National Coordinator - Child Protection

The National Coordinator - Child Protection provides technical and operational guidance in designing and delivering strategies and actions that support children, adolescents and youth, especially girls and young women, to live free from all forms of violence. The role supports the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact from child protection and gender-based violence interventions and engages in external representation on priority child protection and gender equality issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of Child Protection interventions, including gender transformative projects in line with Plan International’s guidelines and Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Development and Humanitarian settings.
• Develop interventions considering short-term and longer-term programming to respond to evolving needs of children and young people.
• Ensure child protection, gender and inclusion programming and influencing activities are results-oriented and respond to needs of children and young people.
• Conduct child protection needs assessments and gender analyses to inform program design and influencing work.
• Collaborate with programme thematic leads to ensure coordinated and integrated CP programming.
• Keep abreast of national/regional/international development priorities on child protection, gender and social inclusion.
• Formulate, design and prepare programs/projects proposals aligned with country strategy and national priorities.
• Provide technical guidance in child rights, gender and social inclusion programming throughout project management cycle.
• Ensure project plans include outcome-level monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Coordinate implementation of child protection, gender and social inclusion activities with relevant partners.
• Provide technical leadership in project reflection meetings and stock-taking.
• Draft and review scopes of work for hiring and managing technical consultants.
• Conduct field supportive supervision of project teams.
• Participate in proposal development to secure new grants and meet fundraising targets.
• Provide technical inputs to Business Development for high-quality concept notes and proposals.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors and development partners.
• Engage with development partners and donors to mobilize resources and funding.
• Identify areas for continuous improvement to create protective environment for children.
• Train staff and partners on child rights programming, gender and social inclusion.
• Provide technical support to partners to improve child protection and gender transformative programming.
• Contribute to knowledge management by identifying best practices and lessons learned.
• Build and scale-up programme approaches from lessons learnt.
• Build strategic relationships with government ministries, UN agencies, NGOs and private sector.
• Work with actors to influence policy frameworks for child friendly enabling environment.
• Represent Plan International Malawi in child protection fora, networks, clusters and inter-agency meetings.
• Lead documentation and sharing of best practices with communications department.
• Ensure embedding of Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Gender Equality policies.
• Provide guidance in identifying and mitigating risks related to youth participation and programme implementation.
• Advocate internally for adaptations of policies and behaviours to ensure strategic, meaningful, inclusive and safe youth collective action.
• Monitor internal and external environment affecting programme planning and implementation.
• Demonstrate flexibility and strategic thinking in working with government officials to gain support for programmes.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in Social Science, International Development, Gender Development, Human Rights, International Development, Law, Public Policy or other related field with 8 years of practical experience in Child Protection. Those with a Bachelors’ degree but with at least 8 years of Child protection experience will be considered.
• Experience in the development of Gender Transformative Child Protection programs and projects, including translating design into solid implementation with sound results.
• Experience in planning and facilitating training/workshops on Child Protection and Safeguarding.
• Experience in writing/contributing significantly to successful grant proposals.
• Experience working with children and understanding their special needs.
• Experience with rights-based approaches.
• Experience managing staff, including demonstrated experience in staff training, coaching, and mentoring.
• Experience in Civil society strengthening and engagement.
• Ability to multitask and work under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Experience working directly in gender, age, disability or social inclusion programming, related issues and/or broader protection issues, preferably in an NGO, UN context.
• Strong representation, moderation, and facilitation skills to represent child protection portfolio to internal and external audiences.
• Solid experience in resource mobilisation with a variety of donors.
• Sound conceptual and strategic thinking.
• Demonstrated organisational skill.
• Flexibility and ability to multi-task under pressure.
• Negotiation at different levels and effective interpersonal skills, including the ability to build relationships with colleagues with diverse experiences.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including presentation and public speaking.
• Knowledge and practical experience of engaging and partnering with youth movements, youth organising and influencing.
• Knowledge and working experience on gender norms and approaches to change/transform power relations and safeguarding.
• Ability to work well in frequently changing contexts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Leadership analysis/coaching skills.
• Strong team building and motivational skills.

Skills

• Child Protection Program Design
• Gender Transformative Programming
• Training Facilitation
• Grant Proposal Drafting
• Rights-Based Approaches
• Staff Management
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Civil Society Engagement
• Gender Programming
• Age and Disability Inclusion
• Protection Programming
• Representation and Facilitation
• Resource Mobilization
• Strategic Thinking
• Organizational Skills
• Negotiation
• Youth Engagement
• Gender Norms Analysis
• Safeguarding
• Analytical Skills
• Leadership Coaching

Languages

English