Partnerships and Program Development Specialist

Position details

• Vacancy number: 2601776
• Opportunity type: Non-staff opportunities
• Grade / contract type: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
• Organizational unit: FRUGA - FAO Representation in Uganda
• Duration: 11 months
• Application deadline: 31/Aug/2026, 10%5C:59%5C:00 PM

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

FAO Uganda’s programme of work is guided by its Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2026-2030. The CPF is aligned with FAO’s Corporate Strategic Objectives (Better Nutrition, Better Environment, Better Production and Better Life) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2026-30 in support of the Government of Uganda’s (GoU) fourth National Development Plan 2026-30 (NDPIV). FAO's overall programme of work is funded by assessed and voluntary contributions. Member countries' assessed contributions comprise the regular budget, set at the biennial FAO Conference. Voluntary contributions (which are made in addition to obligatory assessed contributions) account for almost 70% of FAO’s budget, globally. In view of the significant share in FAO’s overall resources, voluntary contributions are crucial to the implementation of FAO Uganda’s CPF 2026-2030. FAO Uganda’s Partnerships and Program Development Unit supports the FAO Representative in ensuring systematic, high-quality, structured and coordinated identification, engagement, and securing of resources to deliver the Country Programming Framework (CPF).

Reporting Lines

The Partnerships and Program Development Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Partnerships and Program Development Specialist and in close collaboration with Programme personnel and staff of other teams, including, but not limited to the Operations, MEAL and Communication Units.

Technical Focus

The main role of the Partnerships and Program Development Specialist is to support donor Intelligence and resource Partner mapping, pipeline management and reporting, donor engagement and meeting support, and programme design for the country office.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Partnerships and Program Development Specialist will assist in the implementation of FAO Uganda’s Resource Mobilization workflow, including:

Donor Intelligence and Resource Partner mapping

•    Develop synthetic and up-to date briefing notes on priority bilateral and multilateral resource partners, covering funding priorities, country programme strategies, investment trends and alignment to the FAO Uganda CPF 2026-2030.

RM Pipeline Management and Reporting

•    Update and maintain the RM Opportunities Pipeline, tracking FAO Uganda’s engagement across their full lifecycle. 
•    Prepare summary pipeline reports for monthly RM/Programme coordination meetings. 
Support Programme/RM coordination meetings with agenda, note-taking, documentation and follow-up

Donor Engagement and Meeting Coordination

•    Coordinate and assist in the preparation of donor-facing engagements - including agenda-setting, development of presentations and briefing materials, logistics and post-meeting debrief notes with agreed follow-up actions. Draft donor correspondence in coordination with the Programme Development Specialist and relevant technical staff.
•    Assist with action tracker and follow up for each engagement. 
•    Develop structured project briefs outlining strategic background, operational components, and progress status updates.

Programme Design and Resource Mobilization

•    As and when needed (for proposals or concept notes) assist along the Resource mobilization cycle - from eligibility assessment and funding window analysis through to concept note and proposal development - coordinating inputs from programme teams, M&E, gender and operations teams and ensuring alignment to CPF results frameworks. 
•    Contribution to at least one review/update of the RM Strategy and Action Plan.
Programme/RM coordination meetings supported with agenda, documentation and follow-up.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced University degree/University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in international development studies, international relations, economics, political and social sciences, agribusiness, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, rural development, or related field or any other discipline relevant to the work of the Organization. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience
•    At least 5 years of relevant experience in resource mobilization, partnership development, or project management in humanitarian and development contexts is required. 
o    Professional work experience, at the national and/or international level, experience working in the UN or other international development organization is required
•    Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Excellent oral and written skills; including drafting, formulation and reporting.
•    Accuracy and professionalism in developing resource partners or topical background research, document production and editing.
•    Accuracy and professionalism in tracking resource partner engagements along the pipeline and ensuring eligibility and criteria compliance.
•    Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners at different levels.
•    Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications.
•    Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.
 

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings. 

• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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