Section Manager - Strategic Partnerships

Job Purpose

Contribute to identifying and developing strategic partnerships that enable and support the organization’s strategy. Establish and implement a comprehensive framework to govern, develop, evaluate, and manage partner relationships, including policies, processes, models, and guidelines.

Key Responsibilities

Functional Responsibilities

· Support the development of the department’s annual business plan, ensuring alignment with overall departmental objectives.

· Design and implement a structured methodology to identify, engage, and manage strategic partners in line with the entity’s strategy.

· Establish a full partnership management framework (policies, processes, templates, and guidelines).

· Monitor section performance in line with corporate quality and excellence standards.

· Develop and execute the section’s annual operational plan, including KPIs, targets, projects, and budget requirements.

· Develop, implement, and ensure adherence to section policies and procedures.

· Lead process improvement and quality assurance initiatives within the department.

· Support organizational units in developing, managing, and sustaining long-term partnerships aligned with strategy.

· Identify high-impact strategic partnerships that drive strategic objectives.

· Develop and enhance partnership agreements and MoU templates.

· Draft, review, and finalize agreements and MoUs in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

· Establish, maintain, and continuously update a centralized partnerships database.

· Ensure compliance with partner charter standards and monitor partner satisfaction.

· Develop and track improvement plans in coordination with internal stakeholders.

· Provide advisory support across the organization on partnership-related matters.

· Evaluate partnership impact and prepare performance reports with actionable recommendations.

· Contribute to risk identification and mitigation planning related to partnerships.

· Lead and guide the team on innovation and corporate excellence initiatives.

· Ensure compliance with information security policies and confidentiality standards.

· Adhere to occupational health, safety, and environmental policies.

· Perform any additional responsibilities as assigned.

Operational Responsibilities

· Provide regular and ad-hoc reports to management, highlighting performance insights and improvement areas.

· Monitor performance results, identify gaps, assess risks, and recommend corrective actions to ensure targets are achieved within defined timelines.

Financial Management

· Provide inputs for budgeting in line with governance processes.

· Monitor budget utilization and report variances with recommended corrective actions.

People Management

· Support workforce planning, talent acquisition, and development to ensure operational efficiency.

· Set section objectives and conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews.

· Monitor team performance and provide coaching when required.

· Identify capability gaps and development needs.

· Guide and support team members on operational and people-related matters.

Stakeholder Management

· Internal: All organizational units within the entity

· External: Semi-government, private sector, and relevant local/federal entities

Qualifications & Experience

Education

· Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Strategic Planning, International Relations, Strategic Partnerships, Market Analysis, or equivalent from an accredited university

Experience & Skills

· Minimum 7 years of relevant experience 

· Strong ability to develop policy recommendations and regulatory inputs

· Proven capability in leading high-impact programs and stakeholder engagement

· Experience in managing cross-functional teams and initiatives

Strong understanding of sector trends and strategy development