NextGen - Director

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

Sponsorship lies at the heart of Plan International – it is a key component of how we reach and impact girls and young people. As the world continues to change, it is clear we need to reframe how we think about and implement our sponsorship work, so that we can be in the best possible position to achieve our ambition to reach 200 million girls.

Adapting to a transforming fundraising landscape, Plan International is on the path of future-proofing our global private giving portfolio. This includes diversification and stabilisation of our core private fundraising program while reimagining our future model to secure income to drive sustainable impact. The Director will oversee delivery of the NextGen programme, our ambitious initiative to engage existing and new supporters to deepen impact by working closely with children and their communities. This work will reimagine how we market and fund our programmes, and ensure they are effective and efficient at a community level.  

You will work across a global network of stakeholders drawn from across the organisation, who will drive strategic projects and initiatives to help maintain current and attract new donor and supporter segments through innovative, relevant offers and donor journeys.

As the Director, you will provide global leadership, working closely with Plan International’s global leadership team co-sponsoring the programme, leaders and team members from Plan International’s network of fundraising offices around the world (i.e. ‘National Organisations’ (NO’s) and key departments within Plan International’s Global Hub. The position and the programme will work in close partnership with Plan International’s Sponsorship, MERL, IT, fundraising, and Programme  departments to achieve the Programme’s objectives. You will ensure effective co-creation, development, delivery, and accountability across a complex portfolio of projects that span strategy, programming, operations, sponsorship, marketing, communications, finance and IT.

You will ensure that organisational change is embedded across Plan International Worldwide. Working globally, coordinating and being responsible for planning, tracking and reporting on all initiatives related to stabilising Sponsorship as a strategic priority.

You will be a key member of the change leadership, bringing focus to the importance of effective programme management and delivery of ambitious plans.

Please respond to the requirements of the role in your cover letter.

Only CVs and cover letters in English will be accepted.  

Please follow this link for a full role profile and person specification; NextGen - Director - JD (Mar.25).docx

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: Two year maximum 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.

Reports to: Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer and Chief Programme Officer

Closing Date: Wednesday 2nd 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

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.