Partnership and Performance Team lead - BRIDGE+ Project

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. Driven by a vision of a better world where all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably, SNV strengthens capacities and catalyses partnerships that transform agri-food, energy, and water systems. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequalities and barriers to social inclusion and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises.

With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, we support our partners in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia, tailoring our approaches to different contexts to achieve large-scale impact and create more equitable lives for all.

Our core values of people-centeredness and respect, equity and equality, and diversity and inclusion, are fundamental to who we are, and what we do. This is reflected in our vision and mission, and strategy, which sets out our aspirations and commitments as our compass towards 2030.

For more information on SNV's, please visit our website: www.snv.org.

Context and purpose of the job

BRIDGE+ (Building Rural Income through Inclusive Dairy Business Growth in Ethiopia) is implemented by a consortium of SNV, Wageningen University & Research and Agriterra. Through multiple technical components, regional structures and partnerships, the programme contributes to an inclusive and sustainable transformation of Ethiopia’s dairy sector.

The Partnership and Performance Team Lead ensures that BRIDGE+ partnerships are strategically relevant, contractually sound and managed for results. Reporting to the Project Manager, the Partnership and Performance Team leads the programme-wide partnership and performance function and line manages the MEAL Coordinator, Data Insights and Analytics Advisor, and Contract Advisor. The role brings together partner performance, programme results, contractual obligations, expenditure, risk and learning to support timely management decisions and adaptive implementation.

Component leads remain accountable for technical strategies, workplans, results and day-to-day technical relationships with partners. The Team Lead establishes common standards and review processes, provides portfolio-level oversight and constructive challenge, supports capacity strengthening and localization, and escalates material performance, compliance and delivery risks to the Project Manager.

Job Description

Planning and portfolio governance

• Develop, maintain and periodically update the BRIDGE+ partnership and performance management framework, including partner segmentation, review cycles, performance criteria, decision rights and escalation routes.

• Maintain an integrated programme-wide overview of the partner portfolio, contractual commitments, expected results, expenditure, risks and strategic relevance, in collaboration with component leads and operations colleagues.

• Translate programme priorities into annual objectives, plans and coordinated workflows for the MEAL Coordinator, Data Insights and Analytics Lead, and Contract Advisor.

• Advise management and component leads on appropriate partnership modalities, localisation pathways, capacity strengthening, sustainability and responsible transition or exit strategies.

• Agree priority performance questions with management and ensure that dashboards, reviews, analyses and learning activities address those decision-making needs. Implementation and team leadership

• Lead, coach and coordinate the MEAL Coordinator, Senior Data Analyst and Contract Advisor, setting clear objectives, balancing workloads and ensuring timely, high-quality delivery.

• Convene structured partner performance reviews that assess technical progress, results, expenditure, contractual compliance, risk, partner capacity and strategic relevance.

• Oversee due diligence, contracting, amendments, deliverable monitoring and close-out, ensuring that processes are timely, proportionate and aligned with SNV and donor requirements while working closely with operations and specialist functions.

• Support component leads and regional teams to address partner underperformance through agreed improvement plans, targeted capacity support, escalation, reallocation or responsible transition, as appropriate.

• Establish practical tools and routines for partner engagement, performance dialogue, localisation tracking, risk follow-up and management action.

• Foster constructive and accountable working relationships with consortium members, implementing partners and strategic stakeholders. Performance oversight, reporting and adaptive management

• Provide strategic oversight of the BRIDGE+ MEAL and data functions, while the MEAL Coordinator remains responsible for day-to-day coordination of results measurement, data quality, reporting and learning processes.

• Integrate programme results, partner performance, contractual and financial information to identify delivery gaps, emerging risks and opportunities for corrective action or resource reallocation.

• Lead periodic programme performance reviews and management reflection processes, ensuring that decisions, adaptations, owners and deadlines are documented and tracked.

• Quality assure performance inputs to donor reports, management updates, dashboards, evaluations, studies and learning products without duplicating the technical responsibilities of the relevant leads.

• Advise the Project Manager and management team on the strength, limitations and implications of available evidence and on priorities for additional analysis, verification or learning.

• Ensure that relevant cross-cutting priorities, including GESI, safeguarding and climate, are incorporated into performance monitoring and review processes. Capability strengthening, learning and representation

• Strengthen the capability of component leads, regional teams and partners in partnership management, performance dialogue, evidence use, localisation and adaptive management.

• Facilitate cross-component learning on partner performance and implementation quality, identifying recurring issues and solutions that require programme-wide action.

• Maintain effective working relationships with consortium partners, public institutions, private-sector actors and knowledge organisations relevant to programme delivery and sustainability.

• Represent BRIDGE+ on partnership, performance and learning matters when delegated by the Project Manager.

• Coordinate with relevant SNV country and global functions to apply organisational standards, draw on specialist expertise and share lessons from BRIDGE+ Project.

Qualifications

• Essential qualifications and experience

• Master’s degree in international development, agriculture, agribusiness, economics, business administration, public policy, monitoring and evaluation or a related field, with ten years of relevant experience; or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least twelve years of relevant experience.

• Progressive experience in managing partnerships and program performance in complex, donor-funded development programs, including substantial responsibility for team leadership and management advice.

• Demonstrated experience with partner portfolio management, contracting or grant management, performance monitoring, risk management and corrective action.

• Experience in MEAL leading or overseeing MEAL, data or learning functions and using evidence to support adaptive program management.

• Essential competencies

• Strong ability to integrate technical results, financial progress, contractual obligations and partner capacity into balanced performance assessments and practical recommendations.

• Proven people-management, coaching, facilitation and influencing skills, including the ability to work across functions without taking over technical ownership.

• Strong knowledge of partnership approaches, private-sector engagement, localisation, institutional capacity strengthening and sustainability in development programs.

• Sound understanding of donor compliance, due diligence, safeguarding, accountability, data quality and responsible information use.

• Excellent analytical, judgement, communication and report-writing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and advise senior management.

• Ability to build trusted relationships with government, private-sector, civil-society, research and consortium partners in a multicultural environment.

• Desirable experience

• Experience in agriculture, agribusiness, market systems or dairy-sector development in Ethiopia.

• Experience with consortium programs and performance dashboards or integrated management-information systems.

• Languages and mobility

• Fluency in English and Amharic; additional Ethiopian languages are an advantage.

• Willingness to travel regularly to BRIDGE+ Project regions.

• Additional Information

• Contract Type: National

• Expected start date: January 1, 2027

• Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• Contract Duration: The contract is for one year, with the possibility of extension based on performance and budget availability.