Organization Background

Founded 75 years ago, Plan International is one of the oldest and largest children’s centered development and humanitarian organizations in the world. We work in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing its income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively. Plan is independent, with no religious, political or governmental affiliations and is an equal opportunity employer.

Plan International’s purpose statement:

“We strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls”.

Our Ambition from now to 2027 is to see All Girls Standing Strong Creating Global Change. Working together we will create:

• A world where all girls know and exercise their rights and live the life they choose.
• A network of supporters, communities, staff, partners, and donors, all supporting girls and young women to stand strong as they learn, lead, decide, and thrive.
• Global change through breaking down the barriers and discrimination girls and young women currently face every minute, every hour, every day.

We strive for a world where all girls can claim and exercise their rights and live the life they choose. Plan International will work, alongside partners, boys, men, and local communities, to support girls in all circumstances, especially in fragile contexts, fighting injustice or facing crisis. Together, we will break down the barriers and discrimination that girls face and help shift the power towards achieving gender equality. When girls thrive in a more equal world, we are all stronger for it. Between 2022 and 2027 Plan International’s contribution, together with our partners, will be to positively impact the lives of 200 million girls and those that surround them.

Since 2018, Plan International offices in Middle East, East and Southern Africa (MEESA) embarked on an initiative to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE): Girls in Displaced Settings with the following objective;

Plan International is a leading agency in quality programming, influencing and learning for girls in displaced settings.

Plan International Ethiopia (PIE) is looking to hire a Team Leader who will manage and lead the work of the Center of Excellence and supervise staff:

TEAM LEADER – CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: GIRLS IN DISPLACED SETTINGS

Position Description:

Most Middle East, East and Southern Africa (MEESA) Country Offices (COs) are responding to forced displacement (refugees and IDPs) in some capacity working closely with national governments, UN agencies, donors and other partners.  To facilitate improved organisational learning and promote high quality and consistent programme excellence across the countries, the CoE was established in 2018. The incumbent will lead a small team and provide the day to day support and strategic leadership in running this exciting initiative.

The post holder will report to the Plan International Ethiopia Country Director on operational matters and to the CoE Oversight Group on strategic matters.

Responsibilities:

• The post holder leads the work and management of the CoE and supervise its assigned staff.
• The post holder will develop close working relationships with the Plan country offices and partners responding to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the region to map resources and capacity; undertake joint research and advocacy aligned with global humanitarian priorities and supporting global learning and access to common resources and expertise.
• The post holder will require extensive contacts to pro-actively build external networks with key stakeholders (UNHCR and relevant UN agencies, Donors, (I)NGOs and others) within the region and globally to strengthen Plan’s profile in the sector and develop tools/resources that provide consistent communication and information of Plan’s work across MEESA and possibly other regions
• In line with the Global Strategy (2022-2027) the incumbent will take the lead in supporting both the contribution to and learning from the roll-out of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). This includes working closely with the relevant country staff and partners, regional and global hub humanitarian teams, as well as Plan liaison offices in Addis Ababa, Geneva and New York.

• Profile and fundraise for the CoE across the global federation and build on existing mechanisms and channels for sharing updates and progress of the work of the CoE both with the relevant COs, partners and donors as well as the Oversight Group and the rest of the organization.

• Working with COs, identify good forced displacement programming practices with a focus on adolescent girls and gender transformative approaches in protracted crises and document and share these practices both within external and internal networks
• Based on documented good practices, support the identification and development of policy papers, positioning and talking points with a focus on Food security, Sexual & Gender based violence, Education and Child Protection in Emergencies, Youth Engagement and Adolescent Girls Programming based on evidence and experience that can be shared internally and externally for advocacy and influencing.
• Lead or support joint research and studies with focus on priority sectors, with a strong focus on both understanding and strengthening work with adolescent girls in forced displacement settings.

• To analyse and identify gaps in available programmatic guidance, modules, and tools and work with relevant global and regional technical leads to strengthen them as per sector standards and ensure a strong adolescent girls’ perspective.

• Contribute to the monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Plan/UNHCR Global Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Plan’s pledges at the Global Refugee Forum.
• Work with COs and NOs on increasing the profile of Plan’s forced displacement programming with external donors including but not limited to UNHCR, UNOCHA UNICEF, BPRM GFFO, ECHO, SIDA, USAID, Irish Aid and FCDO.

• Linked to priority actions/projects of the CoE lead the establishment of partnerships with relevant research institutions and other organisations, hiring and management of short-term consultants and other resources.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding of Children & Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.

Knowledge, Skills, Behaviours, and Experience Required:

• Sound understanding of the humanitarian and development nexus and architecture, especially as it relates to refugee coordination model, issues and critical analysis of child rights and girl’s equality issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge in leading country/regional or global advocacy and influencing processes.
• Knowledge of effective participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Research systems and processes

• Knowledge of refugee, IDPs and humanitarian programming processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support to staff in achieving intended results

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build relationships with colleagues at long distances;
• Spoken and written fluency in English is required and good working knowledge of other working language of Plan international is an asset