Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy Manager

A.  GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy Manager is responsible for cultivating and managing Embrace’s institutional relationships to strengthen the organization’s strategic visibility, influence and long- term sustainability. The role drives both partnership development and external advocacy to position Embrace as a leading organization in the mental health sector in Lebanon and the region.

Working at the intersection of stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, and institutional fundraising, the Manager leads high-level outreach and representation efforts while ensuring Embrace's mission, values, and impact are well communicated across sectors. The Manager collaborates closely with the Grants Manager, Communications Team, and Program Leads, and reports directly to the Managing Director.

B. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.  Strategic Representation and Advocacy 

• Represent Embrace in national and regional advocacy spaces, policy dialogues, and donor roundtables.
• Engage strategically with government ministries, UN agencies, and international platforms to influence mental health policies and priorities.
• Lead the development and implementation of Embrace’s advocacy strategy in alignment with programmatic and organizational goals.
• Identify key opportunities for policy positioning and coordinate the organization’s participation in external consultations and public campaigns.

2.  Partnership Development & Management

• Identify and cultivate high-impact institutional partnerships aligned with Embrace’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Conduct strategic outreach to institutional donors, philanthropic foundations, international NGOs, and corporate actors.
• Lead negotiations and draft strategic partnership agreements, MOUs, and frameworks for collaboration.
• Maintain a dynamic database of current and prospective partners, including key contacts, priorities, and engagement history.
• Build and sustain strong, trust-based relationships with key institutional partners.

• Lead on regular communication, partner briefings, and strategic follow-up meetings.
• Track progress against shared partnership objectives and ensure mutual value creation.
• Document key discussions and provide regular updates to leadership and program teams

3.  Strategic Planning and Internal Alignment

• Work closely with the Grants Manager to align partnership development with funding priorities and proposal pipelines.
• Provide intelligence and contextual inputs that enhance the quality and relevance of concept notes and proposals.
• Support reporting efforts by gathering partner feedback, lessons learned, and impact stories.
• Contribute to the development of Embrace’s stakeholder engagement and fundraising strategies.
• Support the Managing Director in executive-level engagement and strategic planning processes.
• Identify how partnerships and advocacy can support program innovation, scale, and policy influence.

C.  QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Business Management or Political Sciences or International relations or a related field (Master’s degree is a plus).
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in strategic partnerships, donor engagement and/or advocacy preferably in the non- profit, public or development sectors.
• Proven ability to build relationships with institutional donors, UN agencies, INGOs, and the private sector.
• Strong understanding of Lebanon’s mental health, humanitarian, and policy landscape.
• Experience in influencing policy, coalition-building, and engaging in multilateral platforms is highly desirable.

D.  BEHAVIORAL SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Strategic thinker with a vision for long-term organizational influence and sustainability
• Strong public speaking, writing, and presentation skills in both English and Arabic.
• Confident and diplomatic representative in external and policy settings.
• Strong organizational and follow-through skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Collaborative team player with leadership capacity.

E.  REPORTING LINE

The Partnership Coordinator reports to the Managing Director and works in close collaboration with the Grants Manager and other departmental leads as needed.

F.  TIME COMMITMENT

Full-time position (40 hours/week), with flexibility to attend events and meetings outside standard hours when required.