Job Description

Position Summary: The Grassroot Soccer Partnerships Team (GRSP) oversees GRS’ relationships with a wide a range of implementing partner organisations across over 50 countries. The team supports these organisations to replicate the GRS model and provides remote and occasional in-person technical support to these organisations to increase their capacity to deliver GRS interventions in their communities.

Working closely with the Partnerships Director, Training Manager, and the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer, the Partnerships Manager will manage a portfolio of partners across various geographies. The Partnerships Manager will be responsible for managing each partner relationship, developing a partnering strategy for each partner, and overseeing any grant mechanisms or agreements with the partner. This will include establishing partnership agreements, work plans, and budgets, and supporting the partnership with the necessary technical assistance across the timeline for partners from program design to evaluation and learning. The Partnerships Manager will ensure all partnerships contribute to the mission of GRS through strong M&E and alignment to GRS impact model. The Partnerships Manager will work across multiple teams in the organization, ensuring strong relationships, communication, and effective planning and execution of all projects.

These efforts will ensure GRS remains a leading organization in adolescent health promotion and strategically guides the organization to achieve its scale strategy and goal of enabling young people to have the life-saving skills they need to thrive. The Partnerships Program Manager will report to the Global Partnerships Director.

Responsibility breakdown:

Partnership Cultivation & Strategy - 25%

Technical Program Design – 15%

Program Management - 30%

Business Development - 20%

Special Projects – 10%

Key Performance Areas:

Partnership Cultivation & Strategy

• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with a wide variety of partners including local implementing partners, donors, government agencies, and multi-lateral agencies
• Attend conferences, networking meetings, and workshops to meet with potential enabling and implementing partners
• Participate and lead on partner prospecting trips to assess, select, and negotiate partnerships with stakeholders in key geographies
• Assist with Implementing Partner identification and selection; respond to partnership requests, conduct information sharing calls/meetings
• Conduct organizational assessments (virtual and in-person) with potential partners to ensure they have the capacity to implement effectively and identify gaps for Technical Assistance (TA), or potential risk for GRS
• Develop country-specific strategies for partner portfolio to ensure GRS efforts align to government priorities, and partner capacity
• Standardize assessments of partner needs to ensure minimum organizational structure and processes are in place for all partners
• Strive to cultivate strong relationships with government partners, aligning implementing partners, GRS activities, and thought leadership efforts with national government strategies
• Co-manage, support or coordinate as needed partner assemblies, learning exchanges, or other cross-partner workshops

Technical Program Design

• With input from other staff, design partnership programs in line with GRS strategy and mission, and identify and pursue opportunities for continual innovation and improvement
• Closely collaborate with necessary enabling and implementing partners to bring proposals to life through practical design of implementation plans, deliverable timelines and project milestones, and partnership infrastructure
• Build technical program designs for all new partnerships that account for GRS’ impact model the 3C’s and the 3A’s
• Conduct program planning and design assessment trips to field sites as necessary to integrate the program design with the partnership strategy, local context, and partner expectations
• Design partnerships and projects so that both GRS and its partners are held accountable to measurable objectives, targets, and project deliverables, including reporting
• Internally liaise with the Technical Support team and other teams to inform them timeously of upcoming efforts and to lead the coordination of technical service delivery including: curriculum development and adaptation, training design and delivery, M&E system development and tool creation, building out HR staffing plans, partnership logistics, and other specialized support or technical assistance as needed

Program Managment

• Accountable for execution of high quality GRS Partnership projects, and ensuring all projects meet targets and deliverables as outlined in proposals and grant agreements
• Harmonize GRS’ ongoing technical assistance (partner assessment, program design, curriculum adaptation, partner capacity building and training, M&E, Biz Dev, Operations, etc.) through specialized support as determined through phone/Skype calls, emails, in person visits or assessments
• Develop and manage program budgets that achieve grant deliverables within allotted parameters
• Liaise regularly with Implementing Partners and field staff including Master Coaches to ensure that programs are delivered as planned, milestones are met and deliverables are fulfilled
• Design standardized and appropriate technical assistance plans for all partners according to budget and partner needs,
• Conduct regular in-person quality assessment and program support visits to ensure challenges are addressed, mitigated, and programs are successful
• Execute technical assistance plans in full and in accordance with budget and donor commitments, integrated and coordinated to ensure a maximized partnership
• Work with partners and GRS M&E staff to ensure accurate M&E data collection from all Partnership projects in order to monitor reach and impact of individual partner project as well as the overall GRSP business unit
• Apply new evidence and project learnings each year to build in positive feedback loops and program improvements
• Work with the US-based accounting team to address field-based issues with financial reporting, timesheets, administration, and Human Resources (HR) for GRSP projects
• Support the recruitment, hiring, training and managing of staff and volunteers as necessary
• Help with special projects as appropriate to ensure GRSP meets programmatic deliverables and commitments
• Responsible for executing logistics of strategic partnerships including sub-grants, partnering agreements, contracts, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), etc.
• Assist with financial management of all GRSP grants by tracking GRS spending, monitoring partner sub-grants, and ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting
• Gather and synthesize financial and narrative reports from multiple implementing partners for streamlined communication back to donors and internally at GRS
• Support partners with advice, research questions, tool development and research design to assess programs and make improvements
• Contribute to communications and marketing documents related to partner portfolio including monthly newsletters, website posts, social media, and other communications campaigns

Business Development

• Assist Business Development (BD) team and Partnerships Director with lead prospecting, partner prospecting, and development of country strategies
• Assist with maintenance of GRSP’s pipeline in our internal tracking system (Little Green Light-LGL) as well as Partnership documentation in Accounts pages of our M&E system (Salesforce)
• Identify and follow up on new funding opportunities and interests for new and current partners
• Assist with technical grant writing, budgeting, and concept writing
• Serve as lead on partner consortiums in the technical proposal development phase and with partner convenings to be the GRS Ambassador
• Support BD team with writing proposals, researching country contexts, and supporting business development as needed
• Provide BD team with regular project updates and information for informing the funder and grant managers
• All other BD tasks as needed

Special Projects

• Take lead on special projects that support the partnership strategy, research of partner projects, or provide thought leadership to the organization or innovation of partnerships and technical assistance
• Communicate partnerships evidence by contributing to posters, presentations, panels and abstracts for conferences and or special events
• Serve as ambassador to GRS on all travel and at externally facing events, conferences, trips
• Support on the oversight and coordination of research and evaluation of partner projects as needed
• Identify gaps in programs, strategy, approach and process and proactively take steps to resolve
• All other tasks as needed

Qualifications Required:

• Post-graduate Degree or Masters preferred (Development studies, Public Health, Public Administration, or related field)
• International grant/program management experience
• Comprehensive understanding of SRHR, HIV and malaria as relates to adolescence and the latest research in the field of positive youth development
• Passion for and commitment to Grassroot Soccer’s mission and vision
• 4+ years of experience in adolescent health or program implementation of international health projects preferably in Africa
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills for managing programs across various countries and staff / volunteers / partners from various cultures
• Ability to work with drive and enthusiasm and to function in a team-oriented environment
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to implement procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively in cross-cultural team
• Proven ability to solve problems independently without direct supervision
• Excellent written and verbal communication and relationship building skills,
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; preferred speaker of Spanish, French Portuguese, or Swahili

Key Competencies Required:

• Attention to detail
• Ability to to work in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines and high programme targets
• Ability to manage daily work assignments with little supervision
• Ability to interact professionally with diverse groups especially in a cross-cultural environment

To Apply: Please submit a CV and cover letter to globalhr@grassrootsoccer.org. Title the email “Partnerships Program Manager”. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline: 14 December 2017

About the Organization

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an innovative, international adolescent health organisation that educates, inspires and mobilises at-risk young people to overcome their greatest health challenges and live healthier, more productive lives. As a leader in the Sport for Development field, GRS uses the power of soccer to connect young people with the mentors, information and health services they need to thrive, and empowers adolescents to make educated choices about pressing health challenges such as HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender-based violence. GRS's evidence-based programmes, led by trained local Coaches, incorporate soccer into dynamic lessons about health and wellness that engage young people and break down cultural barriers. With proven results and a constant focus on research and innovation, GRS has reached over 2 million young people in 50 countries with adolescent-friendly health education.