Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization 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

To create jobs and harness the power of a growing youth population to strengthen the economy, Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious plan to build industrial parks near urban centers. Aimed at increasing domestic light-manufacturing capacity and bolstering exports, these industrial parks have the potential to create millions of jobs both within and outside the parks.

Large industrial parks employing tens-of-thousands of workers are a completely new phenomenon for both host communities and workers themselves in Ethiopia. To help all stakeholders benefit from the Adama, Hawassa, Kombolcha and Yirgalem Industrial Parks, the USAID WWA was created as a public-private partnership to provide a platform for worker, community, government, and private sector engagement. The aim is to increase performance of local businesses, reduce worker attrition at the parks, and build a sustainable program that truly responds to the interests of workers, the community, and companies in the four Industrial Parks.

The Position Holder Provides technical leadership across 4 result areas including (IR 1: Workers Have Improved Access to Information and Services; IR 2: Local Businesses Strengthened to Provide Services to Workers; IR 3: Support planning and research to inform risk mitigation measures and future-proofing strategies to build bridges for long-term sustainability; and IR 4: Strengthen partnerships between communities, workers, and the private sector for improvement of long-term economic strengthening solutions resulting in sustained growth and improved revenues) direct management of a staff of two technical coordinators, the Hawassa Community coordinator and the Yirgalem Project Officer embedded in host communities adjacent to the IPs, build and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders at the community and national levels.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Project leadership and coordination for activity implementation (45%)

• In consultation with the Project Director, the technical lead will provide technical direction and oversight in the design, implementation, and monitoring of work plans and budgets
• Ensure the delivery of Project activities according to the terms and conditions the cooperative agreement and in compliance with donor, government, and Plan International Ethiopia regulations.
• Work with technical leads and other key project personnel to design and implement strategic approaches to expand project activities and innovative approaches
• In coordination with the WWA MERL team, The Technical Lead provides periodic supportive supervision to the IPs so that ensure activities are on track, meet WWAs technical quality standards, and are delivered on schedule and as per the allocated budget.
• Guide and support training and capacity development efforts in support of project activities and deliverables
• Establishes systems for the periodic review of program implementation across the IPs and facilitates necessary mid-course corrections in close collaboration with technical teams.

Reporting and knowledge management (20%)

• Closely engages with Technical Coordinators in the preparation of annual work plans and budgets and closely monitors program performance, expenditures, and burn rates.
• In partnership with the WWA MERL team, ensures high-quality program deliverables—including work plans and donor and government reports—are developed on schedule.
• Supports programmatic knowledge management and facilitates cross-sharing across IPs, including the documentation of success stories, best practices, and lessons learned.
• Develop and execute plans that will result in the long-term sustainability of the intervention
• Plan and implement need based capacity building (technical training) to project staffs
• When delegated, cover the role of the Project Director in their absence.

Partnership management and networking (20%)

• Strengthens the capacity of IPs to cultivate strong partnerships with key stakeholders according to the local context to reach the project goals and sustain results.
• Develops partnership strategy with the technical team and monitors its implementation across the project’s sub-offices.

People management (15%)

• Supports performance management and professional development of direct reports, including ongoing feedback, coaching, and career support.
• Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, and mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility.
• Supervise and lead the technical coordinators and enable them to discharge their responsibilities efficiently and effectively.
• Assist staff developing their Individual Accountability Plan
• Conduct six month & annual appraisals
• Perform any other related duties as assigned by immediate supervisor

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) 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 all staff signed safeguarding policies;
• Implement Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day to day work.

Job Requirements

Qualifications/Experience Essential:

• MA in Sociology, Anthropology, Community development, Development Management, Social work, or another related field
• Minimum 7 years of relevant field experience in progressively responsible coordination experience
• Demonstrates strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to plan, organize, and manage resources for the successful completion of projects.
• Experience/Knowledge of USAID rules, regulations, and policies.
• Experience in partnership management and /or representation is important;
• Ability to demonstrate integrity, responsibility, respect, and innovation in all aspects of the position.
• Demonstrated skills in effectively negotiating with governments signatories, donors, IP stakeholders, and partners
• Demonstrated experience implementing highly adaptive programs, including developing and implementing program strategies in complex and evolving operating environments.
• Strong conceptual, verbal, and written communication skills; both in English & Amharic
• Ability to initiate and organize work while establishing priorities in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment to meet deadlines with attention to detail;
• Ability to develop strong trusting relationships and sound partnerships with local government and Non-Government actors in the sector in order to gain support and achieve results;
• Ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities;

Qualifications/Experience Desirable:

• Experience in Gender & youth programming is a plus
• Experience in managing people
• Ability to deliver to tight deadlines
• Able to work with minimum supervision
• Ability to establish and maintain an internal and external relationship
• Strong negotiating skills.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Experience in training facilitation and needs assessment;

Languages Required

• Fluency in English language is essential
• Knowledge of local languages is a desirable