WFP Kuwait Office - Partnerships Officer (Head of Office) NOC

ABOUT THE ROLE
We are seeking to fill the position of Partnerships Officer (Head of Office) NOC, based in the company Kuwait Office in Kuwait City, Kuwait. This role drives the company’s effective positioning with public, private and external partners to attract policy support, resources, technical assistance and innovative solutions to advance the work of the company, while supporting member states in the achievement of the SDGs and Zero Hunger and emphasizing the company’s contributions in this regard.
This is a national position, open exclusively to Kuwaiti nationals, based in the company Kuwait Office (Country Office). The Head of the company Kuwait Office leads a newly formalized company presence established to strategically position the organization with the Government of Kuwait, regional and international financial institutions (IFIs), private-sector and philanthropic actors, and the broader Gulf donor community. The position reports to the Functional Director at Global Headquarters.
The job holder operates across an assigned area and works independently, using technical knowledge and experience, to analyse data and identify solutions for partnerships activities. He/she typically supports process improvements and partnership opportunities with a host of public, private sector and external entities. These can include governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental institutions and their member states, international financial institutions, individuals, corporations, foundations and NGOs. The incumbent is accountable for the overall strategic direction, credibility, growth and sustainability of the company’s presence and partnerships in Kuwait.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead company Office in Kuwait, implementing strategic priorities and a work plan for an assigned area to enable the company to identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships in support of company strategic objectives.
• Engage with other company functional units, Regional Offices and Country Offices on company thematic and country-specific offerings for Kuwait, developing content and language that speak to government, private sector and IFI audiences and align with ongoing policy dialogue in national and global fora; ensure alignment of partner engagement across the organization.
• Proactively support a wide range of aspects of a partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach plan, to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for the company’s work; ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.
• Facilitate corporate dialogue with partners through preparation of quality briefing materials.
• Proactively highlight strategic opportunities and issues to senior management and propose options for the best course of action to nurture trust and interest in the work of the company; support the preparation of joint events (e.g., UN pledging conferences) that can advance company interests and objectives.
• Gather and share partner intelligence (including forecasting), using key information systems (e.g., WINGS, Salesforce, WFPGo), and assess results.
• Lead the development of Kuwait partnership strategies, including Partnership Action Plans, and manage partnership/contribution management in line with corporate norms, processes and legal agreements, including quality proposal and report writing.
• Facilitate partnership growth by exploring opportunities to expand existing partnerships and scope of new partners, across government, private sector and IFI channels, guided by assessments, analysis and due diligence, with direct follow-up.
• Develop partnership proposals, strategic agreements, joint strategies and/or MOU, taking into account corporate norms, processes and external regulations; ensure quality control of content by engaging with relevant functional units, ROs and COs.
• Use socio-political insights to support the company’s effective positioning vis-à-vis national governments, regional and international institutions with the aim to influence the policy agenda.
• In the context of the UN system and multilateral fora, support the development of partnerships with member states, civil society and intergovernmental organizations to advocate for the SDGs and Zero Hunger on the global agenda, and advance company priorities and policies, based on a good understanding of member states’ dynamics and interests.
• Solicit inputs from other company entities that contribute to inter-governmental/inter-agency work, ensuring company positions are properly explained and taken into account in decision-making relevant to Kuwait.
• Manage staff, providing coaching, training and guidance to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.
• Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work to ensure equal participation of women and men.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance; monitor defined risks and make recommendations on how to manage these effectively.
• Other as required.

OTHER POST REQUIREMENTS

• The role combines representational leadership of the Office with direct ownership of its partnerships and resource mobilization agenda. The job holder operates with a high degree of independence, exercising judgment on sensitive political, diplomatic and institutional matters and driving partner engagement and negotiations.
• Represent the company with the Government of Kuwait, building and maintaining strategic relationships across three core tracks: (i) government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and other key national institutions; (ii) private sector companies, foundations and corporates; and (iii) international financial institutions (IFIs), including the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
• Lead the Kuwait partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach planning across government, private sector and IFI channels, to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for the company’s work; ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Served as a principal representative to government, IFI and private sector counterparts at senior/ministerial level.
• Successfully mobilized substantial financial and in-kind contributions from diverse partner types.
• Led the implementation of office-level or country-level strategic plans.
• Directed multidisciplinary teams and managed complex, multi-stakeholder partnership portfolios.
• Demonstrated sound political judgment and diplomatic skill in a Gulf or comparable regional context.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

• Prior experience leading the establishment or expansion of a country office, or equivalent institutional presence.
• Gained experience analyzing local political situations and assessing risk accurately.
• Participated in vendor/government/partner negotiation within area of focus.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing or supporting integrated programmes that combine humanitarian assistance with resilience and livelihoods interventions.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: First University degree in Political Science or a related field (e.g., International Relations, International Development, Development Economics, Law), with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience: A minimum of five (5) or more years of relevant professional experience within the humanitarian space in partnership and representational roles.
Language: Fluency (level C) in both English and Arabic.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The company offers a competitive compensation package, which will be determined based on the contract type and the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.
Kuwait City National Officer category salary scale: UN Salary scale.
Applicants must:

• Be Kuwaiti citizens; and
• Live within commuting distance (100 km or approximately 1.5 hours of travel time) of the company Kuwait Office, or be willing to relocate at their own expense to an area within commuting distance of the duty station. Address: UN House, Block 7A, Mishref, Kuwait. The company shall not be responsible for any costs associated with such relocation. Preference will be given to candidates residing within commuting distance of Kuwait City, Kuwait.