Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian non-profit organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We believe in the power and potential of every child, but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Policy & Advocacy Lead – Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (SOYEE)

Location: Nigeria
Type of Role: 7 month Fixed Term Contract (Maternity Cover), starting mid – Decemeber 2022
Functional Area: Gender Transformative Policy & Practice – SOYEE Collaboration Hub
Reports To: Lead of SOYEE Collaboration Hub and Head of Profession Policy & Advocacy
Grade: GH4

The Opportunity
The SOYEE Collaboration Hub aims to build young people’s skills and employability in preparation for work in all contexts, including waged employment and entrepreneurship opportunities improving household economic security and financial inclusion, and engaging with the private sector to provide learning and work opportunities for young people, especially young women.

Role Purpose

• To lead Plan International’s gender transformative policy & advocacy work that creates large scale change for girls as part of the SOYEE Collaboration Hub, supporting overall global policy and advocacy that protects and advances girls’ rights at the international level, and the development of holistic programme and influencing models.
• To share expertise and knowledge, internally and externally, to embed gender transformative policy & advocacy at all levels and in all contexts across Plan International in order to tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability.

Key Accountabilities or Main Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and implementation of an integrated evidence-based influencing framework on SOYEE, relevant to both humanitarian and development contexts, harnessing the power of digital technologies and linking global to regional, national, and local level advocacy
• Create robust policy analysis, maintaining an understanding of global policy trends on SOYEE to ensure positions are updated and colleagues are kept informed.
• Lead the production of evidence-based SOYEE policy positions and briefings to support advocacy, campaigning and communications work
• Develop new research with external and internal partners to address key policy and knowledge gaps related to SOYEE
• Initiate and lead coordinated international advocacy action on SOYEE
• Prepare advocacy briefings, key messages, and presentations/speeches, and contribute to event planning to advance advocacy objectives
• Build and manage relationships with key external and internal partners to further SOYEE and Plan International objectives.
• Undertake external representation and speaking roles at external events and secure meaningful roles for other Plan International experts to gain strategic benefits
• Participate in and contribute to the core group of the global SOYEE network
• Share knowledge and expertise across the organisation to strengthen the quality of gender transformative policy work on SOYEE
• Support SOYEE programme and project quality consistent with strategy, policy and programme cycles
• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People 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 (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience of developing policy positions on SOYEE with a strong understanding of children’s rights and gender equality in a country, multi country or global context and of using a variety of advocacy approaches
• Lived experience working in the countries or regions in which Plan International has programmes and an understanding of NGO structures, the girls and women’s equality movement and the UN human rights and humanitarian system and solid practice understanding different contexts.
• Knowledge of international politics, political processes and policy development
• Experience in policy and advocacy work with international actors in humanitarian and development settings, particularly in the area of SOYEE
• A robust understanding of SOYEE models and approaches in both rural and urban settings is desirable.

Competencies: Leadership and Business and Management:

• Strong communication, representational and inter-personal skills
• Coordination and network chairing skills
• Ability to work to a high standard, managing stress effectively whilst prioritising multiple tasks and competing deadlines
• Sound diplomatic and networking skills and experience in the effective use of soft power.
• Ability to frame issues and identify routes to influence
• Ability to work in a matrixed and networked team and build organizational and staff capacity.
• Substantial subject matter expertise in SOYEE
• Understands key programme and influence principles
• Able to shape strategy, policy, standards and plans.
• Profound understanding developmental issues, their drivers and root causes.

Salary
We will be happy to disclose the salary and applicable benefits to applicants as part of this process, however, please kindly note that the salary and employment benefits will be set according to your location and therefore it is not possible to include full details here.

Application Closing Date
25th September, 2022.