Senior Partnership Specialist

Overview

The Senior Partnership Specialist will support and strengthen GIF’s donor relations, strategic partnerships, governance, and institutional engagement agenda. The role requires strong judgment, political sensitivity, excellent drafting and briefing skills, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex multi-stakeholder environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support strategic engagement with GIF Funding Partners, including sovereign donors, prospective contributors, and other priority financing partners.
• Develop and implement tailored donor engagement strategies.
• Monitor and analyze political, budgetary, legislative, and policy developments across priority donor countries.
• Lead stakeholder mapping and engagement planning for priority sovereign and non-sovereign partners.
• Support resource mobilization efforts through the preparation of donor outreach materials, funding proposals, contribution negotiations, senior management briefing packages, talking points, and other strategic communications.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with ministries, development agencies, permanent missions, executive offices, MDBs, foundations, private-sector partners, and other key stakeholders.
• Plan and coordinate high-level engagement with ministers, deputy ministers, executive directors, and other senior officials.
• Lead the strategic planning, preparation, and execution of the GIF's governance processes, including meetings of the Governing Council, Funding Partners, Advisory Council, and other governance bodies.
• Advise the Head of GIF and senior management on governance policies, operating procedures, institutional requirements, stakeholder considerations, and governance-related risks.
• Lead the periodic review, interpretation, and implementation of the GIF's governance framework.
• Prepare and oversee high-quality governance documentation, including agendas, annotated agendas, decision papers, briefing notes, presentations, meeting records, and formal governance communications.
• Coordinate governance processes across the GIF Management Unit, World Bank Infrastructure, Legal, Development Finance (DFI), the Trustee, Funding Partners, Technical Partners, Advisory Council members, and other stakeholders.
• Lead the accreditation and onboarding of new GIF Technical Partners, Funding Partners, Beneficiary Partners, Advisory Council members, and other strategic stakeholders.
• Maintain and strengthen institutional governance systems, including records of governance decisions, partnership commitments, accreditation processes, and strategic follow-up actions.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the Head of GIF and senior management on donor relations, governance, institutional strategy, political economy developments, stakeholder engagement, and organizational priorities.
• Lead and support strategic initiatives related to the GIF's institutional positioning, governance evolution, partnership model, stakeholder consultations, and long-term organizational development.
• Provide strategic analysis and advice on emerging risks and opportunities affecting the GIF's donor base, governance framework, external partnerships, institutional positioning, and operating environment.
• Shape and advance the GIF's external positioning as the leading global MDB platform for infrastructure project preparation and private capital mobilization.
• Lead the development of strategic partnership opportunities with sovereign and non-sovereign contributors.
• Prepare high-quality, politically sensitive briefing materials, strategic advice, and key messages for senior management engagements.
• Lead strategic coordination across relevant World Bank Group units—including Infrastructure, Legal, Development Finance (DFI), other Financial Intermediary Funds (FIFs), and corporate functions—on governance, partnership, and institutional matters affecting the GIF.
• Represent the GIF Management Unit in high-level internal and external meetings and working groups, as delegated by senior management.
• Draft and edit high-quality written products, including donor briefings, governance papers, talking points, correspondence, concept notes, meeting summaries, Board/Governing Council materials, and strategic presentations.
• Translate complex governance, donor, and institutional issues into clear, actionable advice for leadership.
• Develop messaging that effectively communicates GIF’s role, results, comparative advantages, and strategic priorities to diverse audiences.
• Lead on delivery of external engagement materials for high-level meetings, donor consultations, replenishment discussions, partnership events, and global forums.
• Lead on development of revamped GIF website
• Lead delivery of continuous improvement of GIF’s partnership, governance, and donor engagement practices.

Required Experience

• At least 8 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience working on donor relations, strategic partnerships, governance, resource mobilization, or stakeholder engagement in a multilateral development, trust fund, FIF, MDB, infrastructure finance, or international development context.
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with senior representatives of governments, MDBs, foundations, private-sector partners, executive offices, and internal corporate units.
• Experience supporting governance bodies, boards, councils, committees, or multi-stakeholder decision-making processes.
• Strong political judgment and ability to navigate sensitive institutional, donor, and stakeholder dynamics with discretion and professionalism.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English, including ability to draft clear, concise, persuasive, and senior-level briefing materials.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and lead complex workstreams with minimal supervision.
• Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams, meet tight deadlines, and deliver high-quality products in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively across teams, cultures, institutions, and seniority levels.
• Knowledge of World Bank Group operations, Financial Intermediary Funds, trust fund governance, MDB partnerships, or infrastructure finance would be a strong advantage.

Qualifications

Master’s degree in international relations, public policy, international development, law, economics, finance, business administration, or a related field.

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