Senior Technical Officer – Programme Partnership, Africa CDC
Position: Senior Technical Officer – Programme Partnership
Organisational Unit: GIZ African Union, 1740
Place of Assignment: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Initial Contract Period: December 2024 – December 2027
Application Deadline: 27 October 2024
About GIZ
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world.
Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance
inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a specialized technical institution of the African Union established to support public health initiatives of Africa Union Member States and strengthen the capacity of their public health institutions to detect, prevent, control, and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats. Africa CDC supports AU MS in providing coordinated and integrated solutions to the inadequacies in their public health infrastructure, human resource capacity, disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and preparedness and response to health emergencies and disasters.
The “Strengthening One Health Coordination in Africa: Support to Africa CDC” is a jointly cofinanced action of the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Agence française de Développement (AFD). The Action is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The part of the Action implemented by GIZ is part of the BMZ commissioned projects “Strengthening Crisis and Pandemic Response in Africa in the African Union” and “Global Programme for Pandemic Resilience, One Health (GP PROH)”.
The Action is part of and contributes to the Team Europe Initiative with Africa on Sustain-able Health Security using a One Health Approach (TEI HSOH) in the context of European Union and Team Europe and African Union engagements in health.
The Overall Objective of the Action is to strengthen health security in Africa through strengthening One Health surveillance and early warning surveillance of emerging threats from wildlife and livestock, and here specifically by strengthening Africa CDC’s institutional and operational capacities for the coordination of emerging zoonotic disease surveillance, prevention, preparedness and response.
In fulfilment of its mandate as the continental autonomous health agency of the African Union,
Africa CDC recognizes effective partnership and grant management as a key function of its newly established Partnerships and International Cooperation Division. To this end, GIZ seeks to support Africa CDC with the recruitment of an Advisor – Partnership Management to strengthen its institutional capacities for partnership management. Hence, GIZ invites applicants who are citizens of African Union Member States to apply for this position.
Core Tasks
In your role as the Senior Technical Officer – Programme Partnership, you will be responsible for supporting the Africa CDC Partnerships and International Cooperation Division in establishing and sustaining collaborations with stakeholders and donors, securing resources for Africa CDC’s programs and initiatives. This involves identifying and onboarding potential partners and overseeing relationships with existing partners. The division aligns resource mobilization efforts with Africa CDC’s strategic objectives, collaborates with Africa CDC Centers and divisions to pinpoint areas requiring additional resources, and refines fundraising strategies, accordingly, assisting the Grants Management Lead in pre-award, award and post-award grants management processes that cover both the grants and funding partners. The Senior Technical Officer – Programme Partnership will work closely with internal divisions, sub-grantees, funding partners
and other stakeholders to optimize grant funding impact and foster positive relationship with funding partners and sub-grantees.
Where appropriate and reasonable, you will perform further tasks assigned to you by your line manager outside the scope of the job description.
This position is assigned to GIZ salary band 4 (AU P3).
Main Activities
A. Resource Mobilization:
The Advisor will be responsible for effective resource mobilization, focusing on the following key areas:
- Understanding Partner Priorities: Evaluate partner priorities in comparison to Africa CDC priorities, facilitating negotiations to allocate resources where they are most needed.
- Coordinated Proposal Development: Collaborate with relevant divisions to gather essential information for proposal development, supporting divisions in creating high-quality concept notes, grant applications, and proposals involving relevant teams, including M&E.
- Timely Submission: Ensure the timely submission of proposals and required documentation to donors.
- Negotiation and Funding Acquisition: Negotiate increased funding from existing partners to support both new and existing programs, secure funding for new initiatives, and identify and negotiate additional funding for existing programs by addressing funding gaps.
- Research and Strategy: Research donor priorities and trends to inform effective fundraising strategies.
B. Partner Management:
The Senior Technical Officer will play a central role in managing relationships with partners: - Communication Hub: Act as the primary point of contact between the organization and donors/partners.
- Relationship Building: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with current and potential donors/partners.
- Information Updates: Regularly update donors/partners on the organization’s activities, achievements, and challenges.
- Agreements and Meetings: Work with relevant divisions and units to develop new MOUs
and Joint Action Plans (JAPs) for new partners, coordinate regular meetings to provide updates, and ensure effective communication. - Collaboration Opportunities: Identify opportunities for collaboration and expansion of
partnerships.
C. Grant Management: - Efficient management of grants is a critical responsibility:
- Financial Oversight: Collaborate closely with Implementing Partners, finance and program teams to track project expenditures and deliverables.
- Compliance Monitoring: Monitor grant compliance and reporting requirements, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
- Communication and Reporting: Facilitate regular communication with donors, provide updates, and address concerns.
- Implementation Monitoring: Regularly check in with the technical divisions to ensure timely project implementation.
- Utilization Rate: Ensure a 90% utilization rate of all grants against set targets over time, addressing challenges proactively.
- Negotiation and Compliance: Proactively negotiate No-Cost Extensions (NCEs) when necessary and ensure compliance with grant agreements or partnership terms and conditions.
D. Reporting: - Regular Reporting: Collaborate closely with relevant divisions and Implementing Partners (IPs) to prepare and submit regular reports to donors/partners.
- Timely Responses: Ensure timely responses to any requests for information or clarification from donors/partners.
E. Risk Management: - Proactive management of potential risks and challenges in donor/partner relationships:
- Risk Identification: Identify and address potential risks and challenges in donor/partner relationships.
- Mitigation Strategies: Collaborate with relevant teams to develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans.
Day to day supervision will be from the Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation in Africa CDC with formal line management from GIZ.
Qualifications
a. Functional skills - Good knowledge on the key functions, structures and dynamics of Partnership Management in intergovernmental settings;
- Proven knowledge and understanding of partnership and grant management in Africa;
- Established ability to manage deliverables, resources and adapt quickly to change and remain effective;
- Able to write in a clear and concise manner with excellent communication and presentation skills
- Excellent ability to synthesize thoughts quickly from views of multiple stakeholders and partners and give sound technical advice and guidance
- Established skills in the areas of strategic planning, organizational and project management;
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, negotiate, advocate, motivate, resolve conflict,
- Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse education and cultural backgrounds and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.
b. Personal Abilities - A team player
- Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
- Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Ability to operate in a multicultural environment.
- High level of autonomy at work, yet with profound team spirit.
- Adaptive, patient, resilient and flexible.
Education and work experience requirements - Master’s degree in development studies, International Relations, International Development or Finance and Business-Related qualifications
- Minimum of 4-7 years of experience in partnership management, business development, or related fields.
Experience - Demonstrated experience in successfully managing partnerships from initiation to implementation and evaluation stages.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong negotiation and persuasion skills to build and maintain relationships with partners.
- Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work effectively with diverse teams and partners from
different backgrounds. - Leadership qualities and the ability to influence and motivate others towards common goals.
Language
Proficiency in English is essential; knowledge of further African Union working languages (French,
Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish or Kiswahili) would be an added advantage.
Application Procedure
The application should include - a motivational letter / letter of application,
- a recent CV with emphasis on similar assignments, including at least three referee contacts.
Applications should be submitted via email to hr_au@giz.de with the subject line
“Senior Technical Officer – Programme Partnership – Your Name”.
Closing date for applications: 27 October 2024, midnight EAT. Only Shortlisted Candidates will be contacted.
GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from individuals regardless of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic. We embrace
diversity and believe that inclusivity in the workplace is essential to our success and we are committed to creating a work environment where all employees are valued and respected.