The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity

The Strategy, Programmes & Influencing Director provides strategic leadership to Plan International's strategy, programming and influencing work in the West and Central  Africa (WACA) region in line with our 2022-2027 Global Strategy 'All Girls Standing Strong, Creating Global Change' and with a particular focus on ensuring the quality of Plan International’s interventions as part of the WACA Regional Core Management Team and the wider Regional Leadership Team (RLT). 

Key accountabilities

• Drive the realisation of the global strategy in the WACA region, working with Country Offices (COs), National Offices (NOs), and Global Hub (GH) through leadership of strategic programming and influencing interventions, and the development and nurturing of strategic partnerships which help further Plan’s goals across the region.
• Ensure all programming and influencing initiatives are focused on increasing impact, strengthening legitimacy and improving sustainability, including delivery of high quality gender transformative programming and influencing interventions with key partners, ensuring close coordination with the humanitarian programme lead.
• Lead the multidisciplinary regional Strategy, Programmes and Influencing department to provide high quality support to COs and to carry out impactful regional initiatives in line with the WACA’s strategic priorities.
• Ensure Plan International’s agenda is represented in relevant spaces across the region and work with Liaison Offices (UN, AU, EU) to help drive the 'locally led, globally connected' agenda.
• Ensure that regional and country perspectives are represented and contribute to global initiatives and forums within Plan.

• Support the development and funding of strategically aligned, multi-country projects or programmes.
• Build strategic networks and partnerships and steward working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and allies including donors, government  representatives and other civil society organizations.
• Provide oversight on partnership management and programme quality in the region, ensuring that COs receive the support they need to deliver high-quality gender transformative programming.
• Ensure that Plan International WACA has a strong reputation as a girls’ rights thought leader and is leading change with and through regional multilateral platforms, working groups and alliances.
• Line management: This position directly supervises a team of regional advisors, managers and specialists for Advocacy & Influencing, Communications, Gender Equality & Inclusion (matrix reporting), Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Performance, Planning & Insights, Project & Programme Management and Strategy & Organisational Design. 

The Requirements

Location: The location for this role is flexible and any of the countries that Plan has a presence in West and Central Africa can be considered. This includes Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Frequent travel (up to 60%) will be required. 

Reports to: Regional Director

Contract Type: Two year fixed term contract. This is a global search and a relocation package will be available if needed.