Director, Strategic Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit the Director Strategic Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications to play a critical role in developing an institute wide approach to partnerships, advocacy and communication. The Director shall lead a comprehensive global-to-local approach to strengthen investment in, and build a vibrant ecosystem around, sustainable livestock innovations in low- and middle-income countries. The incumbent shall amplify ILRI's impact by establishing coherent partnership, advocacy, and communications strategies and activities across the organisation, stewarding global and regional partnerships, and positioning ILRI as a credible thought leader and trusted convenor at global, regional and local levels.

ILRI is an international organisation working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI’s mission emphasises the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment, aiming to improve the lives of more than 300 million people in low- and middle-income countries through livestock science that supports equitable and resilient livestock systems, ultimately contributing to food systems transformation with climate and environmental benefits. This mission is delivered through two core strategic objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable, science-based livestock solutions, and leveraging science to inform and influence policy and investment decisions.

ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions.

Reporting line and structure:

• Reports to the Director General of ILRI and participates as a member of ILRI’s Strategy, Program Execution and Acceleration Review (SPEAR) Team.
• This is a strategic and oversight role. Four dedicated unit leads — for Partnerships, Advocacy, Strategic Communications, and Knowledge Management — report directly to this position, supported by a team of approximately 30 staff.
• Works in close collaboration with the ILRI Deputy Director Generals, and Research programs and Regional Directors.
• Works in collaboration with business development unit and program and regional directors to actively identify, surface, and channel partnership and funding opportunities for advocacy and resources mobilization

What This Role Must Deliver

• An integrated, institute-wide strategy connecting partnerships, advocacy, communications and knowledge management with unified goals and measurable KPIs to ensure these different elements contribute as a whole to deliver ILRI’s strategy.
• Corporate standards and quality metrics for advocacy, partnerships, communications, and knowledge management — with regular monitoring and reporting to ILRI leadership.
• A fit-for-purpose partnership function: tools, systems, and organizational capacity for partner intelligence, partner management, and coordination with research teams.
• A strengthened global-regional-local advocacy approach, including strategic oversight of the Global Livestock Advocacy for Sustainable Development (GLAD) project and the Advocacy and Investment Hub.
• Expanded institutional visibility and thought leadership to continue to elevate and nuance livestock in the development agenda and to ensure ILRI’s solutions and innovations are reaching the right stakeholders.
• Active support to resource mobilization by identifying strategic partnership and funding opportunities, incorporating advocacy and communications into new proposals and strengthening marketing of ILRI for resource mobilization.

Key Responsibilities

Drive a new approach to strategic partnerships

• Steward and grow partnerships in collaboration with the DG and DDG offices, maintaining and developing new partnerships to build an ecosystem of partners ensuring alignment with ILRI’s strategic priorities.
• Lead ILRI’s engagement with the CGIAR on partnerships and communications defining ILRI’s contributions to joint advocacy positions, shared platforms, and system-level coherence.
• Collaborate with scientists and regional teams to coordinate and align partnership engagement efforts across the institute.
• Engage with partners to convene dialogues and engage around ILRIs flagship reports around sustainable livestock
• Build and maintain partnership intelligence systems that generate actionable insights to inform strategic decisions across the institute.

Oversight of communications, advocacy and knowledge management

• Provide strategic communications counsel and support to ILRI’s leadership, research program directors, and regional directors on media, risk communication, and institutional positioning.
• Oversee ILRI’s strategic communications work to translate research into compelling, accessible content that reaches the right audiences across relevant channels and platforms.
• Develop and maintain systematic processes for gathering intelligence on critical issues affecting the livestock sector in LMICs, and shape how ILRI and partners to respond.
• Lead a strategic approach to ILRI’s and partners engagement in key global and regional events and policy processes, with the aim of influencing decisions and enhancing sustainable livestock
• Lead the establishment and oversee operations of the ILRI Livestock Advocacy and Investment Hub ensuring it delivers on ILRI’s strategy and effectively links scientists from across ILRI’s programs.
• Direct the implementation of GLAD and other advocacy-focused projects, ensuring delivery against agreed outcomes and adequate resourcing.
• Guide the management process of ILRI’s Flagship report ensuring that partners, stakeholders are involved, appropriate knowledge and communication products and channels are used to influence decisions.
• Guide a demand driven approach to repackage ILRI and partner research into knowledge products (policy briefs, white papers, biennial reports) to be used by decision-makers
• Champion knowledge-sharing systems and practices that strengthen internal collaboration and internal communications

Organisational leadership and management

• Provide strategic direction and ensure operational integration across the four units, with clear accountability frameworks for each unit lead.
• Develop and oversee M&E systems that track advocacy influence, partnership value, and communications reach — with findings feeding back into strategy.
• Guide an approach to leverage use of AI to streamline different processes within communication and knowledge management
• Identify and secure funding for livestock advocacy and communications through various means including working with program directors and partners to develop proposals, or incorporate advocacy and communications into new funding opportunities.
• Manage budgets and financial oversight across all four units, including exploring and promoting innovative financing models.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative team culture that supports ILRI’s mission and adapts to a fast-changing institutional and external environment.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in International Development, Public Policy, Agriculture, Strategic Communications, or a related field
• At least 15 years of progressive leadership experience in international organizations, with significant experience across advocacy, partnerships, resource mobilization and communications.
• English language fluency

• Proven ability to design and execute strategies aligned with institutional priorities and external trends, including in CGIAR or similar research-for-development systems.
• Skilled manager and managing diverse, geographically distributed teams and building high-performance functions.
• Experience in mobilizing funding and resource mobilization
• Demonstrated success in influencing global forums, engaging key decision-makers, and participating actively in multistakeholder processes.
• Deep knowledge of global development and research-for-development systems, particularly in agriculture, food systems, environment, and livestock sectors in LMICs.
• Being able to work in a complex and engaging internal and external environment and build social capital to motivate staff and partners to collaborate
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, including donor intelligence, political economy analysis, and partnership innovation.
• Expertise in institutional advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and policy influence at global and regional levels.
• Fluency in modern communications tools, digital strategy, audience analytics, and strategic branding.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead change and build organizational capability in dynamic institutional environments.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the credibility to engage at the highest levels of donor, philanthropies, partner, and policymaking institutions.

Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Appointment: This position is at job level HG21, and it is open to both national and international applicants. The position is a three (3) year contract, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. ILRI offers a competitive international salary and benefits package which includes pension, medical insurance, life insurance and allowances for: education, housing, security, relocation, and home leave.

Applications: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the role, and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. The applications will be addressed to the Head of People and Culture and submitted through our recruitment portal https://ilri.simplicant.com on or before 18 June 2026.

The position title and reference number: REF: D/05/2026 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.

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