Partnerships Manager

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business, International Relations, or related field with 7 years of experience; OR a Master’s Degree with at least 5 years of experience.
  
• Proven Track Record: Must have demonstrated experience creating job and work opportunities for youth, women, and disenfranchised populations.
  
• Technical Experience: Experience in agriculture, food processing, or agribusiness sectors, ideally with donor-funded programs.
  
• Negotiation Skills: Strong negotiation skills with a proven ability to broker deals and find "win-win" solutions in complex multi-party discussions.
  
• Languages: Excellent written and spoken English; proficiency in Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo is a significant advantage.
  

• Establish and maintain relationships with TVET institutions, polytechnics, and universities across the ten implementation states
  
• Develop memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with TVETs for participant recruitment, training delivery, and internship placement
  
• Work with TVETs to align curriculum with industry needs and embed food processing and W2V content into existing programs
  

• Partner with ESOs, business development service providers, and business membership organizations to extend project reach and impact
  
• Engage business associations, chambers of commerce, and industry groups in project activities
  
• Facilitate ESO participation in training delivery, business advisory services, and mentorship programs
  

• Build and maintain relationships with relevant government ministries, departments, and agencies at federal, state, and local levels. Engage with government initiatives such as Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), import substitution programs, and youth employment schemes to create complementarities and avoid duplication
  
• Advocate for policies that support gender inclusion, GBV prevention, PWD accommodations, and fair labor practices in food processing
  
• Participate in policy dialogues, working groups, and technical committees related to agricultural processing, youth employment, and inclusive development
  

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with OPDs at national and state levels
  
• Partner with OPDs for identification and recruitment of PWD participants
  
• Engage OPDs in accessibility assessments of training venues, work environments, and project activities
  

• Establish clear partnership frameworks with defined roles, responsibilities, and mutual commitments
  
• Monitor partnership performance against agreed objectives and indicators
  
• Document partnership processes, challenges, and solutions to inform adaptive management
  
• Conduct regular partnership review meetings and adjustment of strategies as needed