Partnerships Officer

Samuel Hall is seeking a highly motivated individual to join its team for a full-time position as a Partnerships Officer (PO). The PO will work under the Development Unit and report to the External Relations Manager. They will contribute to the new business activities, write proposals and help to secure new projects for the organization’s offices across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Who We Are

Our research connects the voices of communities to changemakers for more inclusive societies. Samuel Hall is a social enterprise that conducts research, evaluates programmes and designs policies in contexts of migration and displacement. Our approach is ethical, academically rigorous, and based on first-hand experience of complex and fragile settings. With offices in Afghanistan, Germany, Kenya, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates, we are based in the regions we study.

We have over ten years’ experience in 70+ countries and have become a trusted partner and leading voice in the field of migration and displacement research, working with governments, donors, multilateral organisations and NGOs, as well public and private sector entities. It’s an exciting time for Samuel Hall – we were recently selected by Stanford University as one of the Global South’s high-potential, fast-growth social enterprises. For more information, please visit www.samuelhall.org.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: We work in a fast-paced, demanding, and challenging environment – you will be expected to grow with us and carve out your own spot in the team. We look for proactive, creative individuals who find opportunities to make their mark and identify solutions to problems. We look for strong leaders and reliable team-players who can add value from the very start, expand our knowledge and help us to maximize our social impact.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Objective 1 – Secure New Business Through Proposal Writing and Editing

• Drafting, editing and/or reviewing proposals for submission in line with our style guide and methodological standards.
• Promoting Samuel Hall’s competitive advantage and strategic positioning as part of the Development Unit.
• Identifying opportunities for joint research bids with partners and consortia.
• Collecting and analyzing information on the bid, the context and the client for innovative and responsive proposals.
• Transforming conceptual design and technical content from the Research Unit into polished final proposals.
• Managing the proposal process and timelines for each submission, working with researchers to meet strict deadlines.
• Maintaining an updated roster of external consultants, CVs and partners for inclusion on bids.

Objective 2 – Relationship and Partnership Building

• Meeting regularly with the research team to map opportunities, and to develop proactive concept notes and pitches for new projects outside of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
• Preparing materials and briefing documents ahead of partner, donor and networking meetings.
• Developing corporate and technical fact sheets on different clients for institutional memory – bringing your own creative and strategic ideas to shape our growth strategy.
• Maintaining an updated database of partners, generated leads, procurement websites and login details.
• Drafting and contributing to positioning pieces to enable regular and effective engagement with partners.

Opportunities for Growth

Working at Samuel Hall means that you are contributing to ground-breaking, innovative, and rigorous work that bridges research, implementation and policy. Most of our training happens on the job, but as part of our investment in learning and development, everyone is encouraged to apply for up to five days of paid professional development leave and financial resources to enable them to acquire new skills and knowledge. We commit to helping you to:

• Grow within the organization, with gradual increases in responsibility and accountability, and exposure to our different roles within the Development Unit.
• Grow to become a sought-after focal point for development and humanitarian actors, with the opportunity for continued learning, and the chance to become a key voice in your area of expertise.
• Grow your personal and professional network as we expand our list of partners.

The Development Unit is a new and expanding team within Samuel Hall that rewards ambition. Whatever your personal career goals, there is a real opportunity to help shape the strategic direction of the organization and to contribute directly to our continued growth.

Vacancy Requirements

Required

• Excellent spoken and written skills in English (French, Arabic and/or additional languages a plus).
• Strong presentation and speaking skills, with the ability to build strong professional relationships.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Ability to be patient and to work well within a global team.
• Ability to cope well under pressure, work occasionally irregular hours and meet tight deadlines.
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience (e.g. developing and writing proposals, business plans/cases, concept papers, briefs, executive summaries, relationship and stakeholder management etc.)
• Demonstrated interest in humanitarian and development work, foreign affairs.
• Demonstrated interest in networking, relationship-building and marketing

Desirable

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field
• Prior knowledge of research in contexts of migration, displacement, and international development.
• Past experience specific to the Middle East and North Africa, Central/South Asia and/or the East and Horn of Africa.
• Proven experience in writing for professional purposes.
• Knowledge of key donors, institutional frameworks and stakeholders

For more information, please read here.