The Organization
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 Mozambique we are working to eradicate early marriage and early pregnancy through projects that focus on adolescent girls in Inhambane Sofala and Nampula provinces. These projects are programmed along our three strategic pillars: Girl Education, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, Youth Economic Empowerment and climate change. Our work is gender transformative and includes influencing work at national and sub-regional level.
Plan International is seeking a Girl’s Education Specialist for an anticipated USAID-funded Education program in Mozambique. This program will support the result areas of the USAID Mozambique Mission’s Human Capacity strategic goal under the USAID Advancing Girls’ Education (AGE) activity, with the purpose of increasing safety of girls in school through mobilizing communities and to expand girls’ access to quality education and improve learning outcomes for girls in upper primary and secondary grades.
The Girls’ Education Specialist will report to the Deputy Chief of Party and will be responsible for the supervision of all activities related to the girls’ education component of the project. S/he will also be responsible for coordinating with sub-grantees, the Ministry of Education, USAID, international and local partners, and community organizations. The position is contingent upon award of the project by the donor.
MANAGEMENT SCOPE, REPORTING LINES, KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Direct reports: None reports to this position
Key relationships
Internal
• Project team
• Internal technical networks as relevant
• Global and Regional functional and thematic leads in Girl Education
• Plan Inc. US National Office technical team
External
• National and Local authorities
• Partner organisations
• Civil society organizations
• Girl Movements
• Other INGOs
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN
Mid contact: Medium interaction with children
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
• Typical Office environment with 10% travel in Country.
ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES
• Design program interventions and design component work planning around areas around inclusive girls’ education
• Provide technical inputs in the design of the grants program and grants manual, as appropriate
• Train and accompany Ministry and community-based partners in the implementation of program interventions
• Collaborate with the M&E officer to integrate monitoring arrangements into the M&E plan, and to collect and analyze data associated with their areas of responsibility
• Contribute sections to the project’s quarterly reports on progress, for those technical areas of responsibility
• Initiate procurement requests for program activities, and provide technical reviews and approvals for proposed procurements related to the relevant areas of responsibility
• Integrate ongoing learning into program adaptations, working closely with the Chief of Party, USAID and the Ministry of Education
• Participate on education related networks, and clusters beneficial for the program;
• Perform any other duties within the scope of the position as assigned by the supervisor.
Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) (%)
• Understands and puts 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.
• Ensures that Humanitarian Program staff are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team;
• Ensures that Plan Mozambique contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
• Courageous in taking a lead, focused on Plan International’s purpose and making the most effective contribution within my own work context.
• Behaves in line with our values and safeguarding practices, inside and outside work.
• Challenges own attitudes, unconscious bias and behaviour 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 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 MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES
• Understands digital enablers to improve team performance and working practices.
• Encourages digital behaviours through role modelling, the personal development processes
• Keeps abreast of internal and external changes or developments and supports their team to adapt accordingly.
• Understand relevant sectoral context including how the sector operates and awareness of Plan’s purpose, values, and global strategy.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Qualifications/ experience essential:
Qualifications
• Minimum of five (5) years working on gender issues as they relate to education programs.
• Master’s degree in International Development and/or Education, preferably with a special focus in gender or;
• Bachelor’s degree International Development and or/ Education and a minimum seven (7) years working in related programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of women’s issues from diverse ethnic and social groups in East Africa.
• Work experience in designing, planning, implementing and evaluating education programs in East Africa.
• Work experience in educational materials development for girls’ education projects.
• Work experience in raising community awareness of the importance of girls’ education, working and collaborating with diverse sets of stakeholders, such as local partners, government officials and donor representatives.
• Work experience on USAID projects is strongly preferred.
• Work experience in Mozambique highly required.
• Excellent English and Portuguese oral and written communication skills are essential.
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
• Excellent relationship building skills – networking, influencing and stakeholder management skills;
• Advanced computer software skills, including Word, Excel, PowerPoints;
• Role model our values and behaviors both internally and externally;
• Promotes equality, including gender equality, inclusion and girls’ empowerment in Plan’s work and in its work with partners;
• Uses creativity to challenge the norm and promote innovation and thinks and acts for the wider organization;
• Communicates effectively at a high level and with a range of appropriate styles for different audiences;
• Builds capability through knowledge sharing and networking;
• Understands fundamental issues and root causes: 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;
• Understands 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;
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.
Location: Nampula or Zambezia
Salary: Competitive
Plan is an Equal Opportunity Employer and as such qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Child Protection Policy.
As an international child-centered community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation 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.
Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.
More Information
- Job City Nampula, Mozambique
