Deployable Emergency Response Manager-MEESA (Internal vacancy)

Apply now »

Date: 15 Oct 2026

Location: MEESA, Kenya

Company: Plan International

THE ORGANISATION

 

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.

 

We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives. We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind.

 

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 85 years, and are now active in over 80 countries.

 

The Deployable Emergency Response Manager-MEESA is part of MEESA humanitarian team and deploys to Country Offices to lead humanitarian operations ensuring high quality programmes. 

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

  • You will be deployed (sometimes at short notice) to support Plan International’s MEESA country offices to respond to specific humanitarian crises.  
  • You will be responsible for the management of humanitarian funding for specific crises during deployments.
  • During deployments some staff may report to you and significant numbers of indirect reports. Typically, technical specialists, Finance, HR, Logs, communications/media and policy staff.

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

Programming 30%

 

  • Lead emergency programme implementation in compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
  • Develop humanitarian response strategies and define operational priorities.
  • Conduct rapid needs assessments and provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
  • Support in identification and management of local partners for effective humanitarian delivery.
  • Ensure high-quality, child-focused programming with emphasis on girls' needs.
  • Maintain compliance with humanitarian standards, including SPHERE, INEE, and CHS.
  • Oversee donor reporting and programme updates for internal and external stakeholders.
 
Representation and Coordination 15%
  • Represent the organization with government stakeholders, advocating for the rights and needs of children, especially girls.
  • Coordinate engagement in humanitarian forums and clusters, ensuring timely information sharing and reporting.
  • Built and maintain relationships with institutional donors to support humanitarian programming.
  • Identify and develop strategic partnerships with humanitarian agencies to enhance response effectiveness.
 
Operational Support 15%
  • Supervise finance, HR, and logistics operations to support programme delivery.
  • Ensure compliance with organizational systems, procedures, and legal requirements.
  • Monitor security risks and implement security guidelines and SOPs.
 
Administration and Finance 10%
  •  Manage administrative, procurement, logistics, and supply chain functions for emergency operations.
  • Coordinate emergency budgets, financial resource mobilization, and donor compliance.
  • Ensure efficient logistics infrastructure and operational support systems.
 
Human Resource 10%
  • Lead emergency team structure, define roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines.
  • Ensure staff adherence to humanitarian principles, values, and operational standards.
  • Manage team performance through appraisals, coaching, mentoring, and regular feedback.
 
Information Management 5%
  • Oversee preparation, approval, and dissemination of emergency situation reports and recovery updates.
  • Ensure timely reporting and fundraising communications with headquarters and partner offices.
  • Manage internal information sharing and organizational knowledge updates.
 
Fundraising 15%
  • Develop and manage emergency funding pipelines and grant opportunities.
  • Support donor proposal development, funding submissions, and appeal initiatives.
  • Identify and pursue in-country funding opportunities to resource emergency responses.

  • 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.

  • You will be trusted to take on additional assignments within the scope of work as assigned by your supervisor on need basis. 
 

What we are looking for:

Knowledge

  • Someone with a degree or equivalent in management or related fields
  • You should have over 8 years of field experience in managing emergency programmes in a number of humanitarian crises.
  • Someone with demonstrated experience of key practice and standards for humanitarian response such as SPHERE and CHS.
  • You should have significant knowledge of humanitarian response, child protection and disaster risk reduction
  • You should be conversant with the international humanitarian architecture, particularly related to coordination and funding.
  • You should demonstrated prior experience of engaging with the humanitarian coordination system and local, regional and global levels.
  • Someone with significant programming in emergencies in several continents and diverse contexts
  • Someone experienced in designing and delivering training. 
  • Able to work in English. It is desirable to be able to work in at least one other international language, for example French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic.
  • Knowledge of humanitarian policies and procedures, Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct.
  • Someone with general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.

 

Skills

  • Project management including planning and scheduling, process design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation
  • Advocacy, influencing and negotiating skills, experienced in gaining commitment from a wide range of people, bringing about change and providing support from a distance
  • Networking skills
  • Extensive programming experience in Gender in emergencies, particularly related to girls and adolescent girls.
  • Training and facilitation

 

Attitudes

  • Committed to Plan International’s core values;
    • Strives for lasting impact
    • Open and accountable
    • Works well with others
    • Inclusive and empowering
  • Communicator and influencer. (representation)
  • Experienced with working with senior management.
  • Team player and relationship builder.
  • Able to work calmly under extreme pressure and at unpredictable hours during emergency response.

Please respond to the requirements of this role in your application.
Only applications in English language will be accepted. 

 

 

Location:  Kenya, Jordan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Egypt, Tanzania and Uganda. 

Reports to: Regional Head of Humanitarian Preparedness and Response-MEESA

Contract Period: 1 years

Job Grade: Hay Level 18

Vacancy advert closing Date: 29th October 2026

This vacancy is open to internal candidates only who have work rights in the above listed countries. 

 

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.

 

Disclaimer: Plan International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate applicants on any basis. We also do not charge Job seekers any fees at any point of the recruitment process