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Plan International is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities or members of other underrepresented groups to apply. In addition, if you do not meet all the requirements and are very interested in the position, you can still apply by letting us know what you would bring to the work of Plan International.

ABOUT PLAN INTERNATIONAL

Plan International (PI) is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation working for equality for girls and better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is 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 all children and especially girls. We are active in over 80 countries across the world.

The purpose and ambition of Plan International EU Office (EUO) is to advance children’s rights and equality for girls in particular in the EU’s external action. In line with Plan International’s Global Strategy, One Million Reasons, and the EUO’s 5-year strategy, we will contribute to ensuring that 100 million girls learn, lead, decide and thrive. We work with the EU in its three roles as a donor, policy-maker and promoter of human rights.

ROLE SPECIFICATION

The Head of Influencing (HoI) will drive an integrated approach to planning and implementation of influencing that combines the expertise of policy, advocacy, campaigning and communications in line with the EU Office (EUO) strategies and global strategies of Plan International (PI). The HoI will work in close collaboration and coordination with the Head of Office and EU Representative (HoO) and the Head of Partnership (HoP).

The purpose of the role is to support the Plan International EUO objectives as set out in the multi-year EUO strategies. The HoI will deepen relationships with the EU institutions. The HoI will provide overall leadership and vision, setting direction, coordinate outreach and support, informing decision-making and prioritisation of influencing initiatives, ensuring the timely and effective implementation of priorities, inspiring and guiding the team. The HoI will play a critical role in supporting the strategic leadership role of the HoO of Plan International EUO.

The HoI guides the PI EUO Policy and Advocacy, Communications and Campaigns departments, which combines activities in one unit.

The HoI applies an innovative, fresh and solution-minded approach and has to stay up to speed on the latest developments at EU level to ensure we achieve our influencing European and global targets and maximise our contribution to the movement for gender equality and girl’s rights. The HoI steers the EUO when identifying and defining influencing opportunities in the EU context and further strengthening relationships with respective stakeholders of relevance.

The post holder will consult, cooperate and capitalise on existing organisational strengths; will be expected to have leadership qualities to effectively represent PI externally; and will be supported with access to all PI member Organisations’ relevant technical resources.

She/he must credibly and powerfully represent the organisation by ensuring high-level respect for the EUO across the federation. Across the organisation, the post holder will be expected to build effective relationships with all National Offices (NOs), Regional Offices (ROs), Country Offices (COs) and Liaison Offices (LOs).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

1. Contribute to the strategic engagement between Plan International and the EU institutions and to influencing change by leading on the working areas of the Influencing team and contributing to those of Plan International EUO in general

• Leading on the monitoring and analysis of relevant EU foreign, humanitarian aid, international and development cooperation as well as peace and security trends with Pl lenses and priorities. Ensuring that analysis is informed by PI’s programmatic experience and knowledge around the world and guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CEDAW and other EU and international human rights standards;
• Conducting appropriate power analysis to strategically frame priority issues and identify opportunities to influence and engage with existing and new EU decision makers and stakeholders;
• Lead on the development and implementation of PI EUO influencing strategies, in line with the EUO strategy and by adapting PI’s Global Advocacy Strategy and messages to the EU arena to drive policy change at the EU level for the benefit of children and particularly girls;
• Lead coordinated advocacy actions to take advantage of opportunities to advance the agenda for girls’ rights in the EU foreign and external action. This includes the involvement and participation of other PI entities in joint influencing actions towards the EU, as relevant;
• Leading and steering the development of policy position papers, briefings, communications and campaigns materials and other related products on key thematic areas of focus for the EUO (LEAD, LEARN, ensuring EU Official Development Assistance) as well as other thematic areas, as relevant, by the Influencing Team – for both internal and external use;
• Proactively represents PI EUO with key EU targets; establishing, productive and professional relationships with strategic partner organisations; maintaining and developing effective working relations with EU targets and other stakeholders. Through this, support and contribute to the EUO HoO’s visibility, external relations and partnership development;
• Coordinate and support Pl EUO and work with peer organisations to ensure accountability of EU institutions to key international human rights and EU commitments, with a particular focus on promises on girls’ rights and gender equality;
• Provide to the HoO strategic input into direction setting, support cohesiveness of messaging and approaches and the alignment of agreed priorities within the EUO;
• Support the alignment, design and implementation of influencing plans and the building of influencing capacity throughout the EUO to achieve desired large-scale improvements in girls’ rights and gender equality;
• Lead an integrated approach to design, planning and implementation of influencing strategies and actions that combines the expertise of influencing and programming;
• Being an active contributor to the advocacy and policy work across the Plan International federation, supporting spaces for learning, information sharing and collaboration between EU NO’s with the aim to influence change on EU policies and practices. Support and contribute to the influencing work to the EU of other entities of PI – NOs, ROs, COs and LOs – as appropriate.

2. Bring a strong strategic direction to EU influencing, providing leadership, management and guidance to the Influencing Team and the overall Plan International EUO

• Lead the influencing team of direct and indirect reports in close collaboration with the HoO;
• Provide on-going direction/oversight to ensure influencing and engagement strategies and actions are implemented effectively by the Influencing team members;
• Report to HoO on the Influencing teams’ progress and prepare key strategy documents and initiatives for decisions;
• Support campaign and communication roll-out at EU level, working through the appropriate European Union targets and stakeholders;
• Provide steering for the adaptation and effective implementation of Girls Get Equal Campaign and Powering the Movement approach at the European Union level;
• Lead on the monitoring, evaluation and learning of influencing approaches, tools and actions with a view of increasing the impact of the EUO’s work towards the EU. Proposing new and innovative ways to present and articulate girl’s rights and gender equality. Stimulate creative thinking within the Influencing team to deliver smart, engaging advocacy and campaign tactics on EU level;
• Showcase the work of PI with peer organisations and at key influencing opportunities, building allies and supporters at EU level;
• Ensure that PI’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in the EUO influencing activities and initiatives, in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy, including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.

3. Internal Management/Coordination and Leadership

• Creation and stewarding of new frameworks, procedures, standards and/or systems that are needed to improve EUO’s capacity to work with strategic partners at scale;
• Lead internal efforts to resolve cross-cutting issues relevant to EU engagement;
• Lead on delivering effective internal communications across the EUO and the organisation in general, such as contributing to the EUO Management and Coordination meetings by strategic inputs and deliverables from the Influencing team’s perspective as well as to the EUO Board Meeting; and to other entities of PI, as relevant;
• Provide inspiring and dynamic leadership and direction to her/his influencing team;
• Lead change and promote a culture of collaboration and knowledge-sharing, results and influence through partnerships and forward-thinking within the influencing team while contributing to the overall EUO strategy and PI in general;
• Act as a leader and role-model of the organisation’s values and purpose;
• Be a reliable and proactive member of the PI EUO Team;
• Ensure that internal relationships are well managed and are constructive/productive.

4. External Networking & Outreach

• Represent and profile/position Plan International as a leading, international, humanitarian and peace-building actor in relevant NGO networks and other coalitions;
• Represent PI and the EUO at meetings or events with EU institutions, in particular the EC, and other external stakeholders as relevant;
• Represent the EUO in networks and meetings within PI as relevant to the role and as mandated by the HoO;
• Participate in training and other activities as required;
• Perform other tasks as requested by the HoO;
• Ensure that all tasks undertaken on behalf of Plan International, either externally or internally, are executed in accordance with the overall aims of PI and in line especially with organisational values, policies and procedures.

Profile Sought

1. Knowledge & Experience

• At least 5 to 7 years professional related experience;
• Understanding of the EU institutions and its decision-making processes;
• Very good knowledge of the EU’s external relations policies and trends;
• In-depth understanding of issues relating to international cooperation, humanitarian and social cohesion sectors and the EU’s role/contributions within;
• Proven experience on child rights, girls rights and gender equality in all three sectors mentioned above;
• Solid experience in leading advocacy, policy, campaigning and communication strategies, in particular on EU level; programmatic and/or advocacy experience in partner countries in support to civil society organisations would be an asset;
• Proven track record in having established significant relationships with the EU institutions;
• Experience in managing diverse team members;
• Network/relationship management experience, preferably with EU personnel (with personnel of other relevant institutions will be an asset) and experience in similar membership organisations, like Plan International federation;
• Proven experience with a diverse, international, multisector/multicultural/multi lingual environment;
• A passion for understanding and demonstrable commitment to women rights and human-rights based approaches, gender equality and inclusion, as well as the role of girls, children, young women and young people as agents of change.

2. Skills & Personal Qualities. Commitment to Plan International values and purpose.

• Fluent in oral and written English and working knowledge of any other language will be considered as an asset;
• Excellent communication, networking, collaboration, consensus-building and inter-personal skills;
• Ability to influence leaders and decision making actors in the EU level, international bodies and within PI;
• Shows initiative, innovative and creative to achieve results, courage to challenge the status quo and question the way PI works;
• Excellent leadership and team building skills;
• Intuition for success, results focused and ability to work to a consistently high standard, managing stress effectively whilst prioritising multiple tasks and competing deadlines;
• Effective relationship management skills at a senior level;
• Highly positive and proactive with high-level influencing and negotiating skills;
• Strong strategic skills, including leading development of influencing strategies;
• Strength in forming relationships and motivating colleagues around implementing strategies;
• Takes responsibility for their actions, and learns from their successes and failures;
• Understanding of complexity of problems and possesses investigative, analytical, and creative thinking skills required to solve them;
• Has a positive impact on those around her/him and ability to lead a major change while keeping the team and partners on board;
• Willingness to travel, including to remote and conflict areas if necessary

WORKING CONDITIONS

Duration: CDI (Belgian permanent contract)
Status: Full-time (5 days = 37.5 hrs./week)
Salary: Based on experience
Benefits: 20 legal holidays + 4 PLAN holidays, pension scheme, life insurance cover, hospitalization, dental and outpatient cover, meal vouchers, work-related public transport costs
Travel: Yes, travel might be necessary depending on need, within or outside Europe, including to projects and operations
Reporting: The position reports to the Head of Office/EU Representative, Plan International EU Office

HOW TO APPLY

If you meet the skills requirements above and are interested in applying for this post, please send your CV (no Europass) and cover letter in English to EUORecruitment@plan-international.org with “Application: Head of Influencing” in the subject.

Deadline for applications is the 7th February 2021 at 23:59, Local Time in Brussels, Belgium. Interviews will take place in the third week of February 2021.

Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed. Due to high volumes of applications received, should you not have received feedback on your application within two weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy. 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 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.

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