Programme Support Advisor 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: Programme Support Advisor

Location: Abuja

Role Purpose

• The purpose of the role is to lead the Proposal Development process for Plan International Nigeria’s country programme objectives.
• The role will involve putting together Grant bid materials (proposals, presentations and concept notes), design and lead on proposal development workshops, design and validate consortia/bid team inputs, provide high quality proposal designs and review, and support the capacity building and training of programme teams and local partners on proposal development.

Dimensions of the Role:

• Effectively manage communication with Plan International’s National Offices (NOs) and related donor agencies. The post holder will manage the proposal development process of the Country Programme in close coordination with the Programmes Teams.
• The post holder will be expected to build proposal-writing capacity of Plan International Nigeria staff.
• She/he should have experience of living and working in developing countries; must have strong writing skills and will bring a well-established record of accomplishment of developing winning funding proposals to donors such as USAID, EC, ECHO, GAC, DFID, SIDA, GFFO, GIZ, UN Agencies, etc.  
• She/he must have the ability to build networks with strategic partners and coordinate with the different units within the organization during the proposal development process.

Accountabilities

• Lead the project design and proposal development process by coordinating with technical specialists, finance, HR, procurement and other relevant departments to receive quality input and in a timely manner to develop and submit high quality proposals that are aligned to donor regulations.
• Regularly interface with programmes staff to ensure that awarded projects are being implemented in line with the initial project design.
• Serve as one of the focal points for National Offices (NOs) on communication during proposal development process and reporting
• Share regular updates on projects with NOs in close coordination with the Programme staff.
• Regularly attend donor meetings and update the Country Team appropriately.
• In close collaboration with Resource Mobilization Manager engage with NOs about upcoming funding opportunities and communicate them to the Programmes team to prepare go/ no-go decisions
• In collaboration with Country Office Grants Team support Project Managers and Technical Specialists in start-up workshops to ensure that donor regulations are shared with project staff for compliance
• In collaboration with Grants Team, provide advice on institutional donor requirements and private foundations including reporting timeliness and expectations.
• Maintain relationships with donor in country by sharing briefs and reports with donors. This includes maintaining networks and actively engaging in knowledge sharing, information dissemination about Plan International Nigeria.
• Work closely with Resource Mobilization Manager and Grants Team in supporting signing of new funding agreements.
• In collaboration with Country Office Grants Unit maintain up to date knowledge on donor funded projects and ensure reporting is completed to the donor in a timely manner.
• Support with the drafting of external reports and work with programme teams to finalize these in accordance with requirements and timelines.
• Facilitate the initial start-up of the new project including, start-up workshops, SAP project set-up, recruitment, work plan preparation, donor coordination  

Key Relationships:

• Support the preparation of reports for domestic and international consumption.
• Provide timely responses concerning queries linked with relevant projects or programme.
• Provide support to Plan International Nigeria’s programme delivery and resource mobilization.
• Work with other members of the CO to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge

• A degree in Development Studies, Business Studies, or Social Science (Master’s degree or equivalent in international affairs, development or related subject will be an added advantage). Experience in the INGO sector with at least 3-5 years of work experience on a similar role.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Knowledge and skills: General knowledge and understanding of Humanitarian Principles and core standards e.g. CPIE Minimum standards, Core Humanitarian Standards, SPHERE and other relevant international standard for humanitarian response
• Ability to work effectively with diverse international teams.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform.
• Proficiency in word processing and Microsoft Office applications
• Must exhibit excellent knowledge of donor funded development and humanitarian programme design.
• Ability to design, conceptualize and interpret project Log frame.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems, think and plan strategically, and communicate with key actors in a dynamic and unpredictable operating environment
• Demonstrated strong management, coordination, teamwork and planning skills with proven ability to function effectively with multiple counterparts in private, public and NGO sectors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English including excellent facilitation skills and demonstrated technical writing skills for publication.

Behaviours:

• Creates strong sense of purpose and commitment within own part of the team and with stakeholders
• Holds self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and standards of behaviour
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism/integrity
• Strategic thinking and effective contribution to own work and Organizational development.
• Sound judgement and decision-making in complex situations
• Strong emotional intelligence including self-awareness.
• Leads by example to motivate high performance of others
• Very strong commitment to continuous learning

Physical Environment:

• Typical office environment. Post holder will be based Abuja with frequent visits to the field offices, North-East Nigeria inclusive

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