Partnership Manager at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, emergency food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Partnership Manager

Job ID: 19088
Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Contract
Duration: 12 months 

What we are looking for 

• The Partnership Manager provides technical leadership for NRC’s partnership approach in Nigeria, embedding principled localisation within country strategies, programmes, and internal systems.
• The role ensures quality across partnership processes, capacity development of NRC staff and local partners, and harmonisation of tools and workflows.

What you will do 

• Responsible for the development and implementation of partnership strategy in line with the global Policy on Partnerships with Local actors and the Local Actor Partnership Handbook, contextualized to the Nigeria response context.
• Provide strategic advice, technical support and capacity building support across Country Office and Area Offices on partnership issues.
• Ensure compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures.
• Promote relationships of mutual respect and mutual learning with partners.
• Responsible for the management of the full cycle of the Project Implementation Agreements (PIA) process ensuring full involvement of local partners from strategic planning, due diligence, project design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning and audit.
• Coordinate and oversee the co-development and co-implementation of capacity strengthening action plans addressing partners’ specific organizational development needs.
• Actively promote SIP (Safe and Inclusive Programming) standards and principles within NRC and amongst project participants supported by NRC.

What you will bring 
Professional Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related area. Master’s degree preferred but not mandatory
• Minimum 5 years of experience of partnership management, grants management and programmatic implementation in a humanitarian/recovery context 
• Good skills and experience in all aspects of programme cycle management - design and development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation 
• Experience of working in complex and volatile contexts 
• Experience in mainstreaming protection concepts within a humanitarian operation.   
• Ability to coordinate tasks and work processes and work with short deadlines 
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities 
• Experience with facilitating and leading internal organisational processes. 
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Context related skills, knowledge and experience:

• Previous experience of working with local partners 
• Diplomacy and facilitation skills are essential 
• Excellent coordination, communication (verbal and written) and networking skills
• Advanced computer skills, especially in Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.   

Behavioural competencies:

• Strategic thinking 
• Initiate action and change 
• Empowering and building trust 
• Influencing and consensus building 
• Coordinating and communicating effectively   
• Leadership and conflict resolution.

Salary & Benefits
Grade 9 on NRC’s Nigeria National salary scale.

Application Closing Date
2nd October, 2025, 08:50 PM.