Senior Partnerships Specialist

About the Role

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is seeking a Senior Partnerships Specialist to join its team in Jeddah, Makkah. This contract position involves providing senior-level technical and professional support for the preparation and implementation of the Bank's partnership strategy, operational plans, and work programs. The specialist will identify partnership opportunities with key global, regional, and national organizations to enhance economic cooperation and partnerships among IsDB Member Countries.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and support the implementation of the Partnership Strategic Framework to achieve the Bank’s strategies and objectives.
• Cultivate and maintain partnerships with development partners to boost co-financing, synergy, and impact for the economic growth of Member Countries.
• Work with traditional and new donors in mobilizing funds and concessional resources as per the Bank's Annual Plan.
• Identify and support the development of new partnerships, including non-financing related partnerships such as CSOs, Academia, UN, and EU, to meet Member Countries' and communities' development needs.
• Assist in the preparation and negotiation of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between international, intergovernmental, regional, and national organizations, NGOs, and developmental companies.
• Analyze and recommend opportunities to expand existing partnerships to deliver new channels for developmental activities.
• Participate in initiating new focused strategic partnership arrangements to foster IsDB's role as a developer-focused institution.

Operational Planning and Reporting

• Support the development of operational and action plans for the new Partnership Strategic Framework.
• Support the development of Partner Intelligence Reports and an inventory of best practices in partnerships.
• Collaborate with relevant departments to support operations in Member and Non-Member Countries.
• Monitor and evaluate MOU implementation to identify new potential areas for partnership, including green, sustainable, social, impact, and results-based financing.
• Support the development of a system/platform to monitor the progress of the Bank's partnership efforts and incorporate global best practices.
• Contribute to the development of key results targets and performance indicators related to partnerships.
• Prepare and contribute to progress reports on partnership and resource mobilization matters.

Networking and Knowledge Sharing

• Support and coordinate strategic dialogues with MDBs and strategic donors for partnerships.
• Collaborate with other MDBs/IFIs and development partners to exchange knowledge and best practices.
• Contribute to the development of Knowledge Management and Institutional Learning materials in partnership areas.
• Represent the Bank in international events on development issues related to partnership, global advocacy, and resource mobilization.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with public and private entities to leverage technical and financial resources.
• Support the expansion of co-financing where IsDB is the lead financier and other syndication initiatives.
• Promote and market partnership opportunities with existing and prospective development partners for country, regional, and thematic operations and programs.

Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Support and promote strategic partnerships and alliances, and introduce innovative practices for effective resource mobilization.
• Support the development of a comprehensive strategy for strengthening partnerships and resource mobilization to achieve corporate objectives.
• Work closely with Global Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Teams for coordinating the Bank’s engagement with various global partners.
• Identify new partnership opportunities and introduce measures to enable the Bank to diversify and meet concessional financing needs of LDMCs and countries facing fragile situations.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates should possess 5-10 years of relevant experience in partnerships and resource mobilization within a development finance institution or similar organization. The role requires a strong understanding of economic cooperation, development agendas, and strategic engagement with international organizations.