Head of Syria Programme

The Organisation

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 80 countries.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Head of Syria Programme provides strategic leadership for Plan International’s development and humanitarian programmes for Syria programme, overseeing programme strategy, technical support, programme effectiveness, knowledge management, learning, and overall programme implementation. The Head of Syria Programme is responsible for leading a large technical and programmatic team in designing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating gender transformative programme interventions and partnerships. S/he is accountable for the overall performance of the programmes and operations for the Syria programme.

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

Under the direct supervision of the Country Director and being part of the Country Leadership Team (CLT), the Head of Syria Programme is in charge of overseeing Plan International programmes for Syria. S/he works closely with other CLT members, the BDM, Comms, Finance, Operations, and HR Department to ensure all programmes are designed and managed in an efficient and quality manner. S/he is also responsible for developing Plan’s strategic partnerships with local, national, and international actors, in addition to donors.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Programme Strategic Direction
 Lead a large team with diverse skills including programme quality and other technical experts and support services
 Lead the design of a quality recovery/development programme based on the Lebanon Country strategy programme in close coordination with the CD and supported by the Country Leadership Team.
 Contribute to resource mobilization of this portfolio and explore funding opportunities in coordination with the Business Development team in line with the agreed country strategy.
 Ensure management of partners and maintain relationships with our internal and external stakeholders.
 Ensure appropriate coordination with the Lebanon programme.
 Draft and supervise a satisfactory communication strategy with donors and stakeholders.
 Be a member of the country leadership team and Represent CD and Plan in various meetings and events as required.

Programme Management and Delivery
 Oversee the management of the Syria programmes, in line with Plan International’s standard policies and procedures with a specific focus on children and gender.
 Ensure efficient and fully compliant financial management in the allocation/budgeting, disbursement, and accounting for all resources allocated to programmes.
 Monitor programme performance and budget utilization and advise on corrective measures.
 Ensure that all project expenditures are on time and according to the budget, and oversee and guide any budget re-phasing and reallocation exercises as required.

Programme Quality
 Ensure the quality of programmes is in line with Plan International global quality standards, sustainable development goals, Programme Strategy, and local sectoral plan.
 Ensure relevant policies, in particular gender equality and child & youth safeguarding, are embedded within the programme cycle.
 Ensure that partners and relevant stakeholders have appropriate capacity-strengthening opportunities both in project management and technical areas.
 Ensure the development and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) frameworks at all levels.

Representation and Partnerships
Provide strategic oversight in the identification and engagement of partners in line with Plan International partnership principles and strategy.
 Provide oversight in the development of standards and guidelines for partnership management, and ensure that they are regularly updated, understood, and reflected in practice.
 Build relationships with Plan International National Offices (NOs) and Country Offices (COs within the MEESA region) to highlight impactful projects for scale-up and expansion.
 Engage with relevant humanitarian and development actors and clusters, ensuring appropriate information is provided and shared in a timely manner
Engage with government actors, donors, and key stakeholders for collaborative working relationships to position Plan International as a leader in the achievement of girls’ rights.

People Management & Development
 Develop and manage a high-performing team that delivers excellent Programme work, using child-centred, participatory, and gender-transformative approaches in line with Global and Country Strategy.
 Manage individuals across the programmes team to ensure full development of potential through induction, mentoring, coaching, training, and performance management, ensuring compliance in all core policy areas.
 Support staff to understand and comply with the organizational vision, mission, strategic direction, and other organizational policies, including Gender and Child Safeguarding.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of:
 Programme management, including for large multi-sectoral projects;
 The donor landscape in Syria, in addition to donors’ strategy and requirements;
 In-depth knowledge of different types of partnerships and civil society strengthening and capacity building.
 Humanitarian principles and “do no harm” approach.
 Knowledge of complex and protracted development and humanitarian landscapes.
 Mastery of key gender inequalities, gaps, barriers, and opportunities at the national, regional, and global levels and gender and inclusion in programs, especially for children and girls.
 Knowledge of the main sectors of Plan International, including Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Education, and Youth Economic Empowerment.

Qualifications and Experience
 A Bachelor’s degree in Social work, International Relations, Development, or any other relevant field.
 7-10 years of demonstrated experience in programming in a humanitarian/refugee setting, preferably in development and humanitarian issues affecting children and families
 Strong programmatic background with proven experience in understanding and management of areas such as Sexual and Reproductive Health, Child Protection, and Education.
 Senior Leadership and management experience in Project management including planning and scheduling, process design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, preferably in an INGO Environment
 Experience managing, coaching, and mentoring teams, including senior staff
 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
 HEAT / FAST training

Skills
 Strong financial and operational skills.
 Strong organizational abilities; able to prioritise and manage short-term and continuing projects across diverse themes despite competing deadlines.
 Strong commitment to child safeguarding policies both inside and outside the workplace, and experience working with children in a development environment.
 Ability and experience in adapting to systems & processes
 Strong character traits, including teamwork, striving for high performance,
 Emotional stability, adaptability, and ability to handle stress,
 Strong initiative and self-motivation, cultural and gender sensitivity, and honesty.
 Excellent relationship-building, networking, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
 Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) 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.
2. Complies with corporate policies and standards: Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, IT Policy, Anti–Fraud and Corruption Policy, Confidentiality Policy, Code of Conduct, Whistle Blowing, HR Policies, and Procedures.
3. Ensures commitment to Plan’s position on promoting girls’ rights and gender equality, and integrating this into all aspects of work.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Internal: Emergency Response Team, Country Director, Lebanon Team
External: Partners

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE

We are open and accountable
1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact
1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together
1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
2. We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
3. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN:
Low Contact

TRAVEL
Regular local and international travel is required

Location: Beirut

Type of Role: Emergency Response - Head of Programme

Reports to: Country Director

Grade: E

Closing Date: July 12, 2023

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

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 is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

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.

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