Program Unit Manager at Plan International

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
Qualifications/ experience essential:

Essential

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Project Management, Development studies and related disciplines.
• At least 7 Years’ experience in relevant field preferable in management of multiple projects
• A minimum 3 Years in a leadership/managerial role
• Demonstrable experience managing projects with budgets over and above US$1 million preferably across various thematic areas.
• Demonstrable experience in project cycle management
• Effective team management experience
• Thorough knowledge of programming methodologies.
• Demonstrable experience in Gender Transformative programming
• Sound understanding of integrated and rights-based programming.
• Willingness to sign and adhere to the Plan International Kenya policy on safeguarding children and young people.

Good Interpersonal / Communication skills

• Leadership skills
• Results oriented
• Strategic planning skills
• Teamwork and Cooperation
• Analytical skills
• Risk management

Desirable

• Master’s Degree
• Relevant computer skills
• Monitoring and Evaluation Skills
• Gender Transformative programming skills
• Knowledge in child sponsorship program

Languages required

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Kiswahili and English.

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of gender and inclusion and global/local development issues, with particular knowledge in girls’ rights and child rights, feminist movements, the key actors and institutions, and the power dynamics involved.
• Mastery of key gender inequalities, gaps, barriers and opportunities at the national, regional and global level and gender and inclusion in programs, and especially for children and girls.
• In-depth understanding of the policies, processes, institutions and organizations that shape the development and humanitarian context and standards within Kenya.
• Understanding of the implications of working with a rights-based approach to development and is able to analyze the situation of children’s and particularly girls’ rights in his/her working context
• In-depth knowledge on different types of partnerships and civil society strengthening and capacity building. Understanding issues, principles and strategies and their root causes and working with Plan’s principles and a range of strategies and approaches to improve outcomes

Skills

• Ability to lead project managers and staff to design and implement evidence-based solutions for gender transformative programmes, and to provide monitoring and quality assurance support to the programme areas.
• Ability to apply a range of gender and inclusion analysis tools and conduct high-quality and nuanced gender and inclusion analysis from a child rights perspective.
• Ability to influence power holders about the need for and benefits of addressing gender equality and inclusion, including being able to offer a range of evidence-based solutions.
• Mastery of the ability to analyze the social and political structures, dynamics and power relations that enable/exclude girls and boys from enjoying the fulfilment of their rights and equality.
• Excellent relationship building skills – networking, influencing and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to identify, analyze and monitor diverse, relevant external actors to work with and understand the purpose and implications of working with them.
• Experience in developing strong, equal and robust partnership contracts or experience in strengthening civil society
• Experience in capacity building
• Hand in experience and skill in result based MERL system