Overview
Partnership Specialist responsible for overseeing the localization management of the Venezuela CO portfolio in accordance with donor and DRC regulations, ensuring effective partners’ proposal development, donor compliance, timely reporting, and overall accountability.
Tasks Summary
- Oversee partnership management, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies.
- Coordinate and facilitate meetings with partners for kick-off, review, and closing.
- Monitor and update partner mapping and internal documentation systems.
- Lead Project Cycle Management processes related to local partners.
- Facilitate coordination and communication between DRC and partners regarding grants management, contract compliance, and quality assurance.
- Provide an overview of Localization functions, active strategies, and relevant project documents during new staff inductions.
- Offer ad hoc support and guidance to programme staff on localization management and partnership-related issues.
- Advise SMT members on partnership and localization strategies.
- Lead vetting, due diligence, and sub-agreements processes with local partners.
- Lead the selection and identification of local partners, including the yearly Expression of Interest.
- Provide technical inputs in reports and proposals for Localization sections.
- Document lessons learned and best practices from localization and partnership initiatives.
- Contribute to internal learning events and after-action reviews.
- Develop the Localization strategy.
- Act as the Localization Donor Compliance Focal Point, ensuring understanding of contractual obligations and regulations.
- Quality control all partners' contracts before signature.
- Ensure contractual obligations and reporting deadlines are met by partners.
- Troubleshoot identified gaps for meeting deliverables.
- Actively participate in Localization Community Meetings.
- Coordinate provision of training for partners in proposal development and reporting.
- Review partners' budgets.
- Update partners' mapping and partners funding tracker.
- Support HoP in maintaining active and regular communication with partners.
- Participate in external coordination and fundraising-related meetings.
- Collaborate with program technical coordinators, base managers, support services and implementing partners to gather input for proposal development.
- Edit and compile the final draft of partners' proposals and annexes.
- Ensure partners' project proposal development and donor reporting are informed by reliable organizational data and learning.
- Lead on communication, negotiations and coordination with donors and external stakeholders regarding partnership matters.
- Any ad-hoc tasks assigned by the Head of Programme.
Experience Requirements
- At least 3 years of experience in partnership management, preferably with an international NGO or other donor-funded organization.
- Knowledge and experience working with multiple sectors including protection, food security and livelihood, WASH and Disaster Preparedness.
- Solid experience in the compilation of partners documents for donor proposals, modification requests and reports; with practical experience in working with UNHCR, SIDA, ECHO, GFFO, VHF and private foundations.
- Knowledge of localization policies and best practices.
- Knowledge of donors’ rules and regulations for communication and partnership processes.
- Previous experience in drafting MoU, sub-agreements and capacity building plans.
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize large workloads, to consistently meet deadlines and adapt in a complex and challenging work environment.
- Ability to coordinate proposal development with multiple stakeholders and ensure alignment with donor expectations.
- Strong grasp of donor branding, visibility requirements, and contractual obligations.
- Ability to review and quality-control partner budgets and contracts.
Qualification Requirements
• University Degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Communication or relevant fields.
