Programmes Implementation and Influencing Area Manager

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.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organization working to ensure that children live free from poverty, violence, and injustice. We support children (especially girls and young women) to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to claim their rights and shape their futures. With over 85 years of experience, we build strong partnerships to deliver lasting change for children in more than 80 countries.

Plan International Sierra Leone is recruiting a Programme Implementation and Influencing Area Manager (PIIA Manager) to provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and representation for Plan International Sierra Leone’s programme, projects, and sponsorship activities at district and regional levels, under the new zonal structure for the North-West Region.

The role exists to ensure strong leadership, coordination and delivery of high-quality, gender-transformative, and child-centred programmes, effective sponsorship management, strong community ownership, and credible influencing with government and partners – thereby contributing to lasting change for children, young people, and communities, particularly girls and young women.

The PIIA Manager is accountable for coordinating and integrating programming, sponsorship (SPAD), influencing, operations, safeguarding, and risk management within the assigned area, ensuring alignment with Plan International’s global purpose, Country Strategy, Theory of Change, and accountability standards. The role has a significant internal and external impact, positioning Plan International as a credible and influential child-rights actor at district and regional levels.

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

• Overall leadership and accountability for Plan programme implementation, influencing and sponsorship/SPADS delivery within the assigned PIIA/region.
• Direct line management of Sponsorship Coordinator and Supply Chain Officer/s, other PIIA staff as required
• Oversight of multi-million SLE budgets across programme, sponsorship, and grants at the PIIA level.
• Member of the Extended Country Leadership Team (ECLT).
• High-level engagement with District Councils, Line Ministries, Paramount Chiefs, CSOs, LNGOs, youth networks, and donors.
• Lead Security and Risk Management at the PIIA/ Region
• Act in the capacity as Plan Sierra Leone senior focal/representative at district/regional and coordination platforms.

Accountabilities

Strategic Management 

• Serves as a member of the Extended Country Leadership Team (ECLT)

• Provides visible leadership that embeds Plan International’s values, safeguarding standards, and ethical conduct.
• Provision of strategic oversight to planning, implementation, and monitoring of gender-transformative programme, sponsorship, and influencing initiatives aligned to the Country Strategy and Theory of Change.
• Ensures safeguarding, gender equality, inclusion, and youth participation are fully mainstreamed across the project lifecycle.
• Drives achievement of programme delivery KPIs, sponsorship commitments, expenditure targets, and cost-recovery performance.
• Promote networking, cross learning with government and district partners in the North-West Region
• Maintains strong horizontal collaboration with Project Managers, Technical Specialists, Support Functions, including finance and operations, the MERL team and Partners.

Technical Leadership and PIIA Management 

• Provision of overall technical Leadership and PIIA/ Zonal oversight of Plan programme and businesses in the North-West Region
• Ensures all staff, partners, and communities clearly understand programme objectives, expected results, and long-term impact.
• Ensures corporate indicators are tracked, analysed, and used for adaptive management.
• Ensures gender, age, disability, and vulnerability analysis informs all programme and sponsorship design.
• Ensures Sponsorship Commitment #2 is fully met annually.
• Leads innovation and documentation of programmatic and sponsorship best practices.
• Integrates grants projects fully into PIIA planning, delivery, and reporting.
• Actively participates in grants design, reviews, and performance tracking, ensuring alignment with sponsorship priorities.
• Represents Plan in district, regional, and sector coordination fora, influencing child-rights and gender-equality agendas

Operational and Resource Management

• Ensures strong value-for-money, compliance, and audit readiness.
• Implements audit recommendations and escalates risks proactively.
• Leads and oversees accurate budgeting, forecasting, procurement planning, and financial monitoring of SPADS budget and implementation
• Ensures timely submission of programme, sponsorship, and financial reports.
• Oversees proper management of vehicles, assets, IT equipment, and facilities.
• Ensures effective use of SAP, PMERL, and other corporate systems

People and Performance Management 

• Leads performance management, coaching, and professional development of PIIA staff.
• Supportive supervision, field monitoring and reporting
• Ensures all staff have clear IAPs, KPIs, and development plans.
• Builds a strong, motivated, and gender-balanced team culture.
• Identifies and develops future leaders within the PIIA
• Promotes accountability, transparency, teamwork, and learning

Key Expectations

• • Programme quality, delivery and results
  • Sponsorship delivery and compliance
  • Regional Management of Teams
  • Problem-solving and skills building
  • Reporting and documentation
  • Financial stewardship and risk management
  • Staff performance, wellbeing, and safeguarding
  • External representation and partnerships, networking

Location:          Port Loko

Type of Role:    Programme Implementation and Influencing Area Manager

Reports to:       Head of Programme – Implementation (dotted line to Sponsorship Support Manager)

Grade:               Level 16

Closing Date:   5th February 2026

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.