Partnership Programs Manager

Partnership Programs Manager

 

Purpose of the Job:

Reporting to the International Programs Director, the Partnership Programs Manager leads Coptic Orphans' end-to-end partnership and grantmaking cycle; from strategic partner identification and RfP design to proposal review, partner selection, award management, and results oversight. This role demands strong relationship management, technical program acumen, and the ability to evaluate and manage implementing partners with rigor and effectiveness.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Strategic Partnerships & Civil Society Engagement

• Map, identify, and cultivate relationships with credible civil society organizations, NGOs, community-based organizations, and development actors operating in Egypt, with particular knowledge of organizations active in education, health and nutrition, child protection, and girl empowerment.
• Identify innovative key areas in child development and build a pipeline of potential and active grantee partners aligned with Coptic Orphans' programmatic priorities.
• Represent Coptic Orphans at relevant development forums, coordination platforms, and civil society networks in Egypt.

Systems & Process Development

• Design and operationalize grantmaking systems, tools, and templates from the ground up, including eligibility criteria frameworks, scoring rubrics, partner capacity assessments, and grants management databases.
• Work cross-functionally with Finance to develop sub-grant financial management protocols and with Communications to package programmatic impact for donors.

Grant Cycle Management

• Design and issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to solicit applications from potential grantees articulating theory of change, clear objectives, evaluation rubrics, and reporting requirements.
• Apply strong M&E frameworks to assess the quality of results frameworks, indicators, data collection methodologies, and learning plans submitted by applicants.
• Conduct proposal due diligence, including field visits, to evaluate programmatic strength and financial management capability of potential partners.
• Set grant terms including scope, milestones, reporting schedule and format, and disbursement conditions.
• Ensure appropriate financial stewardship in coordination with Finance, including budget tracking, disbursement, and financial reporting discipline.

Partner Management and Oversight

• Serve as the primary organizational interface with implementing partners post-award, managing partnership agreements and ensuring compliance with programmatic and reporting obligations.
• Conduct systematic quality assurance on partner-submitted progress and final reports through detailed desk reviews, validation of key evidence, and site visits to verify credibility of results and alignment with approved activities.
• Identify risks, performance concerns or financial discrepancies early, drive timely corrective actions with partners, and escalate when needed.
• Lead grant closeout processes, including final verification, documentation, and lessons learned.
• Aggregate quantitative and qualitative data across the grant portfolio to generate actionable insights, performance dashboards, learning briefs, and consolidated annual impact reports. 

Program Learning and Knowledge Management

• Synthesize learning from across the grants and partnerships portfolio to inform future programming priorities and RfP design.
• Document promising practices, implementation lessons, and results stories for internal and external audiences.
• Contribute to organizational reporting, donor communications and field visits coordination, and board presentations related to the grantmaking and partnerships function.

Required Education, Experience, Knowledge and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in international development, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Nonprofit Management, or a related field. Masters' degree preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in development programming, with at least 3 years in a grantmaking, sub-award management, or partnerships role.
• Strong command of results-based management (RBM) principles and M&E frameworks; ability to critically review logic models, results chains, and indicator tables.
• Demonstrated experience running structured grantmaking processes (RFPs/proposal review, due diligence, contracting/agreements or equivalent documentation, reporting cycles, closeout).
• Strong experience in project budgeting and financial stewardship (budget review, variance awareness, reporting discipline).
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen eye for detail.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, spoken and written.

Travel and Working requirements

• Typical office environment such as walking, sitting, typing, using office equipment, and occasional lifting of boxes or luggage during travel.
• Travel throughout Egypt may reach as much as 30% of the time.
• Working outside official hours and on weekends may be required.