Executive Assistant, Partnership & Resource Mobilization Chief

Positive Action for Development (PAD) is an indigenous, non-governmental, non-profit, secular, and legally registered Ethiopian Civil Society Organization (Registration No. 2330). PAD is committed to promoting a just, compassionate, and inclusive society where all people can thrive. Guided by the values of optimism, integrity, kindness, excellence, and impactful action, PAD works to provide effective humanitarian and development support to communities in need.

PAD is looking for a highly qualified and experienced professional to join its leadership team as Executive Assistant, Partnership & Resource Mobilization Chief and contribute to strengthening strategic partnerships, resource mobilization, and organizational growth.

General Overview:

The Executive Assistant, Partnership & Resource Mobilization Chief provides strategic and executive-level support to the Executive Director while leading PAD’s efforts to develop strategic partnerships, mobilize financial and non-financial resources, and expand institutional and programmatic opportunities. The position builds and maintains productive relationships with donors, government institutions, UN agencies, local and international NGOs, private-sector entities, foundations, and other stakeholders to advance PAD’s mission, organizational sustainability, and strategic growth. The position also supports the effective coordination and follow-up of executive priorities, ensuring timely communication, sound organization, confidentiality, and efficient execution of assignments under the Office of the Executive Director.

Job Summary:

The Executive Assistance, Partnership & Resource Mobilization Chief provides high-level strategic, operational, and administrative support to the Executive Director while leading PAD’s efforts to develop strategic partnerships and mobilize sustainable financial and non-financial resources in support of the organization’s programs, institutional priorities, and long-term growth. The position plays a central role in translating PAD’s strategic priorities, programmatic strengths, and organizational capacities into compelling partnership and resource mobilization opportunities.

The position leads the identification, analysis, and pursuit of relevant funding and partnership opportunities; maintains a comprehensive pipeline of prospective opportunities; and coordinates the development of high-quality concept notes, proposals, expressions of interest, partnership applications, and other resource mobilization materials. Working closely with program, MERL, finance, operations, and senior management teams, the position ensures that funding propositions are evidence-based, competitive, strategically aligned, and responsive to donor and partner priorities.

The position also leads partnership development and relationship management, establishing and maintaining credible, professional, and mutually beneficial relationships with donors, government institutions, UN agencies, international and national NGOs, private-sector organizations, foundations, academic institutions, and other strategic stakeholders. It contributes to PAD’s institutional visibility, strategic positioning, networking, consortium development, and organizational capacity strengthening, while ensuring that partnership and resource mobilization efforts are consistent with PAD’s mission, strategic plan, organizational capabilities, compliance requirements, and commitment to quality, accountability, sustainability, and measurable impact.

In addition, the position serves as a trusted and discreet support resource to the Executive Director, facilitating the effective management and follow-up of executive priorities, schedules, correspondence, meetings, documentation, communications, and strategic engagements. The position ensures effective coordination and information flow between the Executive Director, internal teams, external stakeholders, and key partners, while maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, sound judgment, and timely execution of assigned responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The key roles and responsibilities for the Executive Assistance, Partnership & Resource Mobilization Chief include, but are not limited to:

Executive Office Management & Coordination

• Provide high-level administrative and operational support to the Executive Director in the effective management of the Office of the Executive Director.
• Manage and coordinate the Executive Director’s schedule, including appointments, meetings, engagements, travel arrangements, and other official commitments, ensuring effective prioritization of competing demands.
• Coordinate internal and external meetings involving the Executive Director, including preparation of agendas, briefing materials, minutes, action points, and timely follow-up on agreed decisions.
• Support the Executive Director in preparing for high-level engagements, including stakeholder meetings, conferences, workshops, official visits, and other strategic events.
• Coordinate and facilitate executive-level internal processes, ensuring that matters requiring the Executive Director’s attention are appropriately prioritized, communicated, and followed through.
• Maintain an organized and up-to-date filing and records management system for documents, correspondence, meeting records, and other confidential materials under the Office of the Executive Director.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with a high degree of discretion, ensuring appropriate protection and controlled access to executive-level information and documents.

Executive Communication, Follow-up & Strategic Support

• Prepare, review, and coordinate official correspondence, reports, briefing notes, presentations, speeches, and other documents required by the Executive Director.
• Facilitate effective communication and information flow between the Executive Director, senior management, staff, partners, donors, government institutions, and other stakeholders.
• Monitor and follow up on strategic directives and action points arising from meetings, decisions, and communications of the Executive Director, ensuring timely implementation and reporting of progress.
• Support the Executive Director in tracking organizational priorities and commitments, including deadlines, deliverables, strategic initiatives, and follow-up actions requiring management attention.
• Prepare regular updates on pending actions, meetings, commitments, and priority matters to enable the Executive Director to make informed decisions and maintain effective oversight.
• Represent and support the Office of the Executive Director in routine coordination and communication, as delegated, while maintaining professionalism and protecting the interests and reputation of PAD.
• Perform other executive, administrative, coordination, and strategic support duties as assigned by the Executive Director in support of the effective functioning of the Office.

Resource Mobilization Strategy and Planning

• Develop, implement, and periodically review PAD’s resource mobilization strategy in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan and program priorities.
• Develop, implement, and periodically review PAD’s resource mobilization strategy in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan and program priorities.
• Establish annual resource mobilization targets, priorities, pipelines, and action plans.
• Conduct regular analysis of the funding landscape, donor priorities, government policies, humanitarian and development trends, and emerging funding opportunities.
• Identify and prioritize prospective donors, foundations, institutional funders, UN agencies, development partners, private-sector organizations, and other resource partners.
• Maintain a dynamic funding pipeline and regularly update senior management on opportunities, prospects, deadlines, and risks.
• Develop strategies to diversify PAD’s funding base and reduce overdependence on a limited number of donors.

Donor and Partner Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong, professional, and mutually beneficial relationships with existing and prospective donors and partners.
• Serve as a key focal point for strategic communication with donors and resource partners.
• Organize and participate in donor meetings, partnership discussions, coordination forums, networking events, conferences, and other relevant platforms.
• Prepare donor engagement plans and maintain systematic records of donor and partner interactions.
• Monitor changes in donor strategies, priorities, funding mechanisms, and compliance requirements.
• Strengthen PAD’s positioning and visibility among relevant national and international stakeholders.
• Promote long-term partnerships rather than focusing solely on individual funding opportunities.

Proposal and Concept Note Development

• Lead or coordinate the development of high-quality concept notes, proposals, expressions of interest, applications, and other funding submissions.
• Work closely with programme and technical teams to develop evidence-based, innovative, feasible, and competitive programme concepts.
• Coordinate proposal development processes, including timelines, responsibilities, technical inputs, budgets, logical frameworks, theories of change, risk analyses, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure that proposals clearly articulate the problem, evidence, needs, proposed solutions, expected results, organizational comparative advantage, and sustainability.
• Ensure consistency between technical narratives, budgets, organizational capacity, and donor requirements.
• Coordinate internal proposal review and quality assurance processes before submission.
• Maintain a repository of organizational narratives, programme evidence, success stories, technical resources, and other materials required for proposal development.

Partnership and Consortium Development

• Identify opportunities for PAD to participate in strategic partnerships, consortia, networks, alliances, and joint initiatives.
• Identify potential national and international partners whose expertise, geographic presence, technical capacity, or resources complement PAD’s strengths.
• Lead or support partnership negotiations and development of partnership agreements, memoranda of understanding, consortium arrangements, and related documentation.
• Conduct appropriate partner due diligence in collaboration with relevant PAD departments.
• Promote equitable, complementary, and mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Ensure that partnership arrangements are aligned with PAD’s strategic interests, organizational capacity, values, and risk appetite.
• Strengthen PAD’s role and visibility within relevant coordination mechanisms and sector networks.

Donor Intelligence and Opportunity Management

• Establish and maintain a structured donor intelligence system covering donor priorities, funding windows, eligibility requirements, application procedures, geographic priorities, thematic interests, and partnership preferences.
• Track funding calls, tenders, requests for proposals, expressions of interest, and other relevant opportunities.
• Conduct opportunity assessments to determine strategic fit, competitiveness, resource requirements, risks, and potential return on investment.
• Provide timely recommendations to senior management on whether PAD should pursue specific opportunities.
• Monitor competitor and sector trends to identify emerging opportunities and strengthen PAD’s competitive positioning.

Organizational Positioning and Visibility

• Develop strategies to strengthen PAD’s profile, credibility, and visibility among donors and strategic partners.
• Ensure consistent communication of PAD’s mission, comparative advantages, technical expertise, achievements, evidence, and impact.
• Coordinate the development of organizational profiles, capability statements, donor briefs, presentations, success stories, and other institutional communication materials.
• Ensure that PAD’s external positioning reflects its strategic priorities, technical capacities, geographic experience, and organizational values.
• Work with communications and programme teams to showcase credible evidence of PAD’s impact and added value.

Coordination and Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with the Executive Director, programme teams, MERL, finance, operations, HR, and other departments to identify and develop resource mobilization opportunities.
• Facilitate regular internal resource mobilization and partnership coordination meetings.
• Ensure that program priorities and community needs inform resource mobilization strategies.
• Support program teams to understand donor priorities, proposal requirements, partnership expectations, and resource mobilization processes.
• Coordinate with Finance and Grants teams to ensure that proposed budgets, donor requirements, and financial assumptions are realistic and consistent.
• Promote a culture of organization-wide resource mobilization in which relevant staff contribute to identifying and developing opportunities.

Grant and Donor Compliance Support

• Ensure that funding proposals and partnership agreements accurately reflect PAD’s institutional capacity and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with Grants and Compliance teams to ensure appropriate understanding of donor rules and contractual obligations during proposal development.
• Support the review of donor agreements, funding conditions, partnership arrangements, and compliance requirements before commitments are made.
• Ensure that resource mobilization activities do not expose PAD to unreasonable financial, legal, operational, reputational, or programmatic risks.
• Maintain accurate records of funding applications, donor communications, partnership agreements, and resource mobilization outcomes.

1. Monitoring, Reporting and Learning

• Establish systems for monitoring PAD’s resource mobilization performance against approved targets.
• Track proposal submissions, success rates, funding secured, donor diversification, partnership development, and pipeline value.
• Prepare regular resource mobilization and partnership reports for senior management and the Board, as required.
• Analyse successful and unsuccessful funding applications and identify lessons for improving future submissions.
• Maintain a centralized and up-to-date database of donors, partners, opportunities, proposals, and funding outcomes.
• Document good practices, lessons learned, and emerging trends in resource mobilization and partnership development.

Capacity Strengthening and Team Leadership

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to staff involved in proposal development, partnership management, and resource mobilization.
• Build organizational capacity in proposal writing, donor intelligence, partnership development, donor engagement, and resource mobilization.
• Develop and facilitate internal learning sessions on donor requirements, proposal quality, partnership approaches, and funding trends.
• Promote high standards of professionalism, quality, innovation, accountability, and ethical conduct in resource mobilization activities.
• Where applicable, supervise resource mobilization and partnership staff and ensure effective performance management.

Strategic Development and Institutional Sustainability

• Contribute to PAD’s long-term institutional sustainability through diversified and predictable resource mobilization.
• Identify opportunities for unrestricted funding, institutional support, strategic grants, and other appropriate non-commercial resources.
• Explore innovative resource mobilization approaches, including private philanthropy, corporate partnerships, foundations, institutional donors, and strategic alliances.
• Provide senior management with strategic advice on PAD’s funding position, partnership opportunities, institutional risks, and growth prospects.
• Contribute to organizational strategy development, program portfolio growth, and institutional strengthening.
• Ensure that resource mobilization remains consistent with PAD’s non-profit mandate, values, safeguarding commitments, and organizational identity.

Perform other related duties as assigned by management