Portfolio Performance & Partnerships Manager

PALLADIUM PROJECT VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Title: Portfolio Performance & Partnerships Manager

Project Name: Growth Poles Project 2.0

Duty Station: Lilongwe, Malawi

Department: Programs & Partnerships

Reporting to: Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships

Hours of Work: 40 per week

Type: Full time

Deadline to Apply: 31 July 2026 by 17:00hrs CAT

Company Overview:

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact — the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a global team and network of experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.

Project Overview:

The Growth Poles Project 2.0 (GPP 2.0) is a five-year initiative (Oct 2023–Sept 2028) led by Palladium International and funded by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs. It aims to accelerate inclusive, sustainable, and resilient wealth creation in Malawi by mobilizing private sector investments in agriculture and natural resource management. Its development objective is to advance a more inclusive, diversified, and resilient private sector that drives sustainable wealth creation while enhancing environmental and ecological diversity.

Job Description:

The Portfolio Performance & Partnerships Manager provides day-to-day oversight of partner performance, technical implementation progress, milestone readiness, and portfolio intelligence across the GPP 2.0 partner portfolio. The position is the primary coordination point between partner implementation teams, technical specialists, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning, and the Deputy Team Leader, ensuring that portfolio risks are identified early, corrective actions are tracked to closure, and leadership decisions are grounded in current field realities. As GPP 2.0 grows and partner relationships multiply, this role provides the delivery intelligence, performance tracking, and partner coordination that allows the Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships to remain focused on strategic relationships and donor engagement. This position reports directly to the Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships.

Success in this role is measured by:

• Delivery Visibility — The Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships can identify at any time which partners are on track, which are slipping, and the root causes of delays or underperformance.
• Investment Readiness Clarity — Clear, evidence-based recommendations on which partners are ready for additional tranches and which should be paused pending improvement.
• Risk Intelligence — Emerging portfolio risks are identified early, tracked on a live risk register, and escalated to the Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships in time for effective decisions.
• Portfolio Growth Insight — Partners with the capacity to scale, and those requiring restructuring or deeper technical assistance, are clearly identified.
• TiMonitoring Evaluation and Learningy and Accurate Reporting — Weekly portfolio dashboards and performance briefs are delivered on time and provide leadership with a reliable, field-verified picture.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Track Partner Performance — Track partner progress against agreed Scopes of Work, milestones, and workplans on a continuous basis.
• Maintain Performance Dashboards — Maintain up-to-date partner performance dashboards and scorecards for use by the Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships and Senior Management Team.
• Coordinate Technical Teams — Serve as the primary coordination point between partner implementation teams, Contracts and Sub awards team, technical specialists, and the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning team.
• Track Corrective Actions to Closure — Follow up on technical recommendations and corrective actions, tracking them to full closure.
• Manage Risk Intelligence — Identify emerging portfolio risks early and maintain a live Portfolio Risk Register using a Green/Amber/Red system with documented remediation plans.
• Escalate Critical Risks — Escalate critical risks and required leadership decisions to the Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships in a Monitoring Evaluation and Learning in a structured manner.
• Conduct Field Verification — Conduct regular field visits to validate reported milestones and produce structured Site Visit Intelligence Notes after each visit.
• Support Milestone Verification — Support the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning and Contracts and Subawards teams in verifying data quality and milestone completion readiness ahead of payment tranches.
• Produce Portfolio Reporting — Produce a weekly Portfolio Performance Dashboard covering milestone, budget, co-investment, and risk status, and key decisions required for every active partner.
• Contribute to Donor Reporting — Contribute to quarterly and annual project reports by providing current, field-verified partner performance data and detailed activity progress towards results.
• Coordinate with Partners and Stakeholders — Serve as the primary day-to-day coordination contact for partner Heads of Departments and managers, and support the Deputy Team Leader — Programs & Partnerships in preparing for partner review meetings.
• Significant field travel, at least 40%
• Support donor reporting on partnerships — contribute to annual and quarterly reporting on partnership activities and results from partnerships

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Economics, Agricultural Development, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
• 5-8+ years of progressive experience in programme or portfolio management within international development, private sector engagement, or market systems programming
• Strong analytical ability, able to interpret portfolio and financial data, identify risk patterns, and translate field intelligence into clear recommendations
• Demonstrated experience in partnership management, including direct engagement with private sector firms and performance-based accountability
• Track record in agriculture or market systems programming in sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Malawi
• Experience with co-investment modalities, grant management, or performance-based contracting in a development programme context
• Strong analytical ability, able to interpret portfolio data, identify risk patterns, and translate field intelligence into clear recommendations
• Excellent report writing skills, able to produce concise, evidence-based performance briefs, dashboards, and risk registers for senior audiences
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with private sector partners, government counterparts, and donors
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel-based dashboards and Word-based reporting
• Strong field presence, comfortable conducting site visits in rural Malawi and working directly with partner implementation teams especially private sector oriented companies.
• Fluency in English required; fluency in Chichewa or other local languages is an advantage
• Malawian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply

How to apply:

Interested applicants must send their Curriculum Vitae with cover letter and copies of certificates indicating position being applied for in the subject matter to HRGPMW@thepalladiumgroup.com. Only qualified shortlisted applicants may be contacted.

Deadline to apply is 31 July 2026 by 17:00hrs CAT.