SNV is a global development partner deeply rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, we strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform agri-food, energy and water systems. Working on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance, we tailor our approaches to different contexts to achieve large-scale impact and create sustainable and more equitable lives for all.
 

We are looking for a Strategic Partnership Lead
Full-time – Global Office, the Netherlands , or any of the SoC country offices
(Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia)
Reporting to Project Director

Are you a visionary, transformational leader who can bring together different groups and drive change across various levels and cultures? Then this is your role!

Context of the position
SNV and partners aim to transform the agri-food system in Eastern Africa promoting and implementing Regenerative Agriculture (RA) and Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE). Although examples of success (and failures) in RA and PURE are emerging, these are isolated and limited in scale and therefore function as islands of change. These successes (and failures) must be captured, documented, and shared for broader adoption to achieve Seas of Change.

The Seas of Change (SoC) strategic partnership aims to utilise the learnings and evidence built with, in particular, smallholder farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises – to adopt regenerative practices powered by renewable energy. To reach this ambitious goal we seek to build a network of like-minded partners at national, regional, and global level to institutionalize these ways of working and further embed them in policies and practices of government, private sector, knowledge institutes, and civil society. We will actively engage private actors, public actors, and donors to co-invest €55 million to secure this transformation. The strategic partnership includes a portfolio of SoC country programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. 

The programmes will have three intervention pathways of LEARN: Practice-based learning and evidence, LINK: Action-oriented collaboration among system actors and LEVERAGE: Embedding ways of working in policies and practices. Through these pathways, the strategic partnership seeks to facilitate a new way of working to achieve an integrated, sustainable and resilient agri-food system powered by renewable energy.

Strategic Partnership Lead – your role
SNV is seeking a Strategic Partnership Lead to oversee, inspire and drive the entire Seas of Change (SoC) portfolio- creating a movement for change in this space. With a nimble and flexible core team (4FTE) you will both provide strategic guidance to the SoC Country Programme Managers as well as inform and activate stakeholders within the ecosystem to achieve the partnership’s long-term vision.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact and drive transformative change. You connect with external and internal stakeholders involved; developing strong partnerships and ensuring cross-programme synergy and learnings.

Your key responsibilities include:

• Build long-term relationships with donors and partners, serving as their primary contact.
• Oversee the SoC portfolio, advising country PMs to achieve the SP programme’s strategic vision.
• Manage the Strategic Partnership programme team (4 FTE), providing strategic advice and capacity building.
• Coordinate cross-programme efforts to align with SP programme objectives.
• Guide the SoC Strategic Partnership team and partners in applying systems transformation and innovative solutions.
• Develop and maintain partnerships within the RA-PURE nexus, organizing partner events and identifying champions.
• Lead resource mobilization efforts, identifying new funding opportunities and partnerships.
• Organize internal capacity-building processes, promoting systems transformation and RA-PURE integration.
• Shape the Strategic Partnership programme’s learning agenda and disseminate learnings for advocacy.
• Represent the SoC Strategic Partnership programme at global and regional events, advocating for RA-PURE integration.
• Handle donor reporting (narrative & financials) for SoC portfolio programmes.

Your background
The successful candidate is a visionary leader who inspires teams and who can make the complex simple. You are a critical thinker who values reflection and data-driven decision-making and you can easily navigate detail and the bigger picture. With your excellent networking skills you excel at creating shared goals among a complex field of diverse stakeholders with different cultures and backgrounds.

You are an excellent listener, can easily recognise a multitude of perspectives and you can build alliances against joint interests. You have experience in activating change and unlock positive interest on different levels of organisation, a good understanding of human nature in systems thinking and you can speak to a multitude of objectives ranging from more technically oriented to financially and/or politically oriented. You have worked across countries, both leading leaders and working with remote (indirect) teams. You are outcome driven and you create programming roadmaps with clear milestones and lead people and process against these milestones (data-driven decision making) enabling desired outcomes.

What you bring

• MBA or Master’s degree in a relevant field
• 8+ years of experience in development cooperation or an adjacent sector, preferably with minimum 4 years in project management in multi-faced programmes in preferably sub-Saharan Africa
• Expertise and relevant experience in regenerative agriculture or renewable energy
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills in diverse and cross-functional teams to drive performance and  ensuring strategic alignment and maintaining long-term collaboration.
• Deduction skills with conceptual thinking to mobilise resources against an evidence-based narrative
• Experience in applying systems transformative approaches; translate into clear actionable strategies for effective implementation and  change at scale
• Critical thinking combined with constructive challenging to context and result
• Excellent English communication skills and the ability to engage larger audiences
• Experience in resource mobilisation including identification of new funding opportunities and securing partnerships to meet financing ambitions.
• Willingness to travel

Working for SNV
We are home to 57 cultures working in 22 countries, with about 95% of our team members  holding the nationality of the respective countries we work in. We promote (international) career development. Our workforce exists of a mix of both people with longstanding tenure, willing to share their institutional knowledge, as well as people with other backgrounds and experience. All with an inquisitive view and united in ‘ONE SNV’ working towards our purpose.

Together, we are committed to effective and efficient stewardship of resources and maximising positive, lasting impacts. Our ability to deliver results rests on our robust foundation of experience, knowledge, evidence and learning; our commitment to strengthening capacities and catalysing partnerships; and the relationships and trust of those we work alongside.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and uphold a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Our offer
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package in a stimulating work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling international working environment.

Additional information

• Contract Type:                               National contract, Full time (40 hours per week)
• Contract Duration:                         2 years with the possibility of extension  
• Expected Start Date:                     January 2025
• Information Duty Station:              Global Office, the Netherlands or any of the SoC country offices (Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia)
• Travel:                                          International travel, approximately 40% of annual time

How to apply 
If you're excited about this opportunity and believe you have the skills and passion we're looking for, we'd love to hear from you! Please submit your CV and a motivation letter via SmartRecruiters on/or before 1st of January 2025 to join our dedicated team at SNV. All information will be processed in the strictest confidence. 

Reference & vetting check
At SNV we prioritise safety and security for all employees. We conduct thorough background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for International determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct". This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme.   

*We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.