DIRECTOR, PARTNERSHIPS

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director of Partnerships is responsible for leading CARE USA’s strategic approach to cultivating, securing, and managing high-value, high-impact partnerships that enable CARE’s technical teams and signature programs to reach impact at scale. This position is central to positioning CARE as a trusted, innovative, and value-adding partner of choice for global corporations, social enterprises, philanthropic foundations, and development finance actors.

The Director will work closely with Technical Team, AVPs, Executive Directors and Snr Directors to map, identify, and establish strategic global partnerships that unlock new pathways for program scale, innovation, and systems change — in line with CARE’s global Strategy Pillars, especially Pillar 2 (Sustain Communities) and Pillar 3 (Resilient Futures). Unlike country-level partnership roles, this position focuses on global and regional partnerships that strengthen CARE’s technical influence, financing, and positioning — not local partnerships with LNGOs or implementation partners.

Lead CARE’s Strategic Partnership Development Framework 

• Develop and implement a global framework for identifying, cultivating, and managing strategic partnerships that align with CARE’s signature programs and impact areas.
• Collaborate with Technical Teams to assess partnership needs, identify opportunities, and develop tailored engagement strategies for each technical area.
• Support CARE’s thought leadership and external positioning by fostering alliances with organizations advancing innovation, social enterprise, digital development, climate resilience, and women’s economic empowerment.

Cultivate and Manage High-Level Global Partnerships

• In collaboration with Technical leads, support engagement with key global and regional technical partners including corporate foundations, development finance institutions, social impact investors, and private sector alliances.
• Support development of joint initiatives, co-funding mechanisms, and partnership models that drive scale and sustainability.
• Negotiate partnership agreements and ensure alignment with CARE’s global strategy and ethical standards.
• Coordinate with Compliance and Legal teams to support due diligence and risk assessment.

Strengthen Technical Teams’ Partnership Capacity and Systems 

• Support CARE’s Technical and Signature Program Teams in developing partnership pipelines.
• Design and facilitate tools, templates, and learning resources to strengthen teams’ capabilities in strategic engagement and partnership management.
• Establish a Partnership Learning Hub to document and share best practices across PSI and with other key stakeholders e.g RD and Advocacy.
  

Team Leadership and Management 

• Directly manage the Senior Project Officer for Partnerships.
• Ensure effective collaboration, performance management, and professional growth.
• Promote a culture of partnership excellence, accountability, and adaptive learning within PSI.

Required Qualifications:

- Master’s degree in International Development, Business, Public Policy, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
- Minimum 10years of progressive experience in partnership development, external relations, or strategic resource mobilization in the international development or social impact sector.
- Demonstrated experience cultivating partnerships with corporate, foundation, and development finance actors.
- Proven success in designing and managing multi-stakeholder partnerships for scale and innovation.
- Strong understanding of market-based approaches, impact investing, and systems-change strategies.
- Excellent negotiation, facilitation, and communication skills.
- Strategic Agility
- Relationship Building
- Political Savvy
- Innovation Management
- Drive for Results
- Collaboration and Influence
- External Representation

Financial Accountability

- Responsible for developing and managing partnership budgets and co-funding frameworks
- Freedom to Act / Impact
- Operates with a high degree of autonomy and strategic influence. Acts as the principal partnership advisor to CARE’s technical leadership teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Familiarity with CARE’s technical focus areas (gender equality, climate resilience, food systems, and women’s economic empowerment).
- Experience in blended finance, ESG-aligned partnerships, or private-sector engagement.
- Strong networks across global social enterprise and philanthropic ecosystems.
- Fluency in French or Spanish preferred.