DIAL’s value proposition includes its ability to strengthen linkages throughout the digital development ecosystem. This role requires the ability to develop strong, productive partnerships with key for- and non-profit actors, as well as shaping strategic funding and co-investment opportunities with donor institutions and corporate partners. For example, DIAL currently is working with global and Africa-based non-government organizations, African government ministries, global software and mobile network companies and several academic institutions on technology implementations across multiple program teams. The Director would be a key thought partner with these programmatic teams, acting as a focal point to ensure consistent communications and the delivery of results. As the volume of DIAL’s partnerships has grown, so has its need for a strategic, senior steward of these implementation and fundraising partnerships.
To meet this growing need, DIAL is creating the role of Director of Partnerships to play a leadership role as the team plans and delivers results from key implementation and funding relationships. The Director will design and lead a collaborative planning process to map priority partnerships, conduct outreach with a significant subset, and create linkages across the organization. S/he will collaborate closely with the CEO on key fundraising and other DIAL-wide relationships, and will mentor and support colleagues as they develop, close and manage implementation partnerships they each lead. S/he will also be responsible for building and maintaining collaborative relationships with the UN Foundation partnership team, working closely with UNF colleagues when the relationship affects multiple Alliance partners. S/he will develop simple processes and tools to communicate opportunities to potential partners, operationalize new partnerships, develop funding opportunities, and close them as needed.
The Director will report directly to DIAL’s CEO. Key performance metrics for this role will reflect successful development and management of the team-wide plan and delivery of results associated with a sub-set of key implementation and funding partnerships.
- Create an initial and annual partnerships plan, covering both institutional fundraising, implementation and other strategic relationships, working closely with DIAL’s CEO
- Create and lead a collaborative, team-wide process to manage the initial and annual partnerships plan, based on program and organization-wide priorities
- Initiate and lead relationships with a subset potential and current partners
- Manage the fundraising pipeline including prioritization of opportunities, scoping and drafting content, and leading the proposal process
- Perform initial and updated partner landscape analyses to inform the annual partnership plan, building on DIAL program leadership’s programmatic priorities
- Directly manage and deliver results from a sub-set of DIAL’s organization-wide partners
- Coach and provide expertise to support colleagues responsible for managing and delivering results from partnerships in their purviews
- Oversee delivery of the partnership plan, working with DIAL’s Director of Investment
- Evaluation, develop and manage a practical means of regularly monitoring, reporting and enabling course corrections of the team-wide partnership plan
- Working with DIAL’s Senior Director of Business Operations and his team, develop, launch and manage a set of simple project management processes and tools for DIAL’s partnerships domain, e.g. CRM, partner charter and joint workplan development, fundraising pipeline analysis, etc.
- Working with DIAL’s Director of Communications, develop a suite of communication tools and events for various types of partners at different points in the partnership lifecycle
- Provide periodic reporting as required.
- Demonstrated excellence (more than 10 years) in defining, shaping and executing productive partnerships, ideally with both for- and non-profit organizations
- Demonstrated excellence (more than 5 years) in leading proposal management efforts from inception to award, ideally with U.S. and international funding institutions
- Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate effectively across a diverse set of partners and audiences across multiple geographies and sectors, e.g. industry, government and development
- Proven ability to create and lead partnership strategies and work with colleagues to adopt simple, structured project management processes to implement partnership plans
- Experience and comfort with negotiating with potential partners to develop and realize benefits of win-win agreement
- Outstanding oral and written communications skills that inspire diverse audiences to act, with ability to crystalize complex technical content into compelling stories
- Knowledge of most aspects of DIAL’s mission and the needs of its potential partners, either relating to technology, international development or a blend of the two
- Substantive professional experience in emerging markets
- Demonstrated experience delivering results through teams, partners, colleagues and consultants.
- Comfort with ambiguity and ability to respond to fast-moving opportunities
- High attention to detail and commitment to quality
- Entrepreneurial, with a talent for creative problem solving, perseverance, flexibility and resilience
Results-oriented with a bias for thoughtful action - Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure and under tight timelines
- Ability to work under pressure/ handle stress
- Ability to meet attendance policy
For full-time, benefit eligible employees, UNF offers an excellent range of benefits, including:
- A choice of two health plans through CareFirst (PPO or HDHP with HSA),
- dental insurance,
- vision discounts,
- flexible spending accounts,
- 403b retirement savings plan with a generous matching contribution,
- group term and supplemental life insurance,
- short-term disability,
- long-term disability,
- health club discounts,
- commuter benefits, and
- employee assistance program.
Additionally, all benefit eligible employees have 12 paid holidays, 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, 3 personal days, and 8 weeks of parental leave.