Job Description

ROLE PURPOSE

 Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organization working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalized and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to reach our target of 100 million girls. 

In Ethiopia, Plan has more than 25 years of experience in implementing its programme. Currently PIE mainly operates in seven geographical areas; Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz, Afar, and Addis Ababa City Administration on different projects funded by different donors including sponsorship.

Plan International Ethiopia's main purpose is to seek Gender Justice for Girls, Adolescent Girls, and Young Women. We aim to help create an enabling environment where girls, adolescent girls, and young women are safe, valued, equally cared for, and have equal opportunities. PIE will contribute to the global strategy by aiming to reach directly 2.1 million Girls, Adolescent Girls and Young Women over the period of the strategy 2020-2024 and to reach an additional 6.3 million beneficiaries through its interventions.

The Innovation Specialist is a new role for Plan International Ethiopia (PIE) and will be charged with being positively disruptive and driving changes to our approach, our programming and our services, the aim is to radically improve our service delivery and our impact. This role is pivotal to our achieving those aims. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to drive, change and help us to improve our delivery and impact and so l allow us to reach Ethiopia’s contribution to our target of 100 impacting million girls. 

The Innovation Specialist will report directly to the Head of Program Quality but have relationships with all senior staff and more importantly staff across the organisation and with our clients and communities, as we are looking for innovation at all levels and of all types. He/she will drive the collection, the incubation, testing and implementation of new ideas and opportunities that have the potential for scalable impact for adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia. She/he will create an evidence base of field-tested, gender-transformative interventions that can be used to differentiate Plan International’s programming offering and increase levels of sustainable fundraising and impact. The Innovation Specialist will work closely with the Global Innovation team and will utilise their girl-centred innovation methods to ensure that new solutions respond to the needs of the girls we are intended to serve.

PIE will provide induciton especially for candidates from outside the humanitarian and development sectors, who are positively encouraged to apply 

Management scope, reporting lines, key relationships

Direct reports – none

Key relationships

Internal

• CD, Programme Director, Humanitarian Director

•Program quality team members

• Internal technical networks as relevant

• Global and Regional functional and thematic leads

•Wide ranging relationships across PIE and its target groups

External

•Partner organisations

•Civil society organizations

•Youth and youth organisations

• Other INGOs and development/humanitarian actors of all types

Level of contact with children

High contact: Regular interaction with children

Physical Environment

·        Typical Office environment with 40% travel in PIE’s programming areas.

Accountabilities and MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategy Leadership (40%)

• Drive Innovation within PIE’s programming and approaches
• Develop quick wins early on in the tenure of the post
• Create and implement an innovation strategy and action plan for PIE;
• Move opportunities through a programme cycle to implementation at scale
• Develop and utilise a process to encourage the flow of ideas from within PIE staff and target groups.
•  Develop local partnerships and networks to provide an enabling environment to nurture and test new development ideas and approaches

Programme level (40%)

• Proactively scout for new innovative ideas and opportunities by working closely (but not exclusively) with adolescent girls and young women and existing PIE project teams;
• Conduct research and study the work of other development/humanitarian actors, academic institutions etc. to understand what has already been explored and tested;
•  Identify and develop opportunities for resource mobilization, including proposal writing;
• Lead the testing and then implementation of new and potentially gender transformative programme components and/or models;
• Provide training for PIE staff and partner staff in the implementation and value of innovation products and processes;
• Use the Innovation MERL tools developed by the Global Innovation Team and document tested innovation projects for dissemination of learning;

Other functional level (20%)

• ·Review organizational systems and process for enhance the programme planning, managing and deliverables.

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

·        Willingness and ability to understand and put into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures..

Working closely with the safeguarding focal person to review the safeguarding system, how it incorporate in programme design, programme implementation, to see if the local reporting mechanism is user friendly for our beneficiary

Job Requirements

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge Competencies

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Innovation:

• Demonstrated the ability to lead and drive the delivery of new offerings that create significant business value and with social impact  
• Expertise in design thinking workshop facilitation, preferably in a developing world context  
• In-depth knowledge of human-centred design and practical experience utilising the techniques for social impact 
• Strong communication skills to articulate innovation approaches and concepts internally and externally 
• Technology-aware and enquiring about technology trends, their potential to impact within PIE, without necessarily having deep technological expertise 

Leadership:

• Works via influencing and supporting the change process and acceptance of change in processes and approaches across PIE;
• akes responsibility for quality of own work;
• uses resources, methods, partners, and information effectively;
• Identifies opportunities and challenges and seeks to overcome them, with the assistance of senior staff if required.

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Develops and exploits partnerships with peer organizations and partners, to deliver innovation and hence the strategic goals of PIE.
•  Identifies opportunities for initiation of new projects and approaches, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization for innovation and programming that contains innovative elements.

Knowledge Building and Management:

• Identifies and synthesizes best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to innovations field;
• Provides sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice: organizes trainings for staff and external partners.

Financial responsibility:

• Working closely with the HPQ, support in the budget, preparation, consolidation, analysis and timely submission.
• Monitor budget allocated for the sector.

Qualifications/ experience essential

• Bsc/BA/ MSc/MA in an area of social science, business development, or related fields.
• A minimum of five years management experience in commercial and NGO within the field of innovation, influencing or social innovation or social entrepreneurship or equivalents in terms of experience.
•  Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including presentation skills and the capacity to effectively work with multiple stakeholders within and outside Ethiopia
•  Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an complex environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
•  Ability to influence others and challenge the statuesque to challenge existing mind-sets and to meeting defined objectives
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner, and to use innovative forms of communication
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies or proposal development

Languages required

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Desirable _ Qualifications/ experience
• Knowledge of key programme areas such as child protection, education, livelihood and economic empowerment.  
•  Knowledge of development and humanitarian issues affecting girls, adolescent girls and women is preferred.
•  Knowledge in digital technology.
• leadership competencies
• Courageous in taking a lead and driving change.
• Maintaining a focus on Plan International's purpose and making the most effective contribution within my own work context.
• Successful influencer and enabler of others
• Will behave in line with our values and safeguarding practices, inside and outside work.
• Challenges own attitudes, unconscious bias and behaviors and speaks up when they see wrong doing, especially by those who use their power over others to create fear or abuse.
•  Understand and adhere to the policies, processes, practices and standards relevant to own work and keeps their knowledge and skills up to date.
•  Honest and efficient in use of PIE resources, including own time.
• Takes responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting; seeking and listening to feedback; learning from mistakes; finding people or resources to help them learn.
• Constructive and optimistic in facing setbacks, challenges and change, using own initiative to analyze issues and improve things.
•  Good team player, communicating effectively and being open and supportive towards those around them.

BUSINESS COMPETENCIES

• Willing and able to understand relevant sectorial context including how the sector operates in terms of funding and governance and awareness of Plan's purpose, values, and country and global strategy.
•  Able to understand, analysis and manage a range of risks. Induction will be provided but will especially include, Child and Youth Safeguarding and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security and organizational reputational risks.
•  Managing activities and resources including skills in strategic thinking, planning and organizing, financial planning and monitoring, negotiation and programme and project management.
• Managing people and information including skills in assessment and coaching, evidence-based management and digital working, including personal digital skills.

Technical Competencies

• Willing and able to understand and work within the context of the fundamental issues and root causes of inequality and poverty:
• Willing and able to understands the development and needs of our Primary Impact Groups from birth to adulthood, the root causes of the issues affecting them, and the key actors most relevant to their interests and therefore to our work.
• Willing and able to understand key programme and influence principles: Understands the rationale for and practical implications of being rights-based, gender transformative, participatory, working in partnership; evidence-based and working to strengthen civil society.
•  Willing and able to understand and account for a range of strategies and approaches: Understands approaches to programme/project logic, trends in own and related fields of work and a range of effective strategies, approaches and practices.

PIE sees the competencies below as transferable from other sectors:

• Analyses issues and evidence in context - Builds the evidence base by analyzing issues in their context, using appropriate methods and relevant data sources
• Shapes strategy, policy, standards and plans clearly aligned with relevant priorities and stakeholder interests and based on rigorous internal and external evidence
• Designs effective innovation models with clear and measurable objectives driving overall outcomes and impacts. These should be appropriately resourced, mainstreaming gender and inclusion and participatory approaches, and engaging with and influencing relevant actors and stakeholders.
• Supports partnering and resource mobilization by developing mutually beneficial partnership relationships and making a significant contribution to writing proposals relevant to own field(s) of work.
• Assesses effectiveness to improve evidence and quality by designing appropriate measures and assessment methods, using on-going monitoring and assessment to improve project design and implementation, initiating research and conducting evaluation, assessing the results and sharing learning.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organization by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organization, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

How to Apply

The closing date for the application is October 11, 2020. Qualified candidates should submit their application with the below link.

https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=38707&company=PlanInt

This position is only open to Ethiopian Nationals, who must be eligible to live and work in Ethiopia.

Please note that: 

• Applications and CVs written in English will be accepted and
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
•  Please note that we are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated link.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

More information about Plan International can be found on http:// plan-international.org

References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all persons meeting the skills and experience required.

As an international child centered community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realization of children's rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk. Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply.