The Senior Partnerships Manager (SPM) will be AWF’s focal point for managing relationships and furthering AWF’s people-centred, African led vision for conservation and development with German institutions. This includes BMZ, BMUB, KFW, and GIZ as well as thought leaders, think-tanks and networks to develop partnership opportunities.
The main goal of this position is to:
- Manage African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) relations with German government agencies and other relevant stakeholders;
- Win support for AWF’s strategy, and cultivating existing and new partnerships; and
- Elevate the African agenda for people centered nature conservation in dialogues and processes across different sectors in Germany.
The objective is to position AWF well in respective processes and represent AWF and pan-African positions and contribute to the delivery of AWF’s mission. In this role, the SPM will serve to share lessons learned from the field and AWF’s landscape approach to African conservation issues to inform strategy formulation by the German government and other key institutions and provide insights to the External Affairs / Program Design team to position AWF for future funding opportunities.
The position will support and coordinate cross cutting needs for AWF’s Senior Program staff, Development and Communications units.
Responsibilities:
- Advance AWF priorities in German policy and programming agenda
- Support the Director External Affairs, Europe in policy and strategy engagement with the German government, as well as in managing and extending high-level relationships with German Parliament, the African Diplomatic Corps in Germany, relevant industries, corporate foundations, scientific institutions, civil society organisations and other key stakeholders.
- Track agendas of German key partners, particularly BMZ, BMUB, KFW, and GIZ and coordinate technical advice from AWF and its networks on the programming priorities in Africa.
- Establish and maintain relationships with key German institutions as well as partners in Germany, facilitating contributions to dialogue for roundtable discussions, advocacy and media events relevant to the AWF Mission and Program. Leverage these activities to inform donor engagement strategies of AWF program design and development.
- Provide liaison and outreach to individuals and coalitions in Germany who impact African conservation and development by regularly engaging partners, attending relevant events, and organizing AWF engagement in strategically important German events/platforms.
- Ensure German audiences have access to AWF technical advice on strategic priorities
- Support the articulation of AWF strategies as needed with the aim of securing new funding opportunities. This will include identifying and pursuing German funding opportunities for AWF strategies and programmes, facilitating AWF staff to articulate strategies and programmes in ways that resonate with German priorities, and execute targeted engagements of key relationships.
- Initiate and support the design, preparation and follow-up of AWF missions and events in Germany as well as of German key stakeholders to AWF countries, landscapes or relevant international meetings such as MEAs.
- Drive AWF donor relations and fundraising with Germany
- Serve as Account Manager for relationships with German institutions. Work closely with Program Design and Program teams to ensure coherent and effective strategies to grow AWF’s funding portfolios in Germany.
- Search, analyse and review funding opportunities and their fit for AWF’s present projects, programs and strategies.
- Develop funding strategies for landscapes, country and thematic programmes and emerging issues, review proposals and facilitate fundraising from German institutional donors for specific interventions as part of the Program Design team.
- Support AWF Country teams to engage in a coordinated and strategic way with German Embassies, Offices and other respective institutions across Africa in the context of development strategies and investment plans.
- Monitor reporting deadlines with German donors and ensure quality control and compliance with donor requirements.
- Facilitate strong relationships between AWF teams and German partners.
Requirements and skills
- Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent degree) in a relevant field, preferably in Conservation, Natural Resource Management, Economics, Political Science, International Development, Communications or International Relations is required.
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in donor engagement, fundraising, and conservation strategy with significant portion in Africa.
- Good understanding of Germany’s development and Africa agenda as well as public and corporate donor environment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the emerging business and development environment in Africa and related impacts on conservation landscapes.
- Proven relationships with German key stakeholders, including development and environment agencies.
- Track record of successfully securing funding from bilateral and/or multilateral institutions.
- Strong network with business leaders active in Africa is a bonus.
- Fluency in written and spoken English and German essential, fluency in French an asset.
- Experience of working in a cross-cultural environment.
- Excellent writing skills are a must, including the ability to be appealing and persuasive to the designated target audience.
- Ability to synthesize complex technical information.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Computer literacy to use all MS Office packages.
- Flexible and able to take on and manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.
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