Cluster Director Central America, Mexico and Dominican Republic

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 this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

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. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Accountabilities

Lead and support cluster countries in the design and delivery of country programmatic strategies including the scale-up of humanitarian aligned to Plan International’s global strategy, and cluster functional capacity required to support delivery of programmatic impact in countries.

• Lead Country Representatives in the development of ambitious and realistic Country Strategies, and their implementation. The strategies will be shaped using analysis of the country-specific gender power relations and child rights issues in each of the Cluster countries. The Country Strategies will provide clarity on country specific programme and influencing focused on gender transformation and equality for girls, along with required resources (development and humanitarian). Where Cluster countries have a shared context or shared cross-border issues, a broader Cluster Strategy may be developed replacing the need for individual Country Strategies.
• Ensure alignment between ambitions of Country Strategies (or where appropriate Cluster Strategy) and resource availability of Cluster functional capacity to support their delivery to ensure targets are both ambitious and realistic.
• Ensure our programme and influence approach isutilised effectively by Country Representatives and that they are achieving quality impact at scale by linking grassroots action to national level influencing.
• Mobilise Cluster resources as required to rapidly respond to humanitarian crises in Cluster countries, coordinating rapid deployment of additional surge resources (funding, people and material), which reflects country level emergency preparedness analysis, risk reduction and resilience building.
• Provide guidance and technical support for development and humanitarian integration in County Strategies, and support development of programmatic approaches and guidance.
• Manage and report progress of programme and influencing delivery at a Cluster level, whilst holding Country Representatives to account for delivery of Country Strategies and compliance with PII policies and standards.
• Support and approve country and multi-country Emergency Response Plans and emergency preparedness of countries
• Support COs in documentation of lessons learned, from all significant disasters, including supporting real time reviews, evaluations and reflection workshops.

Lead a high performing Cluster Management Team that is responsive and agile to the programmatic needs of Cluster countries

• Lead a high performing Cluster Management Team, that is resourced and skilled in their area of expertise.
• Be a role model in building a positive culture across the cluster, consciously embracing, and personifying the values-based leadership framework underpinned by feminist and anti-racism principles, holding self and others accountable for behaviours, drawing on strengths and reflecting on areas of self-development. Be aware of the impact and power, purposeful and visible about shaping the organisational culture and our internal power dynamics.
• Support Country Representatives in the delivery of programmes in their countries, and ensure programmes comply with Plan’s management standards and policies.
• Lead Cluster Operational Heads, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of Country Representatives, National Organisations and donors.
• Objectively analyse and prioritise use of Cluster resources where there are competing demands from Country Representatives.
• Ensure Cluster staff numbers and structures are optimised at a level that is efficient and cost effective, in line with the apportion costs available in each of the Cluster countries.
• Ensure that Cluster countries and support functions demonstrate adherence to Plan International’s standards of quality and operate consistently within Plan International policies and procedures.

Manage a Cluster operation based on accurate and timely country-level programme work plans, budgets and support costs that can be used to create impact and efficiency.

• Overall corporate responsibility at Cluster level, including for impact and cost performance
• Budget approval, based on accurate Cluster-level annual Plans and budgets by aligning and aggregating budgets across Cluster countries and support functions.
• Ensure Country Representatives and Support function Heads create realistic annual budgets and budget forecasts.
• Ensure emergency response budget is considered in high-risk countries.
• Ensure Cluster Finance is fully compliant in financial management in the allocation/budgeting, disbursement and accounting for all resources.
• Ensure that support costs are proportionately recovered from the different income sources that fund programmes in each country
• Ensure proper use of systems and data quality in both the Cluster and countries to enable effective reporting and analysis of performance within the Cluster.
• Ensure linkage with Shared Service Centers (SSC) in support of CO operations
• Ensure that safeguarding and security elements are in place, and that the safeguarding and security representatives are consulted from the first moment of a project's life cycle, in the development of Country Strategies and that they are transversal to the entire operation.

Ensure that Strategy and annual plans are funded and sustainable

• Accountable for the development and implementation of an effective Business Development plan that enables Plan International to maximise its value in Cluster countries.
• Oversee stakeholder mapping and analysis at subregional and country level
• Manage cluster sustainability through identification and management of sustainability risks over a 5 year timeframe.
• Support countries in engagement with National Organisations and national and international donor agencies and potential philanthropic donors
• Attend multi-country conferences that might impact the positioning of the countries in the cluster (For instance: Quito Process collective HRP, multi country crisis, R4V meetings)

• Establish sub-regional alliances with potential donors, peer organisations, consortia and UN Agencies.
• Support and facilitate learning and sharing of development and humanitarian programming related resources/tools/experiences between countries in the ROA Region.

Work collaboratively across Regional and National offices as required

• Active member of the Regional Leadership Team.
• Work with regional management and other Clusters in the continuous improvement of regional shared services that contribute to the efficiency and/ or impact of Plan International’s work within the region.
• Facilitate the sharing of lessons, programme models, good practices, etc. within the region and wider organisation for organisational learning.
• Be an active contributor and volunteer to participate in global or regional initiatives where you believe your experience can add value or where your country can benefit from and contribute to such work.
• 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

Internal:

• Cluster Management Team
• Regional Director – line manager
• Regional Office Management Team members
• Other regional Cluster Directors, especially those in the region.
• Plan International National Organisations
• Functional departments in Global Hub.

External:

• National governments of Cluster countries, as required
• Media at sub-regional level
• Grants donors, National Organisations, Philanthropic Donors.

• Other INGO leaders and networks.
• Relevant UN cluster groups, including UN and donor representatives
• Relevant university, research and influencing partners at country and subregional level

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

• Relevant University degree in development, social science, business administration or related field.
• Proven experience of exercising leadership functions with increasing responsibility in an international environment related to development.
• Proven understanding of “child rights” and “gender in development” concepts and the promotion of girls’ rights in the context of relevant International Conventions (Convention of the Rights of the Child, Convention for the Eradication of Discrimination against Women) and the Global Goals (SDGs).
• Knowledge of International Humanitarian Law, Humanitarian Coordination and Humanitarian Donors as well as a comprehension of the main stakeholders involved in Humanitarian aid.
• Experience and understanding of the concepts of sustainable community development and participatory approaches and practice in development interventions.
• Proven skills in the development and management of effective and motivated teams, including distance management.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Spanish and English.
• Proven networking and negotiation skills with governmental and non-governmental actors

• Strong diplomatic and communication skills, including through mass-media in order to influence decision-makers and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrable knowledge as a result of study, training or practical experience on the key debates in the humanitarian sector, especially as related to working in conflict and protracted crises, and emergency response methods and effectiveness.
• Knowledge of the requirements of donor compliance and financial management.
• Knowledge of key debates in the humanitarian sphere, including on the nexus and triple nexus debate, and about the practical implications of the key debates at field level.
• Knowledge of programming in complex and constantly changing environments.

Desirable

• Knowledge of programming in challenging environments with good understanding and appreciation of the historical, security context, political environment, economic, social/religious and humanitarian context in the Region of Americas or a comparable environment.
• Knowledge of the geopolitical factors affecting child-poverty in the countries of the cluster and the political, social and environmental opportunities for change is an advantage

Business Management Competencies

• Understanding Plan International in context: Understanding the organisation, how it operates, its priorities and changing context.
• Managing People and Relationships: Working with others, managing people and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion
• Risk Management: Managing and mitigating business, legal, safety, security, reputational and project risks in line with
• Managing Change: Integrating conscious change management and continuous improvement into work planning, processes and delivery
• Delivering Results: Planning and managing resources, projects and partnerships for the effective and efficient delivery of result

Location: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Mexico

Reports to: Regional Director

Closing Date: 17th July, 2026 

References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism will be carried out in conformity with Plan International Child Protection Policy.  Plan International operates an open opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.