- Plan International
- Brussels, Belgium (Remote)
- Contract staff
Senior Strategy Manager
- Plan International
Brussels, Belgium
Contract staff
Published:
Application Deadline: April 30, 2025
- Plan International
Brussels, Belgium
Contract staff
Published:
Application Deadline: April 30, 2025
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.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
As the Senior Strategy Manager you will be responsible for providing management and oversight of advancing priorities, staying abreast and ahead of external trends and strategic opportunities so Plan International remains at the forefront of the girls’ and children’s rights agendas. You will be responsible for the long-term vision, standing up and incubating critical projects and initiatives that leverage internal and external opportunities, as well as position the organization for increased impact.
YOUR PROFILE:
Please click here for a full role profile - Senior Strategy Manager_ JD_March2025.docx.
Please respond to the requirements of the role in your cover letter. Only CVs and cover letters in English will be accepted.
ROLE PURPOSE:
This role exists to provide co-leadership and oversight of advancing strategic priorities, staying abreast and ahead of external trends and strategic opportunities so Plan remains at the forefront of the girls’ and children’s rights agendas. The Senior Strategy Manager (alongside another Senior Manager) is responsible for the long-term vision, standing up and incubating critical projects and initiatives that leverage internal and external opportunities, as well as position the organization for increased impact.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE:
ACCOUNTABILITIES:
KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:
Knowledge
Skills
Behaviours
PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE:
We are open and accountable
We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.
We strive for lasting impact
We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.
We work well together
We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.
We are inclusive and empowering
We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN:
WHAT WE OFFER:
Applicable locations include: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, United Kingdom, US, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.
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.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
As the Senior Strategy Manager you will be responsible for providing management and oversight of advancing priorities, staying abreast and ahead of external trends and strategic opportunities so Plan International remains at the forefront of the girls’ and children’s rights agendas. You will be responsible for the long-term vision, standing up and incubating critical projects and initiatives that leverage internal and external opportunities, as well as position the organization for increased impact.
YOUR PROFILE:
- You bring strong experience in developing global strategies and supporting strategic decision-making, ideally within consultancy or the strategy function of a global organisation. You’re confident working with data and analytics, and while experience in an INGO or federated organisation is desirable;
- You have solid project and portfolio management skills, and a background in business or operating model design. You're comfortable engaging and influencing senior leaders, navigating complex structures, and building strong relationships across geographies and cultures;
- You’re a strategic thinker with excellent analytical skills, a problem-solving mindset, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly. You stay calm under pressure, manage multiple priorities, and bring a high level of organisation and attention to detail;
- Driven by purpose, you’re committed to gender equality and children’s rights, able to manage risk thoughtfully, and confident working in dynamic, fast-changing environments. You bring initiative, adaptability, and a solutions-focused approach to everything you do.
Please click here for a full role profile - Senior Strategy Manager_ JD_March2025.docx.
Please respond to the requirements of the role in your cover letter. Only CVs and cover letters in English will be accepted.
ROLE PURPOSE:
This role exists to provide co-leadership and oversight of advancing strategic priorities, staying abreast and ahead of external trends and strategic opportunities so Plan remains at the forefront of the girls’ and children’s rights agendas. The Senior Strategy Manager (alongside another Senior Manager) is responsible for the long-term vision, standing up and incubating critical projects and initiatives that leverage internal and external opportunities, as well as position the organization for increased impact.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE:
- Lead on or support discrete strategic projects that contribute to realising the Global Strategy and future proofing the organisation, including but not limited to:
- Support the development of Plan International’s organisational long-term vision of what the iNGO of the future should look like. A vision for the role, shape and size of the organisation that enhances the organisation’s legitimacy, relevance, and impact as a global player in advancing girls’ rights in the future;
- Key priorities focused on exploring and establishing alternate funding structures including social finance (and via Plan Europe project), as well as efforts to strengthen individual giving opportunities and impact (via the Next Gen initiative).
- Help facilitate the Global Strategy review process, refreshes, and set-up for the next Strategy – supporting the CSEO, CEO, and Plan International Leadership Team;
- Supporting ‘Big Bets’ thinking, including efforts related to mergers and acquisition, utilisation of artificial intelligence, and other linked opportunities;
- Undertake ongoing horizon scanning to ensure that globally, regionally, and at the country-office level Plan International is actively preparing for and adjusting to opportunities and threats on the horizon;
- Engage and mobilize strategy networks within and outside the sector to improve strategy practice and to contribute to the sector’s progress;
- Partner with teams around the annual planning and budgeting process. Ensure alignment to the Global Strategy.
ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Clear vision for the role, shape and size of the organisation in the future;
- Ambitious and evidence-led strategy development to the highest standards;
- Improved ability to respond to opportunities and threats;
- Timely adjustment to strategy based on horizon scanning insights;
- Strategy is socialised and understood across the organisation;
- Strategy implementation is coordinated, progressed, and tracked;
- Insightful and critical strategic projects delivered;
- Countries operate with operating models that are consistent with their contexts;
- 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.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
- International Board and Members’ Assembly;
- Global Leadership team, Regional Leadership Teams and Country Management Teams;
- Strategy and Engagement department;
- Staff across Global Hub departments, Country Offices and National Organisations;
- Strategy and horizon scanning networks outside the organization;
- Peer organizations endeavouring to enhance strategy practice;
- Specific partners related to strategic initiatives.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:
Knowledge
- Good knowledge of and previous experience of developing global strategies and strategic decision making;
- Significant experience in consultancy, the strategy function of a global organisation or experience across several functions highly desirable;
- Good understanding of analytics approaches, capabilities and models;
- Good understanding of working in an INGO (desirable);
- Good understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges that working in a global federated/membership organisation can bring (desirable).
Skills
- Project planning and management;
- Portfolio management (e.g. managing programmes, projects or ventures);
- Business design/operating model design experience;
- Facilitating, influencing and negotiating with senior executives;
- Understanding, building relationships and engaging tactfully across geographies and cultures;
- Outstanding strategic and financial analysis and evaluation;
- High degree of problem solving and identifying creative solutions;
- Business improvement or process improvement experience;
- Strong written and verbal presentation skills.
Behaviours
- Ambitious and driven, tempered with effective risk management;
- Highly organised, detail-oriented and structured approach;
- Resolves and/or escalates issues in a timely fashion;
- Interest in and commitment to advancing gender equality and the rights of children - especially girls;
- Ability to navigate sensitive internal discussions diplomatically, understanding and respecting diverse perspectives;
- Takes initiative and navigates through ambiguity;
- Calm and effective under pressure, and works efficiently to prioritize and meet multiple deadlines;
- Logical and structured in approach;
- Holds a high-quality standard and helps others meet standard;
- Comfortable working with and appropriately challenging senior focals within a complex governance and management structure;
- Solution-oriented and willing to adapt to changes in demands;
- Builds trust and understanding amongst stakeholders.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE:
We are open and accountable
We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.
We strive for lasting impact
We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.
We work well together
We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.
We are inclusive and empowering
We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:
- Typical office environment.
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN:
- Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction.
WHAT WE OFFER:
- Location: The location of this role can be flexible where Plan International has an office* that can employ on behalf of the Global Hub and you have the pre-existing right to work and live;
- Type of Role: 12 month fixed term contract;
- Salary: We will be happy to disclose the salary and applicable benefits to applicants as part of this process, however, please kindly note that the salary and employment benefits will be set according to your location and therefore it is not possible to include full details here;
- Closing Date: 30th April 2025 (UK Midnight)
Applicable locations include: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, United Kingdom, US, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.
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