Partnerships Manager - Youth Affairs Division

Reference: 131200503
Location: London, UK
Closing Date: 24 Jan 2014

Job Summary

The Partnerships Manager will contribute to the development of the YAD strategic direction, especially as it pertains to the Commonwealth’s collaboration with strategic partners at the national, regional and international level. He/she will have responsibility for YAD strategic partnerships – identifying opportunities to collaborate for enhanced outcomes and cutting edge work, to promote and extend YAD’s work into new spheres and on the global stage, for advocacy regarding youth development and empowerment, and to secure additional resources.

The Partnerships Manager will work closely with the Head of Research & Policy, the Programme team and the four Regional Focal Points to identify and craft partnership opportunities to support existing or proposed work. He/she will also liaise and collaborate with key staff from other Commonwealth Secretariat divisions including the Strategic Partnerships cell and the Communications & Public Affairs Division.

Strategic Partnerships work includes:

Building and nurturing relationships to enable strategic partnerships for research, programming, advocacy and funding. Strategic partners will include Member Governments and regional bodies, international development agencies, major youth-led organisations, educational institutions and the private sector.
Ensuring that YAD is engaged credibly with key players in the international and regional youth development field, and playing a leadership role in global youth development.
Identifying and realising opportunities at key regional and international events to showcase YAD’s work and further the case for asset-based youth empowerment.
Supporting the Programmes, Research & Policy, and Sport for Development and Peace Programmes teams to “package” and present work for effective engagement with key partners and in global forums.
Preparing and presenting reports to strategic partners on outcomes of programmes and advocacy, especially donor partners.

The Partnerships Manager is also required to manage the administrative aspects of the Strategic Partnerships work, including budgets and finance.

Qualifications and Experience Required

A degree in a relevant discipline, such as social sciences, youth development, international development, strategic planning, or marketing. Relevant post graduate qualifications highly desirable.
5+ years’ experience of working in a government or non-government organisation in a programme, advocacy and/or partnerships management capacity.
5+ years’ experience of stakeholder engagement; experience with cross-sectoral partnerships highly desirable.
Significant proposal writing and presentation experience.
Experience of working in/with international organisations and in developing countries highly desirable.
High personal standards of excellence
Strong knowledge of and interest in international affairs, and international and/or youth development theory and practice
Strong:
Numerically literate
Technologically savvy
Ability to work autonomously and in teams
Can-do attitude

About the Youth Affairs Division

Young people constitute more than 60 per cent of the population of the Commonwealth. The wellbeing and development of this 1.2 billion youth cohort are essential to the success of the Commonwealth and its 53 member states. The Youth Affairs Division (YAD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1973 and known internationally as the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), works with Commonwealth member governments, youth leaders and youth professionals on the development and implementation of policy and programmes for the empowerment of young people aged 15–29.

The Youth Affairs Division operates from a pan-Commonwealth international office at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London, aiming to support member governments, youth leaders and youth professionals to create the optimum enabling environment for young people to participate as equal partners in development and democracy. As well as stand-alone initiatives, YAD partners with other Commonwealth Secretariat divisions to integrate a youth perspective across all key facets of the Commonwealth (economic, political, human rights etc). YAD also facilitates and supports representative youth leaders to build networks and have a voice in the Commonwealth.