Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager

Reporting to: Senior Director for Partnerships, Programme Development, and Innovation

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Type of position: L5S1

Application closing: 25 May 2023

Background

Interpeace is an international organisation for peacebuilding. Interpeace tailors its in-country approach to each society and ensures that its work is locally designed and driven. Through local partners and its own local teams, Interpeace jointly develops peacebuilding programmes based on extensive consultation and research. Interpeace helps establish processes of change that promote sustainable peace, social cohesion, and resilience. The organisation’s work is designed to connect and promote understanding between local communities, civil society, governments, and the international community.

Interpeace also assists the international community – especially the United Nations – to play a more effective role in peacebuilding. This is achieved primarily through contributing thought leadership and insights into contemporary peacebuilding policy, and through Interpeace’s ‘peace responsiveness’ work – providing advice and practical support to development and humanitarian sector actors in particular so that their own work strengthens peace.

Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has offices around the world.

For more information about Interpeace, please visit www.interpeace.org

Position within the Organisation

The Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager is a member of the Strategic Partnerships an Programme Development Unit, which collaborates with members of other Units/teams and senior managers to design and advance Interpeace’s positioning with key institutional partners, enabling the organisation to secure political and other forms of support for its peacebuilding activities and policy. The Unit encompasses external relations, representation, programme development and fundraising functions. Given the sensitivity, complexity, and importance of Interpeace’s strategic partners, the Manager is expected to nurture and sustain effective working relationships with colleagues across all parts of Interpeace, especially those leading and executing in-country programmes, developing peacebuilding policy and thought leadership, and advancing high-level advocacy led by the President.

The Manager, under the supervision of the Senior Director for Partnerships, Programme Development and Innovation, works closely with the Executive Office as well as with the President and other senior Interpeace managers, including the Brussels-based Strategic Partnerships Manager, to organise and deliver high-level interactions with senior contacts in governments and other organisations.

The Strategic Partnerships Manager builds and maintains strong relationships with programmatic and policy colleagues, informing and advising them on episodic/occasional interaction with strategic partners and other donors beyond planned engagement. S/he also works closely with Interpeace’s leadership, including the Executive Office and President, members of the Global Management Team, Senior Regional Representatives, and others to advise them on opportunities and priorities for their engagement with governments.

The Manager liaises with the Head of Communication to identify opportunities for Interpeace’s media engagement in alignment with its Communications Strategy. S/he also identifies opportunities to organise or participate in events – either personally or by other Interpeace staff – to broaden the range of partnerships and to raise the profile of Interpeace and its work.

Purpose and General Overview

The Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager is responsible for developing engagement coordination plans with the Senior Director to guide and foster alignment of ongoing interaction of Interpeace with representatives of key government partners in Geneva and in selected non-EU states. The Manager is self-sufficient in fostering and ensuring implementation of those plans on a day-to-day basis including personally maintaining and enhancing strong working relationships with counterpart representatives of governments and of international organisations and other strategic partners and liaising closely with the President and Executive Office.

The Manager also contributes to the development of Track One and advocacy coordination plans, and personally contributes to these by representing Interpeace with external counterparts (including in government administrations, international organisations, multilateral institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations) to advance and achieve Track One and advocacy objectives. The Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager similarly prepares, supports and advises the Executive Office through the Senior Director on the interaction of the President and other senior Interpeace managers with their counterparts in strategic partner governments and organisations.

The Manager advises the Senior Director on opportunities, effectiveness, and impact of the Advisory Council. S/he prepares, internally coordinates, and follows up the Council’s meetings. This includes ongoing liaison where required with counterparts of representatives of the Council.

The Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager contributes to expanding political, financial, and other support for Interpeace by advising senior management on the periodic update and implementation of the organisation’s fundraising strategy, while working closely with the Head of Programme Development and the Brussels-based Strategic Partnerships Manager.

The Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager is based in Interpeace’s Geneva office in order to focus on ongoing stakeholder mapping and engagement with representatives of Geneva-based bilateral and multilateral partners of Interpeace, including the UN; to manage engagement with Interpeace’s Advisory Council, which meets in Geneva; and to engage with representatives of non-EU governments including being a primary contact point with counterparts in the Swiss administration.

The Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Manager is also responsible for fundraising efforts, including building relationships with Swiss-based foundations, and may be called upon to work with the Head of Programme Development in developing proposals for foundation fund-raising.

The Manager leads in the design and implementation of visits to partners’ capitals or headquarters by senior Interpeace staff and in close consultation with the Executive Office on the role of the President.

The Manager undertakes regular travel to capitals of governmental strategic partners and may travel periodically to other countries where Interpeace has relevant programme and policy work underway.

Duties and responsibilities

Specific Duties

Strategic Partnerships Management:

• Develop engagement coordination plans with the Senior Director to support ongoing interaction of Interpeace staff with representatives of non-EU government partners in a systematic way.
• Maintain and enhance strong working relationships with representatives of non-EU governments and of international organisations and other strategic partners and represent Interpeace institutionally.
• Play the role of focal point for assigned Strategic Partners internally and externally to ensure regular flow of information.
• Coordinate and monitor efforts for compiling and submitting reports in compliance with strategic partners’ requirements.
• Design and support visits to partners’ capitals or headquarters by senior Interpeace staff
• Monitor political and other relevant in-country developments of strategic partners as they pertain to Interpeace’s relationships and obligations, and report accordingly.
• Liaise with counterparts of other relevant factors such as NGOs, networks, and platforms, with a focus on those relevant for ongoing and potential strategic partnerships.

Strategic Partnerships Coordination and Advisory Function:

• Contribute to internal coordination efforts to ensure coherence in external engagement with government partners and the implementation of engagement plans.
• Through the Senior Director, advise the President, other senior Interpeace managers, and other programme and policy staff on their interaction with counterparts in strategic partner governments and organisations.
• Ensure liaison with relevant Geneva-based missions of UN Permanent Representations, as well as with the UN, to contribute to the internal coherence.
• Ensure external coherence, especially Interpeace’s EU engagement, through close coordination with the Brussels-based Strategic Partnerships Manager and EU Representative
• Contribute to the capacity building of other Interpeace staff on strategic engagement with governments, with a focus on non-EU strategic partners.

Strategic Partnerships Development and Fundraising:

• Organise joint events with non-EU Ministries of Foreign Affairs, including in capitals, programme countries and policy hubs, in order to advance Interpeace’s strategic partnership goals.
• Advise senior management on the periodic update and implementation of the organisation’s fundraising strategy.
• Gather intelligence and seek opportunities for engagement with actors relevant for strategic partnerships development and fundraising.
• Initiate and coordinate the internal processes of developing engagement plans with strategic partners and other governments on programme and policy priorities.
• Identify and propose fundraising and strategic partnership development opportunities.
• Develop strategies for engagement of new potential Strategic Partners of funding sources.
• Lead in drafting new partnership development proposals, ensuring the compilation of necessary background documentation.
• Develop and build working relations with current and potential non-EU strategic government partners including Canada, the USA and Switzerland
• Build an understanding around the Swiss-based foundations landscape and engage with relevant actors as a new source of core or project-based funding.
• Work closely with the Head of Programme Development on strategies for foundation engagement and support her/him in developing relevant proposals.
• Provide input for country programmes to adapt proposals according to the priorities and language of targeted Strategic Partner

Advisory Council

• Advise the Senior Director on potential opportunities, effectiveness, and impact of the Advisory Council
• Ensure substantive preparations, internal coordination, and follow-up of the Council’s regular meetings.
• Identify potential new members for the Advisory Council and advise the Senior Director on an engagement strategy.
• Inform senior management and relevant colleagues about progress of and developments in the Advisory Council
• Maintain network of counterpart contacts in offices of Advisory Council members

Track 1 Engagement and Advocacy:

• Contribute to the design and ensure implementation of events, visits, and communications to promote Interpeace’s advocacy of its policy positions and programmatic learning.
• Organise, coordinate, and accompany visits of programme and policy colleagues to capitals, including Geneva.
• Inform colleagues on relevant policy developments of Strategic Partners and other governments to support programme development and advocacy efforts.
• Participate in events and networks to present Interpeace’s advocacy messages and policy positions!

Communications

• Liaise with the Head of Communications to identify opportunities for Interpeace’s media engagement with strategic partners in alignment with its Communications Strategy
• Advise the Senior Director on the compilation of the annual strategic partnerships impact report together with the Head of Communications and Director for Policy, and lead on the drafting of the sections reporting on the result frameworks of strategic partners.
• Work with the Head of Communications and the Communications team on external communications and messaging about events, policy roundtables and the Advisory Council

Qualifications:

Education

• University degree in political sciences, international relations, European studies, or related subjects.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 to 7 years of relevant experience in the fields of peacebuilding, development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, or related
• Experience in engaging in advocacy/policy work with governments, intergovernmental organisations, and regional bodies.
• Experience in managing donor and external relations that increase the organisation’s strategic positioning and funding base
• Experience in the development and implementation of policy and advocacy positions and strategies
• Experience in fundraising
• Experience and ability to work successfully as part of a diverse and multicultural team, integrating a gender perspective into tasks and activities and collaborating effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Competencies

• Knowledge of key practices and theories of peacebuilding and conflict prevention
• Knowledge about the institutional workings and political dynamics of the multilateral system and international and regional organizations
• Excellent written and oral English, good command of French. Other languages are an asset.
• Excellent understanding of the latest developments in the field of peacebuilding and international aid
• Ability to manage staff and inspire people to gather around a common vision and objectives.
• Ability to interact with people respectfully and with tact.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment successfully and to demonstrate gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

Interpeace Competencies

• Collaboration and Weaving
• Communication
• Drive for results
• Adaptability and Continuous Learning
• Respect for Diversity

Other assets

• Good understanding of the international political system, including of the works of the United Nations and other international and regional organisations
• Experience in non-profit or international organisations
• Experience in engaging with external stakeholders.

Interpeace values diversity among its staff and aims to achieve gender equality both through gender parity at all levels of the organization and promoting a gender dimension in all its work. We welcome applications from women and men, and those with disabilities.