Partnership Engagement Specialist, UAE Agriculture & AI Ecosystem

About the role

Type of Engagement: Consultancy Duration : 12 months, renewable subject to performance and funding Start Date : As soon as possible Deadline for Applications : 8 July 2026, at 11:59 PM CET The CGIAR AI Hub is a global collaborative initiative hosted in Abu Dhabi, established as part of Abu Dhabi's AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development - launched through the UAE-Gates Foundation partnership. The Hub sits within CGIAR's Digital Transformation Accelerator (DTA) and works closely with AI partners including MBZUAI, ai71, Inception and other UAE and AI partners to translate 50+ years of CGIAR agricultural data and science into practical AI tools for food, land, and water systems. The UAE agriculture and AI ecosystem has expanded rapidly, bringing together sovereign institutions, innovation hubs, and global development partners. The CGIAR AI Hub now requires dedicated partnership capacity to deepen its positioning within this ecosystem and convert relationships into active collaborations. Purpose The Partnership Engagement Specialist will serve as the primary relationship manager between the CGIAR AI Hub and the UAE Agriculture and AI ecosystem. Working part-time and embedded at the MBZUAI Institute for Agriculture and AI (AI/IA), the consultant will build, strengthen, and foster strategic partnerships with the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and key UAE innovation partners, ensuring the Hub is well-positioned to advance its mission through institutional collaboration. Scope of Work Partnership Development & Relationship Management - Build, strengthen, and maintain relationships between the CGIAR AI Hub and the UAE's International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, the primary sovereign-level patron of the Hub. - Foster active collaboration with key UAE innovation partners: the MBZUAI Institute for Agriculture and AI (AI/IA), AIM for Scale, aI71, Inception, and other emerging actors in the ecosystem. - Identify and develop partnership opportunities aligned with the Hub's AI product portfolio and advance them through to formal agreements or active workplans. - Represent the CGIAR AI Hub at relevant UAE convenings, forums, and bilateral meetings. 2 . Ecosystem Intelligence & Alignment - Monitor developments across the UAE agriculture and AI ecosystem and ensure the Hub's positioning and communications remain current and aligned with partner priorities. - Provide regular stakeholder intelligence updates to the DTA Product Director to inform strategic decisions. - Support alignment between Hub product roadmaps and partner interests, including co-design opportunities with MBZUAI AI/IA, AIM for Scale, and AI71. 3. Communications & Institutional Representation - Draft tailored communications, briefing notes, and presentation materials for engagements with UAE sovereign and institutional partners. - Coordinate with CGIAR DTA communications teams to ensure consistent Hub positioning within the UAE and Gulf context. - Support the DTA Product Director in preparing for high-level meetings with the International Affairs Office and ecosystem leadership. About the Role This is a relationship-driven, externally facing consultancy role at the heart of one of the most high-profile agriculture-AI partnerships in the world. Embedded at the MBZUAI Institute for Agriculture and AI, the consultant will operate across sovereign institutions, innovation hubs, and global development partners - fostering the collaborations that enable CGIAR science to reach more farmers faster through AI. The role is ideal for a development professional with deep familiarity with the UAE institutional landscape, strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills, and genuine commitment to the mission of using AI for food security and climate resilience. Required Qualifications - 7+ years of professional experience in partnership development, policy engagement, or programme management in international development, agriculture, or technology. - Strong existing networks within the UAE agriculture, food security, or AI/innovation ecosystem; direct familiarity with UAE government or sovereign institution engagement is essential. - Experience managing multi-stakeholder partnerships across government, international organisations, and private sector actors. - Exposure to agrifood systems, digital development, or AI-enabled programming is highly desirable. - Master's degree in international development, global affairs, public policy, or a related field. - Fluency in English required; Arabic is an advantage. UAE residency (Golden Visa or equivalent) preferred. All applications must be submitted online by clicking the 'Apply' button below before 11:59 PM CET on 08 July 2026 . If you require assistance or face challenges in submitting your application, please email smo-bidding@cgiar.org with the position title in the subject line. Applications submitted through this email will NOT be accepted. Please ensure your resume and cover let

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