleagues and partners. Draws on their experience to ensure high quality work.
• Upholds and demonstrates Plan’s values and behaviors.
• Team-orientated, versatile, personable and flexible.
• Calm under pressure.
• Ability to work comfortably and sensitively across cultures.
• Provides good and adequate administrative support to enable the project meet its agreed program outcomes.
• Actively seeks for support in addressing difficulties in execution of duties.