Consultant (CST II) - Partnerships Officer, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), Nairobi

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

5 July 2026-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Nairobi)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

This is an international consultancy role and is therefore NOT open to Kenyan nationals

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, with a mission to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. WFP Kenya is one of the 15 largest operations in the organization, with a yearly budget of approximately USD 150 million and a complex portfolio of activities spanning relief operations for refugees/vulnerable Kenyan populations; resilience building through asset creation and food systems strengthening; capacity strengthening activities (school meals, emergency preparedness and response), and logistics services including management of a major regional port and the UNHAS service.

The Country Office is seeking an appropriately qualified consultant to provide strategic leadership in resource mobilisation, advocacy and partnership development.

WFP’s expansion of the strategic engagement with national governments, International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and non-traditional donors is part of a broader corporate initiative to diversify partnerships and sources of funding, particularly around the Changing Lives agenda. This strategically positions WFP within the development sphere and mobilizes new resources to achieve zero hunger and advance other related development priorities.

The incumbent will support the CO’s strategic partnership development efforts, playing a critical role in fostering partnerships with national government, international financial institutions, emerging donors, UN partners and climate actors, to strategically position WFP as a partner of choice.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Resource Mobilization

• Lead engagement with a broad range of partners, focusing on international financial institutions, development financing institutions, emerging and non-traditional government donors and regional organisations.
• Co-lead the development and implementation of a Resource Mobilization Strategy in line with WFP’s Country Strategic Plan in Kenya.
• In collaboration with Global Headquarters, lead engagement on climate and innovating financing, working closely with Global Headquarters to explore new partnership opportunities.
• Strengthen UN inter-agency engagement and joint partnership and resource mobilisation opportunities with Rome-based and UN agencies.
• Proactively scan the country development landscape and identify new partners for resourcing and partnership, including private foundations, regional bodies and thematic funding opportunities.

Strategic Partnership Development

• Coordinate and implement strategic segments of the partnerships work plan, focusing on IFIs and government donor engagement to identify, develop, and strengthen quality partnerships in support of WFP's strategic objectives.
• Lead the tracking and management of partnership pipelines, forecasting resource opportunities, and maintaining up‑to‑date donor intelligence to inform strategic decision‑making.
• Work with functional units and Regional Office staff to create coordinated outreach plans, ensuring alignment of partner engagement across the organization.
• Proactively identify and highlight strategic opportunities for partnership, proposing options to nurture trust and interest in WFP's work.
• Identify and pursue strategic opportunities for engagement with government and other external partners.
• Guide functional units in the CO on partnership strategies and give guidance on contribution management and quality proposal and report writing.
• Serve as a focal point between technical teams and leadership to ensure consistent messaging and readiness for strategic engagements.

Partnerships and Advocacy

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders as relevant, through regular and systematic communication channels.
• Support the management of WFP’s brand among key external partners as a UN agency and trusted development partner.
• Coordinate the development of key updates and briefings on emerging issues for discussion with key external partners, ensuring that WFP positions are well explained and taken into account in decision making.

DELIVERABLES:

• Proposals submitted to donors, IFIs and Government of Kenya.
• Advocacy materials developed to support outreach to new partners.
• A tailored package of resource mobilization products for pipeline projects is developed.
• Events and donor missions supported, and lessons learned/suggestions for future collaborations.
• Regular meetings with IFI and donor counterparts to mobilize resources and increase visibility of WFP operations.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications, Social Sciences or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• Seven years or more of postgraduate professional experience in a relevant field of work, with a background and interest in international humanitarian development.
• Prior experience working within, or in connection with, a UN system organization or in the humanitarian sector is desirable.
• Prior experience working in, or supporting projects based in, developing countries will be highly regarded.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Has gained significant experience in exploring new opportunities and developing proposals to design and develop solutions with prospective partners and expand existing engagements and partner relationships.
• Has a good understanding of government and corporate strategy and priorities and has gained experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnership.
• Has designed and managed resource mobilization processes, negotiated contract terms and provided resourcing advice to senior management.
• Has gained experience in gathering, documenting and analysing partner intelligence (both data and qualitative information such as partners’ focus areas and organizational operations) to develop a Unique Value Proposition and engagement strategy for partners.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is essential. Knowledge of another UN working language is an advantage.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.
• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.
• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.