Partnership and Performance Team Lead - BRIDGE+ Project

About the role

The Partnership and Performance Team Lead for the BRIDGE+ project (Building Rural Income through Inclusive Dairy Business Growth in Ethiopia) ensures that partnerships are strategically relevant, contractually sound and managed for results. Reporting to the Project Manager, the role leads the programme-wide partnership and performance function and line-manages the MEAL Coordinator, Data Insights and Analytics Advisor and Contract Advisor. It combines partner performance, programme results, contractual obligations, expenditure, risk and learning to support management decisions and adaptive implementation.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the BRIDGE+ partnership and performance management framework, including partner segmentation, review cycles, performance criteria, decision rights and escalation routes.
• Maintain an integrated overview of the partner portfolio, contractual commitments, expected results, expenditure, risks and strategic relevance, and translate programme priorities into annual objectives and plans.
• Advise management and component leads on partnership modalities, localisation, capacity strengthening, sustainability and exit strategies, and agree priority performance questions with management.
• Lead, coach and coordinate the MEAL Coordinator, Senior Data Analyst and Contract Advisor, and convene partner performance reviews covering progress, results, expenditure, compliance, risk and capacity.
• Oversee due diligence, contracting, amendments, deliverable monitoring and close-out, and support partners with improvement plans, capacity support or responsible transition.
• Integrate results, performance, contractual and financial information to identify gaps and risks, lead periodic performance reviews, and quality-assure performance inputs to donor reports and evaluations.
• Strengthen the capabilities of component leads, regional teams and partners, facilitate cross-component learning, represent BRIDGE+ on partnership and performance matters, and coordinate with SNV country and global functions.

Required profile

• 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 with at least twelve years.
• Progressive experience managing partnerships and programme performance in complex, donor-funded programmes, including team leadership and management advice.
• Demonstrated experience in partner portfolio management, contracting or grant management, performance monitoring, risk management and corrective action.
• Experience leading or overseeing MEAL, data or learning functions and using evidence for adaptive management.
• Fluency in English and Amharic; willingness to travel regularly to project regions.

Required skills

• People management, coaching, facilitation and influencing, without taking over technical ownership.
• Knowledge of partnership approaches, private-sector engagement, localisation, capacity strengthening and sustainability.
• Understanding of donor compliance, due diligence, safeguarding, accountability and data quality.
• Analytical, judgement, communication and report-writing skills.

Desirable: experience in agriculture, agribusiness, market systems or dairy-sector development in Ethiopia, and experience with consortium programmes, performance dashboards or integrated management-information systems. The contract is for one year, starting 1 January 2027, with possible extension, and applications are submitted via the SNV online application system by 5 November 2026.