Job Title: Partnership Manager
Location: Kabarole with travel to Hoima
Reports to: ASTYE Program Lead

Application Deadline: 8th March 2026

Program Background

The Agrifood System Transformation for Youth Employment (ASTYE) Uganda program

ASTYE is a 5-year transformative initiative designed to enable dignified and fulfilling work opportunities primarily for financially disadvantaged young women, refugees, and vulnerable groups by addressing structural barriers in Uganda’s Agrifood system. Aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040, the National Development Plan and Government of Uganda Agriculture Value Chain Development Strategy, the program will contribute to national efforts toward poverty alleviation, economic growth, as well food and nutrition security. Additionally, ASTYE is part of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy in Uganda, which aims to empower 4.3 million young Ugandans, particularly young women, by addressing structural barriers to employment and providing them with the skills and resources to succeed.

Specifically, GOAL will implement component one to reach 500,000 financially disadvantaged young people, with 456,000 transiting into work and 336,000 securing dignified and fulfilling work. As the program is young women-centric, 80% of the total outreach target will be young women within Uganda’s agrifood ecosystem. Furthermore, 5% of the total youth in work target will be refugees, and another 5% will be people with disabilities.

General Description of the Role

The Partnership Manager reporting directly to ASTYE Program Team Lead, will have overall responsibility for overseeing the coordination of all aspects of the partnership, financial and compliance deliverables of the partners (local CSO and private sector) in the programme across the project cycle in collaboration with the programme management unit (PMU) including the finance and programmes team. This includes leading due diligence assessments during co-design, assessing partners’ operational capacity and developing capacity building plans jointly with the partners, supporting the partners to achieve programme objectives and financial management and oversight over progress reports and partner payments. The role will also ensure partners understanding and use of accountability frameworks including maintaining compliance with donor regulations and requirements.

The key responsibilities of the role will be:

Partner Identification & Mapping

• Contribute to development of a clear framework on identification of local partners/private sectors etc. and maintain clear, accessible documentation of identified partners in line with the GOAL policies.
• Participate in the mapping of the strategic partners leading to long term partnerships.

Partner Financial Management

• Monitor the timely submission of accurate financial reports and regularly review and share partner financial forecasts with the PMU.
• Particularly for CSO partners, support the submission of timely, accurate and well written donor reports and other reporting requirements and closely monitor partner burnout rates to ensure actual expenditure is in line with approved budget.
• Prepare partner disbursement requests in line with partner funding agreements and milestone deliverables.
• Work with the finance team to resolve any financial issues that arise from partners/private sector.
• Maintain an updated Partner Management information System (PIMS) and hold internal monthly partner grant management meetings to monitor progress in coordination with the programme management unit.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to partner field offices / areas of operation.

Risk assessment and management

• Ensure effective and collaborative partnership assessments and routine vetting to prevent GOAL from being exposed to undue risk, while supporting the Portfolio Coordinators in defining, drafting, and co-designing partnerships with intervention partners.
• Conduct due diligence and financial assessments on potential partners.
• Complete financial assessments for local CSO and due diligence assessments for private sector partners
• Lead the drafting of sub-grants and partnership agreements, including modifications, to ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations; act as the focal point with HQ for review and approval, and facilitate signature by GOAL and partner/private sector entities.
• Ensure that the partnership agreements as well as GOAL’s policies and procedures are complied with by the partner organizations, including policies on Safeguarding and advocating for amendments and flexibility where necessary.
• Coordinate annual internal and external audits for partners.
• Carry out compliance checks to ensure partners are in conformity with the terms and conditions of the agreement.
• Maintain contract files and ensure all financial reports and relevant documentation is kept up to date and in an orderly manner in soft and hard copy.
• In coordination with the MEL team, ensure that the partners are monitored for progress against deliverables and their capacity building plan, as well as against donor compliance and internal GOAL procedures, and develop monitoring tools tailored for the partner’s needs.

Capacity Building

• Support partners organizational development by coordinating the capacity assessments, development of capacity strengthening plans and follow up, on-going monitoring for partner implementation progress, financial reporting, follow up and phase out plans.
• Oversee the development of integrated capacity building plans for all partners in collaboration with the programme management unit and ensure that these plans are implemented in a timely and effective manner
• Follow up with partners in respect to areas of improvement identified during assessments / internal audits and work closely with the partners in closing the issues.
• Arrange and oversee the quality of regular operational and compliance capacity-building and training provided to partners.
• Responsible for organizing briefing / training on operating procedures, tools and donor requirements in collaboration with the programme management unit (PMU) and Global Partnership Centre (GPC).
• Develop the capacity of other staff on partnership management.

Documentation

• Keep a record of all the monthly grants management meetings.
• File all financial reports and other related partner documents in an orderly manner.
• Ensure partners’ information (assessment, documentation, agreement, reports, payment requests), among others is duly saved on the Partnership Information Management System (PIMS) and kept up to date.

Job Level Specifications

Essential Requirements

• Professional Accounting qualifications (CPA, ACCA)
• Bachelors’ degree in Accounting & Finance, Business Administration,.
• 5 years experience in capacity building for partners, partnership relationship management, working with diverse range of partners including government, CSOs, CBOs and Private Sector Actors of which 2 years should be at management level

Desirable Requirements

• External and/or Internal Audit experience
• Evidence of successful management of partnership process from assessment through implementation to close out including financial oversight and ability to establish capacity building plans and to provide mentorship and support.
• Highly analytical and systematic thinker
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

General Terms and Conditions

At GOAL, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please just contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie

GOAL Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
GOAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees. We foster an inclusive culture where all voices are heard and valued. We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling GOAL’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal treatment. GOAL does not discriminate against any employee on the basis of sex, race, colour, ethnic background, tribe, birth, creed or religion or social or economic standing, political opinion, disability.

Code of Conduct and Accountability within GOAL

GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has values and behaviours framework which defines our code of conduct. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability.

• Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

GOAL 

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency and works with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and overcome humanitarian crises, and to assist those facing poverty and exclusion achieve greater resilience and well-being. GOAL envisions a world beyond humanitarian crises where poverty no longer exists, where vulnerable communities exposed to shocks and stresses are resilient, where barriers to well-being are removed and where everyone has equal rights and opportunities.

General Description of the Country Programme 

First operational in Uganda in 1979, the current GOAL Uganda country programme focuses on Health, (including WASH, Health Accountability and Nutrition); and a market-based systems approach to improving agricultural livelihoods and WASH. GOAL Uganda mainstreams gender, child protection, social behavior changes and resilience strategies across all programming. GOAL uses a mixture of direct implementation and partnerships with national and international civil society organizations, local government, the private sector and communities to give effect to our mission.

GOAL Uganda has a skilled team of over 110 personnel and has a head office in Kampala and field offices in 7 locations across Northern, Southwestern and Eastern regions of Uganda.  GOAL Uganda’s donors include the Mastercard Foundation, charity: water, Irish Aid, The Kingdom of Netherland Embassy in Uganda (EKN) and other private donors.

Interested applicants who meet the requirements should apply through the link with at least 3 reference contacts (current or former Line Manager) from the last three employers and daytime contact number by 8th March 2026.