Chief of Partnerships and Business Development (CPBD)

Position description

The Chief of Partnerships and Business Development (CPBD) will shape and lead AGRA’s institution-wide partnership and fundraising agenda, positioning the organisation to attract, align, and sustain diverse forms of capital and collaboration in support of its strategy.

This role combines relationship stewardship, strategic positioning, resource mobilization, and investment partnership development. The CPBD will manage and grow AGRA’s ecosystem of funders and strategic partners, while also designing innovative, fit-for-purpose investment and partnership platforms to advance food systems transformation.

This leadership opportunity is for an individual with deep integrity, cross-cultural intelligence, and a passion for designing systems that shape the future. A senior, strategic leader with deep credibility across development, investment, and philanthropy networks. Someone who blends influence with humility, is inspired by African-led transformation, and brings an instinct for building alignment across complexity. The CPBD will report directly to AGRA’s President and serve on the Executive Committee.

The CPBD will:

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the President on global positioning, strategic partnerships, and resource strategies.
• Guide AGRA’s institutional engagement with bilateral and multilateral donors, philanthropic foundations, private sector actors, DFIs, sovereign wealth funds, and high-net-worth individuals.
• Oversee and strengthen the Development Cooperation, Private Sector Engagement, and Institutional Partnerships teams.
• Incubate and scale strategic initiatives that crowd in resources and visibility behind key thematic and regional priorities (e.g., youth employment, climate-smart agriculture, nutrition, regenerative systems).
• Serve as a key convenor and steward of AGRA’s flagship partnership platform—PIATA—and shape its future evolution.
• Elevate AGRA’s voice and profile on global platforms (e.g., COP, WEF, SDG summits) and lead high-level external representation in collaboration with the President.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of innovative funding mechanisms, including blended finance structures, challenge funds, and catalytic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities of the role include:

• Partnership Strategy and Stewardship
• Lead the development and execution of a multi-year institutional partnership and resource mobilization strategy.
• Cultivate trusted relationships with key external partners, serving as AGRA’s senior-most relationship manager.
• Develop a differentiated and coherent value proposition for partners, aligned to AGRA’s evolving strategy and Africa’s priorities.
• Resource Mobilization and Investment Partnerships
• Expand AGRA’s funding base beyond traditional aid, including philanthropic capital, climate finance, private sector partnerships, diaspora funding, and demographic ownership.
• Build systems and capabilities for pipeline development, proposal generation, donor reporting, and compliance.
• Work with internal teams and external partners to design and structure catalytic finance vehicles (e.g., funds, alliances, joint ventures).
• Team Leadership and Organizational Influence
• Build and lead a high-performing, collaborative team covering Development Cooperation, Institutional Partnerships, and Private Sector Engagement.
• Embed a culture of partnership and co-creation across the organisation; support country directors and technical leaders to own and cultivate relationships.
• Ensure effective coordination between central and decentralised partnership functions.
• Strategic Initiatives and Positioning
• Shape and steward high-value strategic initiatives that position AGRA for future relevance and impact.
• Lead or co-lead AGRA’s representation on key platforms and alliances.
• Design initiatives that unlock collaboration and visibility across governments, investors, and implementers.
• PIATA Leadership and Evolution
• Serve as institutional lead for PIATA (Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa).
• Reimagine PIATA’s structure and role as a platform for greater alignment and co-investment across funders.

The Ideal Leader

This is a pivotal executive role in a moment of transformation for both AGRA and the wider development ecosystem. The ideal leader will not only bring credibility and networks but will also be energized by the opportunity to shape a new paradigm for how African-led institutions partner, fundraise, and collaborate. This is a chance to lead with purpose and with influence.

This role requires a globally fluent, Africa-anchored leader with deep credibility and networks across at least two of the following spaces:

• International development
• Strategic philanthropy
• Climate and sustainable finance
• Agricultural systems and food security
• Private capital and investment platforms

The idea leader will be:

• Influential and collaborative: able to build trust and alignment across a range of institutions and individuals.
• Strategic and entrepreneurial: comfortable designing novel partnership structures and pursuing innovative opportunities.
• Adaptive and grounded: able to navigate both high-level strategic spaces and operational realities.
• Values-led: committed to AGRA’s mission and excited by its evolving direction.

This is both an outward-facing and institution-shaping role. It will require exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, the ability to navigate internal and external complexity, and the capacity to lead a lean, high-impact team while collaborating across the matrix.

Key Requirements of the role include:

• Experience in partnerships, resource mobilization, or related leadership roles.
• Experience leading multi-country and multi-partner strategies, preferably in Africa.
• Track record of fundraising success with institutional donors and/or mobilizing private and philanthropic capital.
• Understanding of agricultural development, climate finance, or adjacent sectors.
• Experience engaging with high-level stakeholders, including heads of state, multilateral agencies, and global investors.
• Proven ability to lead and grow diverse, high-performing teams.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., international development, economics, business, agriculture).

Application instructions