Head of Programs Plan International Zambia

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Company: Plan International

Organization Background

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian non-governmental organization 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 its 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 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Working in Zambia since 1996, Plan International Zambia’s development and humanitarian programmes focus primarily on Inclusive Quality Education, Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Early Childhood Development and Gender Responsive Child Protection. Child protection is key in all that we do. Plan International Zambia has Programme Areas (PAs) in; Central, Luapula, and Eastern Provinces including in Lusaka, where the Country Office is located.

Location: Lusaka, Country Office

Reports to: Country Director

Grade: F

Closing Date: 5 May, 2023

Position Description:

The Head of Programs (HoP) will provide strategic program planning, design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation in line with the Programme Quality and Influencing Approach. The HoP will be responsible for leading, managing, and supporting all Programme, Monitoring and Evaluation to ensure the delivery of quality and integrated programming in line with the Country Strategy (CS), as well as organizational standards, frameworks, and procedures. The HoP will also provide external representation and recognition of Plan International Zambia with various stakeholders for collaborative working relationships to position Plan International Zambia as a global leader in achievement of girls’ rights.

The incumbent will be reporting to the Country Director.

Responsibilities:

Provide overall strategic oversight in the delivery of the Country Strategy through contribution to the design and management of development and humanitarian programmes that are gender transformative.
Facilitate engagement of other managers and staff regarding the Country Strategy to ensure maximum understanding and operationalisation of the Country Programmes.
Lead the overall development and evolution of the Country development and humanitarian programmes within the overarching Country Strategy and their subsequent operationalisation.
Build and oversee managerial accountability with attention to overall development programme design, planning, programme delivery, monitoring, evaluations and research at the programme units.
Support staff to understand and comply with the organizational vision, mission, strategic direction and other organization policies.
The role assists the Country Director (CD) in the development and regular updating of an appropriate emergency preparedness plan and ensure that disaster risk management is integrated in Plan International Zambia programs. The role is expected to participate in various Development/Humanitarian Networks in Zambia including peer organizations, UN and other local, regional and international fora.
Lead in engaging key networks, movements and alliances relevant to the girls’ empowerment and gender equality.
Provide strategic roadmap for the development and implementation of partnerships management standards and guidelines.
Lead in the development and provide oversight in the development of standards and guidelines for partnership management are regulated updated, understood, adhered and reflected in practice.
Contribute for development and implementation of effective and evidence-based advocacy strategies that enable girls to Learn, Lead, Decide and Thrive.
Create/adapt initiatives that effectively influence duty bearers, key stakeholders and decision makers to promote and ensure rights of girls.
Contribute to the development of high-quality publications, media messaging and all internal/external communications that support Plan’s advocacy and influencing work.
Ensure integration between communications and advocacy teams to effectively deliver programmes.
Ensure the quality of development programme is in line with plan international global quality standards, Country Strategy, sustainable development goal and government sectoral plan.
Coordinate with the relevant departments at all levels during programme design, implementation and monitoring.
Provide overall vision and direction to the development programmes team in coordination, planning, prioritization, coaching and supervision.
Ensure development and humanitarian programmes team are operating as high-performance teams and have clear accountability lines (direct and matrix)
Socialize and nurture Plan Values and Behaviours.
Monitor programme performance and budget utilization and advise on corrective measures.
Oversees the coordination in the budget, preparation, consolidation, analysis and timely submission.
Build relationships with Plan International National Offices (NOs) and donors for sharing and learning to highlight impactful projects for scale up and expansion.
Coordinate and support programme quality and delivery on programme audit, child protection audit, and gender strategy review exercise and adequate application of management response across all impact areas.
Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Ensures that Programme staff are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;

Educational Qualifications and Experience:

A Master’s Degree in Development Studies, Social Work, Social Sciences, International Relations or similar field.
10 years of relevant experience in INGO Sector or demonstrated equivalent combination.
At least 7 years’ experience in managing development programme in the country within the INGO sector.
Proven experiences and ability to coordinate and collaborate with different civil society and Community based organization.
Demonstrable working experience in development programme.
Knowledge of developmental agendas in complex and protracted development and humanitarian landscape.
Experience in context, funding and market analysis.

Competencies:

In-depth knowledge of gender and inclusion and global/local development issues, with knowledge in girls’ rights and child rights, feminist movements, the key actors and institutions, and the power dynamics involved.
Mastery of key gender inequalities, gaps, barriers and opportunities at the national, regional and global level and gender and inclusion in programs, and especially for children and girls.
In-depth understanding of the policies, processes, institutions and organizations that shape the development and humanitarian context and standards within Zambia
Ability to lead programme managers and staff to design and implement evidence-based solutions for gender transformative programmes, and to provide monitoring and quality assurance support to the programme areas.
Ability to apply a range of gender and inclusion analysis tools and conduct high-quality and nuanced gender and inclusion analysis from a child rights perspective.
Ability to influence power holders about the need for and benefits of addressing gender equality and inclusion, including being able to offer a range of evidence-based solutions.
Engages sensitively with community members on issues of gender equality and inclusion, demonstrating an understanding of the local culture and context.
Promotes equality, including gender equality, inclusion and girls’ empowerment in Plan’s work and in its work with partners

Plan International provides equal employment opportunities to qualified and experienced women and men, Women are especially encouraged to apply.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

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. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

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

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.