Director - African Union Liaison Office

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.

Our Global Strategy 'All girls standing strong creating global change' has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often lft behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 200 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality in both humanitarian and development settings. Our organisation is transforming itself to meet the enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward thinking and innovative individuals to lead our operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow is to reach our target of 200 million girls.  

The Opportunity

The African Union (AU) is the primary pan African Inter-Governmental platform for promoting and protecting human rights, including the rights of children. 

We are currently recruiting for a Director to lead the Plan International AU Liaison office in its work to influence the AU to drive changes in policy and practice across Africa to improve the situation for children’s rights and equality for girls in line with Plan International's Pan African Advocacy Strategy. 

Specifically, the role is charged with the following accountabilities:

Influencing AU

1. Accountable for defining and delivering Plan International’s engagement with the AU and all its entities with clear and achievable priorities that ensure results are achieved for children’s rights and equality for girls
2. Accountable for building relationships and collaboration between Plan International, AU bodies, African Policy making institutions, civil society and inter-governmental organizations and government missions, and their staff, in order to develop and enhance co-operation at the AU to achieve impact on issues related to children’s rights and equality for girls.
3. Accountable for establishing Plan International as a recognised and respected organisation among those working for the AU and for government or non-government missions to the AU so that the organization is sought out by decision-makers and activists on issues related to children’s rights and equality for girls.  
4. Accountable for gaining access for Plan to relevant AU related forums and events and using the space to influence for the furtherance of Plan’s priorities..

Managing AULO and team within the MEESA and WACA regions

1. Accountable for management of the AULO presence in Addis Ababa and for the performance of the Team
2. Accountable for informing Plan Country Offices in Africa about events and influencing opportunities related to the AU and enabling them to engage effectively.
3. Accountable for safeguarding within Plan at any event or activity in which the AU Liaison Office is involved and for ensuring that all staff and visitors at the AU Liaison Office understand their obligations to protect children and from harm, abuse and exploitation as detailed in the organisation's Child protection policy.
4. Accountable for raising sufficient income for the office and for accountabilities related to that income.

Engaging globally on African issues

1. Accountable for raising issues from Africa at the EU and UN through close collaboration with the EU and UN liaison offices, and for engaging with the other liaison offices and global advocacy teams on big policy moments such as CSW, HLPF, UNGA, CPD.

Please follow this link for the full role profile; AULO Director 2025 - JD.docx

Location: Plan International's AU liasion office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Type of Role: Five year fixed term contract

Closing Date: 3rd March 2025

Interviews are due to take place on the 17th March. 

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.

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.