Uganda: Partnerships Manager, Uganda

Do you have the creativity and drive required to establish and maintain positive working
relationships with diverse stakeholders across Uganda, East Africa and globally? Aga Khan
Foundation (AKF), East Africa is searching for a self-driven, dynamic and innovative Partnerships
Manager to be based in Uganda. The Partnerships Manager will mainly be responsible for driving
an ambitious resource mobilization programme to contribute to the growth and expansion of the
programme portfolio of the Foundation, and lead on cultivating and maintaining a wide-ranging
network of new and existing partnerships across development and humanitarian aid donor
community and the private sector, as well as civil society and government. S/he will also engage in
distilling key lessons from and participate in the dissemination of lessons/best practices of the
existing, ICT in education, child health and wellbeing, rural financial inclusion, and youth
employable skills development, civil society and local government organisational strengthening,
portfolio. The position is based in Kampala and will report to the Country Director, Uganda.

AKF is a private, not-for-profit, non-denominational international development agency
bringing together the required human, financial and technical resources to assist the poorest and
most marginalized within strategic geographies especially women and girls, such that they
achieve a level of self-reliance and improved quality of life . AKF works broadly across six
thematic areas: Economic Inclusion, Agriculture & Food Security, Health & Nutrition, Early
Childhood Development (ECD), Education and Civil Society strengthening. AKF is an equal
opportunity employer.

Specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Effectively mobilize resources for new and existing projects through the development and writing of high quality funding proposals, concept notes, expressions of interest (EOI), capacity statements, etc. in collaboration with the Country Director, the Partnerships Unit team across the region and in Nairobi, as well as AKF Global and Regional Technical Advisors;
• Build and maintain a broad network of external partnerships, consortia, etc. with development and humanitarian aid donors and other funding/implementing partners;
• Support development of quality donor reports and other communications materials to position AKF as a key development partner in Uganda;
• Distil key lessons from programming outcomes and impacts (i.e. documented in donor reports, monitoring and evaluation reports, during field visits, and in research studies), and develop a strategy and materials for policy engagement with donors and other funding/implementing partners.

Key deliverables include:

• Work closely with the Thematic Technical Leads, country, and regional office teams to develop and write concept notes, proposals, expressions of interest (EOI), capacity statements, etc.;
• Identify potential/real new partnership opportunities and engage with and provide frequent updates on follow-up engagements and correspondences with identified potential and existing partners. (NOTE: Expectation is that this shall entail BOTH desktop activity/research and correspondence with, including searching and mapping of aid donors and other funding/implementing partners’ strategic areas of interest, funds available, current grantees, funding windows, etc. AND field-based/face-to-face engagement with potential aid donors and other funding/implementing partners to cultivate and nurture interest in funding/collaborating on key AKF Uganda programming areas)
• Facilitate, and participate together with the Country Director/Thematic Technical Leads/the Partnerships Unit team across the region/in Nairobi in, aid donors and other funding/implementing partners’ cultivation and follow-up meetings as and when required.

Qualifications/Experience:

• Minimum of Master’s Degree or equivalent in International Development, Public Policy, Rural Development, Economics (and rural economy) Public Health, ECD, International Education, or other relevant Social Development fields;
• Programme development experience with ability to write strong funding proposals and responsive bids for new programming;
• Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, ability to network with a range of development partners and organisations
• Exceptional English communications skills, able to make strong oral pitches and produce high quality written concept notes, proposals and EOI.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in donor dialogue and communications, preferably in the field of international development;
• At least 2 years of direct experience in managing a grant/project or programme, preferably in youth social and economic empowerment, rural financial inclusion, public health, agribusiness, environment, ECD and/or primary education, with a willingness to visit programmes in the field;
• Solid experience on grant management, including M&E, preparation, and monitoring of budgets;
• Knowledge of rural economic development and social development sectors;
• Management experience including ability to work in, support and/or supervise a team;
• Knowledge of the Uganda development context and the Aga Khan Development Network willbe an added advantage.

Candidates interested in this unique career opportunity with Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in Uganda
should submit a cover letter explaining why they are best suited for this position, CV (not exceeding 4
pages) and the names and contact information of three professional referees to the Country Director -
Aga Khan Foundation, Uganda, by e-mail to recruitment@akfea.org.

The applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis and shortlisted candidates contacted
accordingly.

Aga Khan Foundation is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network
(www.akdn.org)