Partnerships & Ecosystem Development Analyst (p2)

Organizational Context

The School Meals Accelerator (SMA), hosted by WFP, supports governments in scaling national school meal programs. Operating as a network catalyst, it mobilizes resources and expertise from diverse partners to deliver strategic technical assistance. The SMA aims to unlock the full potential of these programs by improving design, scaling investment, and fostering collaboration across education, health, and food systems.

Job Purpose

The Partnerships & Ecosystem Development Analyst will be a key member of the Country Support Team, functioning as an integrative hub for technical expertise, partnerships, evidence, learning, and country engagement. This role is crucial for strengthening the partnership ecosystem and ensuring partner engagement aligns with country priorities. The Analyst will provide operational and coordination support to country teams, facilitating access to the SMA's service offerings. Responsibilities include supporting the establishment and maintenance of strategic and technical relationships with organizations, mapping country needs to partner expertise, and promoting coherence across global and country-level efforts. The role involves coordinating multisectoral engagement, preparing materials that reinforce country-led agendas, and contributing to adaptive partnership models. The Analyst will also assist in coordinating with the School Meals Coalition Secretariat to ensure aligned approaches and coherent support to countries, ultimately contributing to the SMA's ambition of reaching an additional 100 million children by 2030.

Responsibilities

The School Meals Accelerator (SMA) is a new initiative under the School Meals Coalition, hosted by the World Food Programme. Its primary goal is to support governments in scaling and strengthening national school meal programs, aiming to reach an additional 100 million children by 2030. The SMA operates as a network catalyst, mobilizing resources and expertise from various partners to provide strategic technical assistance. It focuses on improving program design, increasing investment, and fostering collaboration across education, health, and food systems, employing a systems-thinking approach that adapts to country priorities and encourages deep collaboration among global, regional, and local actors. The role within the Country Support Team involves strengthening the partnership ecosystem by aligning partner engagement with country needs and providing operational support to country teams. This includes identifying and engaging strategic partners, facilitating multisectoral collaboration, and ensuring timely technical support. The position requires a systemic leadership approach, embracing complexity, uncertainty, and collaboration across boundaries to drive lasting, country-led change. Key responsibilities include developing partnership strategies, supporting country-level planning and coordination, facilitating learning and knowledge exchange, and contributing to the overall adaptive management and strategic development of the Accelerator.

Work Experience

Requires at least 3 years of experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, including government processes, multisectoral coordination, or ecosystem building across public, private, or social sectors. Must demonstrate a commitment to country-owned approaches and international experience collaborating with diverse global partners (governments, IFIs, UN agencies, civil society, private sector, academia). Experience supporting country-facing work, including diagnostics, coordination, strategy, and cross-sector planning, emphasizing national ownership. Ability to coordinate diverse actors, navigate incentives, and support adaptive collaboration in non-linear change pathways.

Skills

Systems Thinking, Partnership Management, Multisectoral Coordination, Stakeholder Engagement, Adaptive Leadership, Problem-Solving, Cross-cultural Collaboration, Data Synthesis, Facilitation, Capacity Building

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