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

The Youth Engagement and Alumni  Specialist leads Plan International Sierra Leone’s Youth Engagement, Alumni Coordination Oversight and innovation activities in the Country Programme. The purpose of this position is to ensure a quality programme and accountability through supporting and implementing high-quality emergency and youth, and alumni-related programs and projects, and promoting innovation and youth/Alumni participation in all operations of Plan International Sierra Leone in programme designing, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. 

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

The Youth Engagement Specialist is a member of ECLT and manages the Youth/Alumni and Innovation aspects of the Country Strategy 2026-2030. This role oversees all Youth/Alumni and Youth in Innovation-related components in the application and implementation of the Programme Quality and Influencing Procedures (PQIP). The position is crucial to Plan International’s programme quality and effectiveness.

• Ensures that Plan International’s Global Policy on Youth/Alumni Engagement and Innovation are fully incorporated into our Programmes and operations by the principles and requirements of the policies.
• Coordinates staff capacity development in Youth/Alumni capacity development to lead in influencing
• Strengthening and capacitating the Youths, Alumni and Adolescents on various innovations, Digital technology and ICT.
•  Mobilising, maintaining an active database for them and facilitating their engagement for giving back to their communities.

 Accountability.

  Strategy Definition & Execution

• The Youth and Alumni Engagement Specialist will lead the development of a youth engagement participation and technical approach and project models for delivering on the Youth thematic pillar of the Country Strategy, including the definition of outcomes, strategic objectives, and KPIs
• Lead innovation approaches and project models for delivering on the Y/A Engagement thematic pillar of the country Strategy, including the definition of outcomes, strategic objectives, and KPIs.
• Develop tools for monitoring and evaluation of the work with the Youth Advisory Panel -YAP and the broader national Youth engagement and Sponsorship Alumni work.
• Contribute to the effective implementation of the country strategy through the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of quality integrated technical programs.

Technical Subject Matter Expertise Support to Youth/Alumni Engagement and Innovation

• Provide the required technical support primarily to all Youth Engagement projects and initiatives.
• Provide technical expertise to facilitate resource mobilization, specifically on programs to promote youths, adolescents, children, including Alumni and young people in Sierra Leone.
• Provide technical subject matter expertise to all Youth/Alumni Engagement and innovation projects in the areas of methodologies and systems.
• Contribute to overall program quality and impact through supporting innovative strategies and partnerships, and ensure integration of key cross-cutting themes by working closely with other Plan Sierra Leone specialists/Technical Lead
• Coordinate all global hub and regional Youth/Alumni Engagement, Coordination and innovation.

Build Skills and expertise in the country

• Identify key resources to build capability in the Youth and Alumni Engagement sector with the relevant knowledge and skills to support quality programming in Youth/Alumni Engagement and Innovation.
• Share learning and provide capacity development for personnel (training, workshops, research, etc.)
• Adapt global/regional standards, develop tools, and provide capacity building for country project teams related to Youth/Alumni Engagement and Innovation.

Resources Mobilization

• Contribute to growth in the grant portfolio to adequately resource the country strategy by actively inputting into the development of grant proposals and concept notes related to child, adolescent, Youth/Alumni Engagement and Innovation.

Establishment of Linkages and Networking

• Establish linkages and networks with relevant communities of practice and experts internally within Plan and externally with both regional and global hub initiatives, leading institutions, governments, and other organizations on Youth/Alumni Engagement Programmes, Leadership and innovation.

Knowledge Management, Advocacy, and Communication- Thought Leadership and Publications

• Design and deliver operational research and cutting-edge knowledge (knowledge that helps to influence policy, contributes to corporate branding and visibility, improves program quality, and builds capacity).
• Facilitate the establishment of partnerships with leading Universities for the purpose of research and internship Programmes for youth development.
• Link with Advocacy and communication to promote communication, Youth Internship Scheme with a focus on Girls.

Communication and working relationship

• Builds strong relationships with all stakeholders especially the target communities, local government, other partners, and government stakeholders;
• Effectively represent Plan International in strategic partnership engagements.
• Develop the appropriate internal and external working relationships to support and enhance project delivery.

Staff Management and Teamwork

• Ability to work as a team;
• Coaching and mentoring of staff to ensure improvement;
• Continuous commitment to high performance and improvement;
• Have a sense of responsibility and deadlines;
• Conduct staff performance reviews in line with Plan International's performance management procedure;
• Good supervision of staff.
• Good interpersonal skills.

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

Location:        Country Office/ Freetown

Type of Role:  Youth Engagement and Alumni Specialist

Reports to:     Head of Programme Development & Quality

Grade:             Level 16

Closing Date: 16th December 2025

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.