Deployable Emergency Response Manager at Plan International

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: Deployable Emergency Response Manager

Location: Global (Flexible)
Effective Date: December 2023
Functional Area: Global Humanitarian Team
Reports to: Head of Global Rapid Response and Readiness Unit
Travel Reqired: 80% -With short notice; up to 3 months during a single deployment

Role Purpose

• Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.
• We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives. We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind.
• We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 85 years, and are now active in over80 countries.
• The Deployable Emergency Response Manager is part of Plan International’s surge team and deploys to Country Offices to lead humanitarian operations ensuring high quality programmes. 

Dimensions of the Role

• The post-holder deploys (sometimes at short notice) to support Plan International’s country offices respond to specific humanitarian crises.
• The post-holder is responsible for the management of humanitarian funding for specific crises during deployments.
• During deployments up to 5 staff may report to the post holder and significant numbers of indirect reports. Typically, technical specialists, Finance, HR, Logs, communications/media and policy staff.

Accountabilities
Programming (30%):

• Oversee the management of specific emergency programmes, ensuring response activities are in line with Plan International’s standard policies and procedures.
• Lead on the development of specific humanitarian response strategies, clearly defining key priorities in line with Plan International’s expertise.
• Lead and manage rapid needs assessments, ensuring a clear focus on the specific needs of children and in particular girls. Based on the outcome of the needs assessments provide recommendations to the Country Director and senior management team on programming options and priorities.
• Support the selection of local partner organisations, ensuring alignment with Plan International’s approach and programming priorities in humanitarian crises.
• Support programme technical specialists to ensure programmes are of high quality and have direct positive impact on children affected by crises.
• Ensure appropriate programme quality standards are used in the design and implementation of programmes, particularly SPHERE and its companion guides (such as Child Protection Minimum Standards and Minimum Standards for Education Preparedness, Response and Recovery (INEE)) and the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
• Overall responsibility for preparation of quality reports and updates for different Plan Entities and external actors such as donors.

Representation & Coordination (15%):

• Represent Plan International with the host Government, highlighting key issues of concern impacting on children and in particular on girls.
• Engage with relevant humanitarian fora and clusters in country, ensuring appropriate information is provided in a timely basis (eg 3Ws).
• Maintain and develop in country relations with institutional donors.
• Identify opportunities to establish strategic partnerships with other humanitarian agencies.

Operational Support (15%):

• Supervise operational support functions (finance, HR, logistics)
• Ensure standard Plan International systems and procedures are followed.
• Ensure compliance with national legal requirements
• Together with the in country security manager monitor local security situation, develop appropriate security guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Administration and Finance (10%)

• Ensure that administrative support functions are established and maintained in accordance with Plan International administrative policies and procedures
• Coordinate mobilisation of financial resources related to emergency activities;
• Ensure with the Procurement & Logistics Manager/Officer the establishment and maintenance of a functional procurement and supply chain management system;
• Support the Procurement & Logistics Manager/Officer with the timely and appropriate establishment of all logistics infrastructure.
• Develop appropriate operating budgets for emergency operations.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements.

Human Resources (10%):

• Outline the composition of the emergency team, ensuring clear reporting lines and job descriptions
• Ensure all Emergency Response personnel understand and carry out their duties in accordance with Plan International’s humanitarian values and principles.
• Conduct performance appraisals for Emergency Response Team staff and ensure regular feedback and mentoring on individual performance is provided.

Information Management (5%):

• Oversee and approve sitreps on the emergency response and recovery. Ensure  timely dissemination of situation reports and fundraising material to Plan International’s Headquarters and National Organisations;
• Ensure appropriate information is shared within the organisation and is uploaded to the organisational intranet.

Fundraising (15%):

• Develop an appropriate grant pipeline in collaboration with NOs.
• Support Plan International National Organisations develop appropriate funding submissions to institutional donors and appeal related marketing initiatives.
• Identify potential in-country funding streams and submit funding proposals to these.
• Ensures 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

Dealing with Problems:

• The ERM must be able to analyze complex problems and developments in a rapidly evolving context, and propose and implement solutions;
• The ERM has to be a solid team leader with high performance standards, able to transfer knowledge to the team, mentor and motivate and support team members and ensure cohesive and constructive attitude;
• The ERM has to provide hands-on management in an accountable, transparent and professional manner;
• The ERM has to be able to report and discuss programmatic issues in a constructive manner with his or her supervisor;
• The ERM has to be a resilient, reliable, competent and engaging professional, with a high drive to deliver results and a positive attitude towards challenges.
• The post-holder needs to be extremely creative and persuasive to make things happen even when Plan capacity appears inadequate.  The job requires extensive analysis of a situation combined with a creative and professional requirement for programme design
• The jobholder will need to be able to go into an emergency and lead the establishment of a humanitarian operations even when there is widespread misunderstanding or resistance. Overcoming attitudinal, systemic and physical barriers is critical for success.  A creative approach to problem solving is central to the job.
• The job requires decisions to be made on the basis of assumption and experience, as at times little hard information will be available.  Decisions need to be context specific and there will often be no precedents to draw upon.

Key Relationships:
The post holder will work closely with:

• Global Humanitarian Team ie. Head of Global Rapid Response and Readiness Unit; Head, Child Protection in Humanitarian Action Unit; Global Head of Hunger Response and Resilience Unit and head of Global Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Diplomacy Unit and ream members; surge team members.
• Regional humanitarian managers and team members
• National Organisation humanitarian managers
• Communications teams (at the International headquarters)
• Research, Policy and Advocacy teams (at the International headquarters and country offices).
• Key external stakeholders and partners

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge
Knowledge

• Degree or equivalent in Management or related fields
• Significant field experience of managing emergency programmes in a number of humanitarian crises.
• Demonstrated experience of key practice and standards for humanitarian response such as SPHERE and CHS.
• Significant knowledge of humanitarian response, child protection and disaster risk reduction
• Conversant with the international humanitarian architecture, particularly related to coordination and funding. Demonstrated prior experience of engaging with the humanitarian coordination system and local, regional and global levels.
• Significant programming in emergencies in several continents and diverse contexts
• Experience of designing and delivering training 
• Able to work in English. It is desirable to be able to work in at least one other international language, for example French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic
• Knowledge of humanitarian policies and procedures, Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct
• Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.

Skills:

• Project management including planning and scheduling, process design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation
• Advocacy, influencing and negotiating skills, experienced in gaining commitment from a wide range of people, bringing about change and providing support from a distance
• Networking skills
• Extensive programming experience in Gender in emergencies, particularly related to girls and adolescent girls.
• Training and facilitation

Attitudes:

• Committed to Plan International’s core values;
  • Strives for lasting impact
  • Open and accountable
  • Works well with others
  • Inclusive and empowering
• Communicator and influencer. (representation)
• Experienced with working with senior management.
• Team player and relationship builder.
• Able to work calmly under extreme pressure and at unpredictable hours during emergency response.

Physical Environment

• The post-holder will be expected to travel extensively, sometimes at short notice to join humanitarian responses and where there may be a level of insecurity. Staff will be required to undertake Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) on joining Plan International.

Level of Contact with Children

• Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children

Application Closing Date
31st December, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online