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 this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
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.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.
Role Purpose
Plan International Ethiopia is looking for a Project Lead to effectively lead a team of professionals and deliver high quality programming and results for a project titled “Women’s Voice and Leadership - Ethiopia”. The project will support local women’s organizations with grants and capacity development to strengthen their organizational development, programming and advocacy, and sustainability. It will further support collaboration and collective action to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The project will be implemented in the four regions of Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). The project started in April 2019, has a duration of five years, and a budget of over $4.5 million EUR.
Dimensions of the Role
The Project Lead will be responsible and ultimately accountable for project’s strategic direction, quality programming and results achievement, financial management and compliance, team leadership, stakeholder and partner relations, and donor deliverables. Feminist principles of collaboration, participation, transparency and respect for the agency of women’s organizations will be integrated in all aspects of this role. The post-holder will be based in Addis Ababa yet travel to the project locations in Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR for approximately 30% of their time.
Accountabilities
Project Leadership and Management: Lead high quality, feminist and results-oriented program planning, implementation and reporting in compliance with donor and government agreements. A strong understanding of project cycle management, results-based management, feminist principles, and grant disbursement processes is essential.
Expected Outcomes:
Project cycle management processes and tools (including detailed implementation plans) effectively implemented to achieve project results and comply with donor requirements, government, and partnership agreements.
Grant management, disbursement and reporting processes developed in collaboration with women’s organizations and responsive to their needs.
Compliance tools and frameworks are designed to be responsive to the capacities of women’s organizations and meet donor requirements for audit.
Ensure program strategies in gender equality and women’s empowerment are responsive to the context, implemented consistently across all project activities, and adhere to best practices in the sector.
Expenditure is monitored monthly to ensure spending is on track and forecasts are duly updated based on project needs and in compliance with donor regulations.
Quality programmatic and financial reports are prepared on time and in line with Plan International and donor standards.
Feminist monitoring and evaluation system, tools and processes are developed for measuring the results of the project, and project data is collected, and validated by and shared with relevant stakeholders.
Ensure that local laws and operational policies and protocols, including for security, are observed and respected.
Synergy, Communication and Coordination: Foster and maintain productive and professional relationships with and between all project stakeholders, particularly with local women’s organizations.
Expected Outcomes:
Provide strategic and feminist leadership within the project’s governance structures and in support of women’s organizations.
Foster strong coordination and collaboration with women’s organizations through open and transparent communication, participation and joint decision-making, and respect for their agency and technical expertise.
Cultivate a positive relationship with the donor agency (Global Affairs Canada) in Ethiopia and relevant government departments.
Best practices and lessons learned are documented, shared, and integrated into programming.
Work with program staff and technical advisors to identify the technical support needs of the project and ensure this support is provided.
Team Leadership: Lead and manage a team of professionals to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork.
Expected Outcomes:
Roles, responsibilities and expectations are clearly communicated and understood by the full project team and tasks are appropriately delegated.
Internal planning meetings are organized regularly to provide direction and guidance.
Team members are mentored and coached to achieve their full potential and results of the project.
Staff performance reviews are conducted in line with Plan International Ethiopia’s performance management system.
Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection and Gender Equality and Inclusion 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. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct, their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Key Relationships
The Project Lead will be responsible for ensuring the productive and functional relationships with the project team, women’s organizations, government departments, Global Affairs Canada, and the wider Plan International Ethiopia and Plan International Canada teams.
Skills, Knowledge and Behaviours Required
Skills and Knowledge
Academic Qualification BA/MA in Project Management, Gender Studies, or other related social science fields.
Proven experience (minimum 10 years for BA & 7 years for MA) in leading complex development projects that delivered high quality programming and gender transformative results.
Progressive experience working for INGOs in increasingly senior level management positions.
Proven experience in directly managing a diverse team including technical and finance staff ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork.
Strong understanding of feminist principles, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
Strong understanding of feminist monitoring and evaluation, and results-based management tools and approaches.
Demonstrable experience managing multimillion-dollar institutional grants through donors such as Global Affairs Canada, USAID, DFID and European Union.
Familiarity with Global Affairs Canada guidelines and requirements.
Strong understanding and proven application of project cycle management.
Strong experience in partnership management and aptitude for cultivating strong relationships with multiple stakeholders including women’s organizations, government, and donors.
Experience leading cross-functional and remote teams to deliver results.
Ability to establish priorities in a time sensitive environment, track project performance, meet deadlines, and ensure high quality deliverables.
Ability to fully function in English (verbal and written) is essential. All donor reports, deliverables and communication will be in English.
Proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications (e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, database, internet).
