Partnership Officer (Government Engagement & Development Finance Advisor)

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. WFP is seeking a Partnership Officer (Government Engagement & Development Finance Advisor) to provide senior strategic advisory leadership to the Country Director and Country Office Senior Management on Government engagement, sovereign financing arrangements, and institutional partnerships. This role is critical for informing decision-making related to long-term fiscal commitments, programme governance, and WFP’s national positioning.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Advisory Leadership: Provide senior strategic advisory leadership to the Country Director and Country Office Senior Management on Government engagement, sovereign financing arrangements, and institutional partnerships.
• Government Interface: Serve as WFP’s interface with senior Government counterparts, including the Presidency, Cabinet, National Treasury, and line ministries, as well as with International Financial Institution (IFI) leadership.
• Policy Dialogue: Anchor structured policy dialogue and safeguard alignment between WFP-supported programmes and national development and fiscal priorities.
• Development Finance Stewardship: Lead coordination and lifecycle stewardship of innovative development financing mechanisms, including results-linked modalities, ensuring sustained coherence between transaction design, governance frameworks, and implementation.
• Risk Assessment: Assess and advise on political economy, fiscal sustainability, institutional risk, and partnership dynamics affecting sovereign financing commitments and government-anchored programmes.
• Institutional Integration: Ensure integration of WFP-supported programmes within national policy, planning, and budgetary frameworks, promoting structured programme co-creation and institutional embedding.
• Functional Oversight: Provide functional oversight and strategic guidance to WFP-supported advisors embedded within Government institutions.
• Cross-functional Coordination: Strengthen internal cross-functional coordination within the Country Office by aligning programme, partnerships, and technical teams around coherent Government engagement strategies.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Advanced University degree in Economics, Public Finance, Public Policy, Development Economics, International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Finance, or a related field; OR a First University degree in these fields combined with additional years of relevant professional experience and/or advanced training.
• Professional Experience: A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in government engagement, public finance, development cooperation, policy advisory, strategic partnerships, or development finance.
• Leadership Background: Demonstrated experience operating at Director-level (or equivalent senior leadership level) within Government ministries, departments, or agencies; or within the private sector (DFIs, financial institutions, advisory firms).
• High-level Engagement: Proven experience advising or interacting with senior decision-makers, including the presidency, cabinet level, Principal Secretaries, Treasury officials, or IFI management on strategic policy or investment matters.
• Financing Expertise: Demonstrated experience designing, negotiating, or stewarding complex financing or partnership arrangements, preferably within sovereign or multilateral contexts.
• PFM Knowledge: Strong understanding of public financial management (PFM) systems, national budgetary processes, and institutional governance frameworks.
• Contextual Navigation: Experience operating in politically and institutionally complex environments requiring independent judgment and risk assessment.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply online by visiting the World Food Programme application portal. You can find the specific application link at: https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1176452. Ensure all your documentation is complete before the deadline.