Country Director – Cameroon

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 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting time for Plan International as we embark on a new strategy for 2017-2021. Our global strategy defines who we are, why we exist, the change we want to see in the world and how we will contribute to making change happen. It underpins everything we do, guiding all our work in all parts of the federation.

To achieve greater change in children’s lives we will dramatically transform how we operate and we need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to steer our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to transform the lives of 100 million girls globally.

The role of Country Director is a truly influential position that comes with full accountability for Plan International’s operations and results. You will help to realise our vision by shaping and implementing Plan International’s strategy at a country level. Your talents as a leader and communicator will inspire Plan International employees and volunteers while engaging partners, government, local communities and our other stakeholders. And, on an operational level, you will bring a focused approach to key responsibilities such as risk management, income growth, the disbursement of project funds and the oversight of projects.

As Country Director you will lead a high performing team to deliver Plan International’s programme and influencing work, creating positive change for girls through advocacy and campaigns and ensuring that we are able to respond to the emergency and development needs of the most marginalised children.

You will drive transformative change, ensuring that the country operating model is fit for purpose, that we have the right funding mix to achieve our ambition and our organisational values are truly embedded.

With a demonstrable commitment to gender equality, you will lead by example in ensuring gender equality is evident in everything we do, working with your team to build a culture that ensures we are champions for girls and gender equality

Plan International commenced operations in 1996 and has since established five Programme Implementing & Influencing Areas (PIIAs) – Maroua (Far North Region, Garoua (North Region), Bertoua (East Region) Bamenda (Northwest Region), and Biteng (Centre Region). Plan International is a major player in the education, child protection, nutrition, health, and livelihood sectors in Cameroon, and plays very active roles in the national sector groups. Plan International Cameroon is currently the lead organisation of a sub-recipients’ group of three organisations for the Global Fund/Government funded Malaria project since 2012.

Do you have what it takes?

As Country Director, you will be adept at developing people, building relationships, and creating a strong sense of purpose and collaboration for all those around you. You will bring genuine passion, determination, and fresh thinking to our work – with the aim of expanding both our reach and our impact, and making change work for millions of children.

Your deep understanding of child rights and gender in development and knowledge of the concepts of sustainable community development and of participatory approaches and practice in development interventions will be essential.

You will lead by example in ensuring gender equality is evident in everything we do from staffing, to programing and influencing, to ways of working. You will work with your team to bring about the right culture that ensures we are champions for girls and gender equality.

You will lead a motivated team, ensure legal compliance, and be ready and able to respond to emergency and development needs of the most marginalised children, especially girls.

You will have proven networking and negotiation skills with governmental and non-governmental actors including strong diplomatic and communication skills, including through mass-media in order to influence decision-makers and key stakeholders.

Appreciation of the historical, security context, political environment, economic, social/religious and humanitarian context in Cameroon or a comparable environment.

Please follow this link for a full role profile and person specification;

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eta49o6ffgajr4i/Job%20Description%20CD%20Cameroon.docx?dl=0

Location: Yoaunde, Cameroon

Type of Role: Three year fixed term contract

Grade: H

Closing Date: Tuesday 30th October

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 only applications and CVs written in English will be accepted.

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

As an international child centred 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.