Director, Mobilizing Alliances

About IDRC

As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions to drive global change. We invest in high-quality research in developing countries, share knowledge with researchers and policymakers for greater uptake and use, and mobilize our global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.

Our head office is located in Ottawa, Canada, while five regional offices keep us close to the researchers and projects we fund. The regional offices are located in Montevideo, Uruguay; Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal; Amman, Jordan; and New Delhi, India.

IDRC is governed by a board of up to 14 governors, whose chairperson reports to Parliament through the Minister of International Development.

IDRC was established by an Act of Canada’s Parliament in 1970 with a mandate “to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions.”

Job Summary

As the Director of Mobilizing Alliances, you will be working from IDRC headquarters in Ottawa, Canada and reporting directly to the Vice-President of Programs and Partnerships (PPB). You will provide strategic leadership in the development, execution and evaluation of the Mobilizing Alliances Framework (MAF), working towards the achievement of IDRC’s vision and strategic objectives. This includes leading a team of nine who work on Operations, Partnership, and Private Sector Engagement in collaboration with Program Directors and other branches within IDRC to achieve the objectives outlined in Strategy 2030. The Director leads the identification of new alliance opportunities by partnering, designing and implementing resource expansion for the program. As a senior management team member, you will work closely with other Program and Regional Directors and colleagues across the Centre to promote collaboration.

Leadership and Supervision (20%)

• Serve as an integral Centre Management Committee (CMC) and PPB management team member, regularly coordinating with Regional and Program Directors and the Directors of Policy and Communications; Strategy, Evaluation and Learning; and External Funds (EF). This ensures the coherence and alignment of IDRC’s overall program, especially regarding externally funded initiatives.
• Supervise and mentor a team of Partnership Officers and Private Sector Engagement (PSE) staff, an Operations Lead and an Operations and Program Assistant, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Establish clear goals and performance metrics aligned with IDRC’s Strategy 2030, the MAF and Private Sector Engagement Strategy. In addition, oversee division staff’s recruitment, assignments, evaluation and professional development in consultation with the Vice-President and directors.

Strategy Implementation (30%)

• Lead in the development, execution, evaluation and reporting of the MAF, ensuring efficient resource allocation and budget management. Collaborate closely with Program Directors and other branches to integrate strategic alliances, partnerships and resource expansion activities across the Centre, leveraging resources to maximize the uptake and use of research.
• Collaborate with Program and Regional Directors to identify, develop and sustain new strategic partnerships and resource expansion opportunities with public, private, civil society and community actors. Design and implement the Centre’s resource expansion plans through co-financing or parallel financing, ensuring integration into IDRC’s program priorities. Enhance coordination, expertise, accountability and resource optimization in partnership activities, ensuring all efforts align with the MAF goals.
• Coordinate IDRC’s plans and commitments with other donors and alliances to ensure they are timely and relevant. Provide leadership in negotiations for external funding and quality control for new initiatives within the scope of the MAF. Manage partnership budgets, ensuring compliance with cost structures and adequate recovery of indirect costs.
• Identify potential challenges and develop mitigation strategies to ensure the successful execution of the MAF. Monitor and report progress and adapt strategies to meet changing circumstances and organizational goals, working closely with the Director, Strategy, Evaluation and Learning. Lead the annual reporting on the MAF within the strategy progress report.
• Represent IDRC in high-level meetings, conferences and forums, advocating for the organization’s mission and strategic priorities while building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders. Ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures in all activities.

Partnership Development and Resource Mobilization (50%)

• Develop, negotiate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, partners, private sector entities and community actors, to support MAF goals. Facilitate dialogue and collaboration to align interests and foster innovative, sustainable partnerships.
• In coordination with the Director of EF, provide a consolidated overview of donors by institution, theme, or country/region. Prepare a three-year rolling forecast on external funding, particularly aligning with the PPB’s allocation plans. Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to support the goals of the MAF.
• Integrate and ensure coordination of strategic alliances, partnerships and resource expansion activities across the Centre. Ensure cohesive and integrated alliance-building approaches, clarity on key stakeholder relationship management and collaboration with other branches to leverage resources and extend the uptake and use of research.
• Ensure transparency, accountability and compliance in managing and reporting on mobilized resources. Provide leadership in negotiations for external funding and quality control for new initiatives, representing IDRC in high-level meetings and forums.

You are an ambitious and highly skilled partnership broker, motivated by building new alliances for resource expansion. Enthusiastic about research for development and innovation, you are a bridge builder with a creative mindset. You have the skills required to bring a strategic vision to life and deliver results in a highly matrixed environment. You are highly adept at learning new information and applying it effectively, demonstrating strong intellectual acuity. You have the representation skills and experience to engage with multilateral and bilateral organizations, global philanthropies, the private sector and non-traditional actors. You have mastered the art and science of building and supporting transformational and catalytic collaboration. Highly networked, diplomatic and possessing political savvy, you bring understanding of the global funding landscape and evolving priorities. You are an inspiring and persuasive bilingual communicator (French and English) with a mentoring, collaborative and empowering style of leadership.

Education & Knowledge

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as international development, public policy, business administration, or a related discipline.
• Strategic Partnerships Management Qualifications (e.g. Partnership Brokers Association, The Partnering Initiative)

Skills and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of extensive experience working in the global development sector on partnership development, strategic alliance building and stewardship.

Partnership Brokering and Stewardship

• Extensive experience facilitating dialogue and building/fostering sustained and innovative partnerships and strategic alliances with public, private, civil society and community actors.
• Experience developing partnerships and alliances across multiple sectors with both traditional and non-traditional partners (e.g. Development Finance Institutions).
• Demonstrated experience coordinating strategic alliances and partnership across a large organization working across multiple sectors.
• Experience integrating resource expansion/funding within partnership brokering.

Resource Mobilization

• Demonstrated track record of successfully negotiating and securing funding from a wide range of donors (e.g. Overseas Development Assistance, foundations, multilateral institutions, private sector).
• Experience in co-financing and/or parallel financing.
• Knowledge of new financing mechanisms.

Leadership & Management

• Experience serving on management teams and working collaboratively in a highly matrixed organization.
• Extensive experience supervising and mentoring a highly skilled team, equipped with clear goals and performance metrics.
• Proven experience developing and executing strategies as well as evaluating and reporting results.

Representation

• Demonstrated diplomatic skills to navigate complex interactions and the humility to achieve common goals.
• Strong ability to advocate for IDRC’s mission and effectively engage with senior management of global entities.
• Proven experience in negotiating and securing partnerships or funding from international organizations.

Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork

• Demonstrated ability to foster a collaborative work environment and resolve conflicts within a team setting.
• Experience in mentoring team members and facilitating professional development opportunities.

Communication and Cultural Sensitivity

• Proficient in communicating complex concepts to diverse audiences, both orally and in writing, in French and English.
• Proven experience implementing communication strategies in cross-cultural settings.

Performance Under Pressure

• History of delivering high-quality work within tight deadlines, despite resource limitations.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and maintain productivity in high-stress situations.

Language

• French-English bilingualism essential

Work Permit/Visa

This position is open to non-Canadians. However, you will need to obtain and maintain a valid Canadian work permit or visa required to legally perform your work and provide proof of such to IDRC.

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