Regional Advisor for Strategic Partnerships - Dakar

Kirkens Nødhjelp/ Norwegian Church Aid

Norwegian Church Aid ('NCA') is one of the largest aid organisations in the Nordic region. Together with our international network and partner organisations in the ACT Alliance we are able to reach millions of people each year and help make a positive difference around the world. We are determined to work towards eradicating injustice and we therefore work with advocacy, long-term development in local communities and providing emergency assistance.

Job Description – Norwegian Church Aid

Position Title: Regional Advisor for Strategic Partnerships

Department and division: Department of International Programmes (DIP)/SPD

Line Manger: Head of Division, Strategic Partnerships Division (SPD)

Duty Station: Dakar

Contract Type: Fixed-term, 24 months

Travel: Up to 20 % (mainly to Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, DRC, Angola)

AREA(S) OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Regional adviser for strategic partnership will lead donor engagement and proposal development support across a designated region. The role is designed to strengthen NCA’s institutional fundraising capacity by building strategic relationships with donors and supporting country offices in developing high-quality, competitive proposals. Each advisor will cover a cluster of countries and work closely with both country office and head office teams. This position requires a strategic thinker with a proven track record in building strategic relationships and securing funding in complex humanitarian and development contexts.

MAIN DUTIES/FUNCTIONS

1.      Donor Engagement and Strategic Positioning (30%)

Assist Country Offices in regularly updating and strengthening their Funding and Engagement Plans (FEPs);
Develop and implement regional donor engagement strategies aligned with the FEPs;
Build and maintain relationships with donor representatives (primarily institutional, but also from the private sector), embassies, UN agencies, funding platforms, and relevant strategic partners in the region;
In coordination with Country Directors and SPD, proactively engage donor representatives by organizing relevant meetings and sharing NCA materials (e.g. reports, briefings, country fact sheets), including through tailored updates, events, or strategic dialogues;
In coordination with Country Directors and SPD, represent NCA in high-level donor coordination forums, strategic networks, and partnership meetings to increase NCA's visibility and influence;
 2.      Strategic Opportunity Design and Development /Donor-Tailored Program and Opportunity Development (20%)

• Conduct donor mapping and market analysis to identify new funding opportunities;
• Disseminate information on donor strategies, policies, and funding opportunities to internal relevant stakeholders;
• Transform programmatic ideas into tailored, compelling, donor-aligned funding applications that respond to specific partner priorities, showcase innovation, and build a financially resilient funding pipeline for NCA;
• Act as a catalyst for regional/country funding growth through equipping country teams; with donor intelligence, donor trends, priorities, and positioning.
  3.      Proposal Development and Coordination (50%)
• Support Country Offices in planning, facilitating, coordinating, writing, and submitting high-quality proposals;
• Coordinate multi-country or regional proposal efforts when relevant;
• Provide training and coaching to Country Office staff on donor requirements, consortium establishment, proposal writing, and compliance;
• Review and edit proposals to ensure alignment with donor expectations and NCA standards;
• Support lessons learned processes and contribute to continuous improvement in proposal quality and compliance;
• Together with SPD, contribute to the development of shared tools, templates, and best practices for proposal development and resource mobilization.

4. CRITICAL INTERFACES

Head Office:

- Strategic Partnerships Division

- Country Advisers and Technical advisers

- Finance, and Grant Control teams

Country offices:

- Country Directors

- Program Managers

- CO funding process lead / thematic coordinators
 Qualifications and Experience

• Proven track record in donor engagement and successful proposal development.
• Strong understanding of institutional donor strategies and requirements (e.g.  UN, EU, FCDO, Sida, SDC, GIZ…).  Experience of collaboration with the Private Sectors or foundation is an asset.
• Knowledge of the civil society sector in the relevant region
• Experience working in complex and multi-country contexts.
• Excellent communication, networking, and facilitation skills.
• Fluent in English and in French.

Competencies

Strategic thinking and initiative.
Strong strategic stakeholder engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. 
Strong networking skills.
Strong writing and editing skills.
Effective facilitation and process leadership.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
Interest in engaging a diverse range of financial partners to broaden and strengthen funding stream.
In accordance with core humanitarian principles, NCA implements a range of safeguards to prevent or reduce the possibility of humanitarian aid falling into the wrong hands. This includes those individuals and groups who are subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. As part of this process, NCA will screen the details of the successful candidates for this post against the sanction’s lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCAs governmental donors.

To apply for the position, click this link: https://apply.recman.page/job_post.php?id=457454&sub_id=534&path=other