SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Grants & Partnership Officer will manage the full spectrum of external partnership activity for the ZM-ECDP, from day-to-day relationship management with existing partners and donors, to the identification and cultivation of new funding and implementation partnerships. The Manager will serve as the primary liaison between the ZPDB and all external stakeholders, ensuring that partnerships are structured, tracked and reported on in a manner consistent with donor requirements and government priorities. The role requires a strong understanding of the ECD landscape, how international donors operate, and how to translate program developments into compelling communications for a diverse partner audience.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner Relationship Management- Serve as the primary point of contact for all external partners and donors supporting the ZM-ECDP; manage day-to-day communications, relationship maintenance and stakeholder engagement on behalf of the ZPDB.
• Government Liaison - Facilitate and strengthen the working relationship between external partners and the Presidential Delivery Bureau, ensuring partners understand government priorities, processes and decision-making structures, and that government counterparts are kept informed of partner activities and commitments.
• Donor Reporting & Compliance - Oversee the preparation and submission of donor reports, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and compliance with individual donor requirements; track all reporting deadlines and coordinate inputs from technical and program teams.
• Budget & Funds Management Support- Monitor the utilisation of donor funds in collaboration with the Finance team; flag underspend or overspend risks; support the management of donor expectations around financial performance and milestone delivery.
• Partnership Mapping & New Partner Development - Maintain a current mapping of all active partners and funders engaged with the ZM-ECDP; identify gaps in funding coverage or impalementation capacity; proactively research and engage potential new partners and donors aligned with the program’s strategic priorities.
• ECD Program Expertise - Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the ZMECDP’s design, theory of change, targets and implementation status in order to represent the program credibly to partners and funders, and to identify areas where new partnerships could add the greatest value.
• Stakeholder Communications - Draft and manage partner-facing communications including progress updates, briefing notes, presentations and meeting reports; ensure that external stakeholders receive timely, accurate and appropriately tailored information about program progress.
• Coordination & Meeting Facilitation - Organise and facilitate partner coordination meetings, donor briefings and steering committee sessions as required; prepare agendas, document decisions and follow up on agreed actions.
• Risk & Issue Escalation - Identify partnership-related risks or issues — including partner disengagement, funding gaps or misalignment — and escalate these promptly to ZPDB and Big Win Philanthropy leadership with proposed mitigation measures.
• Strategic Alignment- Ensure that all external partnerships remain aligned with the Government of Zanzibar’s ECD policy priorities and the program’s longterm sustainability goals.

QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, Public Policy, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field; a Master's degree is an advantage.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in partnership management, stakeholder engagement or donor relations, preferably within an international development, government or philanthropic context.
• Demonstrated experience managing relationships with international donors and reporting against donor requirements and fund utilisation expectations.
• Strong understanding of how bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations and development finance institutions operate, including their funding cycles, reporting norms and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs, policies and the broader development landscape in which they sit; experience working on ECD is an advantage.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain productive relationships with government counterparts, particularly in a coordination or liaison role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality reports, briefings and presentations tailored to diverse audiences.
• Strong organisational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple partnerships and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience identifying and cultivating new funding or implementation partnerships.
• Proficiency in English; knowledge of Swahili or Kiswahili is a significant advantage.
• Ability to work with discretion, manage sensitive partner information and maintain trust across a complex multi-stakeholder environment.

• Partner Relationship Management- Serve as the primary point of contact for all external partners and donors supporting the ZM-ECDP; manage day-to-day communications, relationship maintenance and stakeholder engagement on behalf of the ZPDB.
• Government Liaison - Facilitate and strengthen the working relationship between external partners and the Presidential Delivery Bureau, ensuring partners understand government priorities, processes and decision-making structures, and that government counterparts are kept informed of partner activities and commitments.
• Donor Reporting & Compliance - Oversee the preparation and submission of donor reports, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and compliance with individual donor requirements; track all reporting deadlines and coordinate inputs from technical and program teams.
• Budget & Funds Management Support- Monitor the utilisation of donor funds in collaboration with the Finance team; flag underspend or overspend risks; support the management of donor expectations around financial performance and milestone delivery.
• Partnership Mapping & New Partner Development - Maintain a current mapping of all active partners and funders engaged with the ZM-ECDP; identify gaps in funding coverage or impalementation capacity; proactively research and engage potential new partners and donors aligned with the program’s strategic priorities.
• ECD Program Expertise - Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the ZMECDP’s design, theory of change, targets and implementation status in order to represent the program credibly to partners and funders, and to identify areas where new partnerships could add the greatest value.
• Stakeholder Communications - Draft and manage partner-facing communications including progress updates, briefing notes, presentations and meeting reports; ensure that external stakeholders receive timely, accurate and appropriately tailored information about program progress.
• Coordination & Meeting Facilitation - Organise and facilitate partner coordination meetings, donor briefings and steering committee sessions as required; prepare agendas, document decisions and follow up on agreed actions.
• Risk & Issue Escalation - Identify partnership-related risks or issues — including partner disengagement, funding gaps or misalignment — and escalate these promptly to ZPDB and Big Win Philanthropy leadership with proposed mitigation measures.
• Strategic Alignment- Ensure that all external partnerships remain aligned with the Government of Zanzibar’s ECD policy priorities and the program’s longterm sustainability goals.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality reports, briefings and presentations tailored to diverse audiences.
• Strong organisational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple partnerships and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency in English; knowledge of Swahili or Kiswahili is a significant advantage.
• Ability to work with discretion, manage sensitive partner information and maintain trust across a complex multi-stakeholder environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, Public Policy, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field; a Master's degree is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience managing relationships with international donors and reporting against donor requirements and fund utilisation expectations.
• Strong understanding of how bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations and development finance institutions operate, including their funding cycles, reporting norms and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs, policies and the broader development landscape in which they sit; experience working on ECD is an advantage.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain productive relationships with government counterparts, particularly in a coordination or liaison role.
• Experience identifying and cultivating new funding or implementation partnerships.