Senior Partnerships Manager (Egypt)

Job Title Senior Partnerships Manager
Role reports to Head of Partnerships (dotted line to Head of Education Reform)
Direct reports N/A
Location Cairo, Egypt
Contract duration Permanent position
Department Partnership for Education
Travel Domestic or regional travel may be required
Open to Residents of Egypt with the legal right to work

DRS is looking for a Senior Partnerships Manager on behalf of the world-leading academic publisher and assessment organization to build a strong and positive partner network in the Middle East & Africa (MEA). The role supports the Partnership for Education to achieve its business objectives and to deliver on its mission, reach, and impact across the region. Identifying potential new partners, securing new partnership agreements, and maximizing the value of existing stakeholder relationships to advance the commercial strategy.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Partnership Strategy and Stakeholder Relationships

· Support the development and implementation of the partnership strategy in the specified region(s) in close collaboration with the Head of Partnerships and Commercial team. Build a pipeline of fit-for-purpose partners and broker relationships to advance the commercial strategy.

· Represent the Partnership for Education externally and manage the involvement of others internally when developing partnerships in the region(s).

· Liaise with the Head of Partnerships, regional leadership, and stakeholders across the organization to:

o Identify capability gaps where partners are required in the specified region(s).

o Coordinate their involvement in developing and managing partner relationships.

o Build their awareness of prospective partnering opportunities.

o Ensure that Partnership for Education obligations are well understood and provisioned for.

o Ensure good visibility on progress and performance with respect to both new and existing partnerships.

Market Scanning and Prospecting

· Understand the anticipated future pipeline of education reform opportunities in the specified region(s), working with the Commercial team to understand market demand, with the Education Content & Solutions team to understand technical requirements, and with the Delivery team to understand capacity needs.

· Continually research the region(s) to understand competitor presence, monitor changes, and identify and qualify potential partners in order to meet the anticipated future requirements.

· Engage prospective partners, initiating and developing relationships to build understanding, interest, and opportunity.

Negotiate and Set-Up New Partnership Deals

· Rapidly respond to opportunities as they arise and quickly identify partners with whom to collaborate.

· Work with the Head of Partnerships and Commercial team to proactively build effective consortia for direct-to-government and donor opportunities in the specified region(s).

· Work with Legal and Compliance to ensure risks are mitigated, and necessary partner contractual arrangements are in place.

· Negotiate strong partnership terms, agreements, and contracts that meet both the Partnership for Education and the partners’ objectives.

Manage Existing Partnerships

· Oversee the account management of partners to ensure relationships remain productive and positive.

· Actively seek to develop and leverage innovation at all stages, from initial engagement through to closure.

· Monitor, evaluate, and provide visibility on the health and performance of each partnership.

· Work in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications team to raise our profile amongst stakeholders in the sector.

Defining Fundraising Strategy and Diversifying Funding Sources

· Support the Head of Partnerships in defining and developing funding diversification efforts by building contacts and gathering intelligence to improve understanding of the CSR and philanthropic funding environment and the opportunities for engagement in the region(s).

Develop Ways of Working and Continuous Improvement

· Develop and embed methodologies, tools, and controls for the ongoing engagement and management of partnerships (e.g., use of CRM data, partnership checklists, and risk management), continually driving for operating improvements.

· Share best practices in end-to-end partnership management by supporting colleagues with training, tools, and specialist advice and working with them to plan, manage, and execute partnership activities.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL)

· Working collaboratively with teams across Partnership for Education and the wider organization.

· ‘Partners’ with respect to this role may include NGOs, CSOs, think tanks, education providers, consultancies, Foundations, and international development organizations in the region. It is not considered to include general management of suppliers for projects (owned by the Delivery Team Resource Manager) or management of Ministry of Education stakeholders (led by the Commercial team).

ROLE IMPACT (PEOPLE, POLICY, FINANCIAL)

Performed well, this job will have a high impact on the achievement of the commercial strategy in the specified region(s) through its contribution to the development and management of high-value partnerships. The work supports objectives relating to increasing our reach impact and extending our service proposition delivery**.**

Decisions and Recommendations

· Activities relating to the implementation of strategies in the specified region(s).

· Day-to-day liaison with partners and external engagement at events, conferences, and meetings.

· Engagement of internal teams to promote partnership opportunities and arrangements.

· Proposed strategies for partnership engagement in the specified region(s).

· Proposals for specific partnership opportunities, including arrangement, respective scope, and terms.

· Recommendations for the future direction, monitoring, and improvement of partnerships.

· Corrective actions to optimize performance/manage risk.

· Advise on exit strategies.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential Knowledge

· To be eligible for this position, candidates must possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and have at least 5 years of relevant work experience.

Essential Skill(s) & Experience

• Strong relationship management skills.
• Influencing and negotiation skills.
• Financial, commercial, and business acumen.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Creative and strategic thinking.
• Intercultural competence.
• Proven track record of developing and managing successful partnerships.
• Practiced in solution selling, designing value propositions, and managing complex selling engagements.
• Managing successful B2B / B2G relationships.
• Business development, sales, and/or marketing.
• Working with global/regional cross-cultural teams.

Desirable:

• Partnership or alliance management expertise.
• Second language.
• Experience working in the international education sector.
• Knowledge of Education Reform products and markets.

Key Competencies (Functional)

• Networking, developing, and maintaining relationships.
• Influence and tact.
• Collaboration.
• Creativity & innovation.
• Proactive and multitasking, well-organized.
• Initiative, tenacity, resilience.
• Creativity & innovation.

Key Competencies (Leadership)

• Achieving.
• Inspiring.
• Inclusive.
• Trusted & trusting.
• Confidence with humility.