Deployable Humanitarian Diplomacy Policy & Advocacy Specialist

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 know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. 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.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

Plan International Country Offices in response to an emergency, often need additional experts to support their response and help those affected by crises. Plan International’s core surge team is composed of technical, global experts who can deploy to emergency responses. Each deployment is context-specific and negotiated. The post holder will be expected to provide leadership to their area of technical specialism to support the country team they are deployed to.

Core surge team members are globally roving and work away from their home base continuously, who can deploy urgently from a few weeks up to four months per assignment. Core surge is typically deployed to country programmes for up to nine months a year (pro rata for part-time posts). When not deployed (or on annual leave), core surge team members may be assigned project/proactive work.

Plan’s Global Humanitarian Team prioritises supporting our staff and partner organisations at the frontline of humanitarian responses, Country Offices and National Organisations by providing expertise and specialist services in real time, closer to the point of impact and scale up humanitarian action, strengthen core humanitarian and lifesaving assistance and raise more funds.

This Deployable Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Specialist sits within the Global Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy, and Diplomacy Unit. This unit is one of four global humanitarian capability units at Plan.

The Opportunity

Plan International’s global strategy has placed an increased emphasis on influencing as a key strategy to achieve the outcomes we seek for children in both development and humanitarian contexts. Humanitarian policy, advocacy, and diplomacy has a critical role to play to ensure children, and particularly girls, realise their rights before, during and after disasters and conflicts and disease outbreaks, and therefore makes an important contribution to the implementation of Plan International’s Global Strategy. Emergencies provide an opportunity to call on humanitarian actors, including governments, donors and other agencies, to respond effectively to the needs and rights of children, and especially girls, to deliver on commitments and implement policies. Emergencies can also present a window of opportunity for changing discourse and policy.

In early December, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs launched their Global Humanitarian Overview 2024. The forecast is terrifying. In 2024, nearly 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection, due to conflicts, climate emergencies, and other drivers. Humanitarian diplomacy is crucial in a fragile world – and in allowing us to best deliver for people in crisis – and our Global Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy, and Diplomacy Unit – and this deployable specialist role are key.

At times you will be expected to develop context specific humanitarian policy, advocacy, and diplomacy initiatives. You will be an important colleague in helping us ensure that our teams worldwide are supported and equipped with the ability to conduct humanitarian diplomacy, to negotiate, to be influential humanitarian advocates no matter their position or sectoral focus, and to uphold the humanitarian values and principles.

The Requirements

• Considerable and demonstrable experience in advocacy strategy and messaging development, particularly in humanitarian contexts.
• Proven experience and highly developed skills in policy influencing at the national level with a range of audiences, including experience in conveying complex messages in politically sensitive environments.
• Demonstrable and substantive knowledge of current humanitarian issues and relevant legal and policy frameworks
• Specific knowledge and expertise on children’s rights and gender in emergencies
• Demonstrable commitment to gender equality
• An in depth understanding of the humanitarian architecture, coordination mechanisms and its various working groups, including experience in influencing within these structures
• Discretion and sound reasoning in delaing with sensitive matters; ability to independently solve complex and challenging problems
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively and smartly within a complex organisation balancing consultations and coordination with getting things done.
• Strong networking and negotiation skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships in a range of cultural contexts
• Experience managing themselves in a pressured and changing environment.
• Adherence to humanitarian values and standards.
• Working proficiency in Microsoft applications and able to effectively adapt to relevant Plan International data systems.
• Committed to actively upholding Plan International’s vision, values and behaviours and policies, including the Say Yes! To Keeping Children Safe Policy.