Advocacy and Influencing Specialist

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

• Lead Plan’s humanitarian policy, advocacy and diplomacy work in Mozambique, both on situations of protracted crisis as well as emergencies;
• Develop Plan International’s humanitarian profile in Mozambique and strengthen connections with humanitarian stakeholders;
• Set short/medium term strategic direction for Plan Mozambique’s humanitarian advocacy, communications and media strategy in a fragile period (post-cyclone, fragile political environment, significant forced displacement etc);
• Engage with Plan staff globally, including humanitarian advocates and teams as needed for both information provision and to drive their priorities on Mozambique in line with the Mozambique response and humanitarian imperative;
• With support from the Country Director and relevant colleagues, manage and coordinate advocacy, media, and communications functions in the CO;
• Identify both internal (Plan) and external (Governments and international organisations) influencing opportunities in the best interest of the children of Mozambique;
• In coordination with the Country Director, lead liaison with key UN, NGO and other interlocutors in the region to ensure Plan International has up to date information on the humanitarian situation and response in the country;
• Travel regularly to crisis-affected areas of Mozambique, meeting with communities and our humanitarian teams to help advocate with evidence-based, nuanced information.
• Working closely with programs and humanitarian response teams, provide analysis of how children have been affected by the crisis in Mozambique, the policy responses and frameworks, as well as other factors such as UN coordination, funding for the response, security and current and future challenges that have an impact on children and adolescent girls, and all civilians and their access to humanitarian assistance, health, education and protection services;
• Working with other specialists, to identify and build strategic partnerships and engagement with organisations, networks, political contacts and other key stakeholders with the potential to leverage expanded scale and impact across the Country Strategy and humanitarian scale-up objectives;
• Provide technical support to program teams on evidence-based humanitarian influencing and advocacy, public campaigning, effective messaging, risk assessment and ensuring the creation of clear and accessible tools and resources for teams to maximize their program impact;
• Prepare with program staff and other relevant colleagues high-quality advocacy products including briefings, statements, letters and other written material for internal and external use;

About You

• Bachelor’s Degree with Equivalent Work Experience) in International Relations, Humanitarian Affairs, International Development, Human Rights, Sociology, Public Policy, or Journalism.
• At least 6 years overall relevant experience in some or a combination of policy and advocacy, humanitarian response, humanitarian diplomacy, child protection, and/or community organizing in NGOs.
• Experience in developing advocacy strategies and approaches.
• Experience of working in humanitarian and development organizations.
• Good understanding of child protection and humanitarian issues.
• Competency to provide strategic direction and clear recommendations to deliver on humanitarian advocacy aims;
• Understanding of the role of humanitarian actors in influencing change with both national and global stakeholders;
• Experience in developing and overseeing the execution of budgets.
• Previous experience working in area/country affected by active conflict or humanitarian crises desired;
• Knowledge of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Children and Armed Conflict mandate with the capacity to develop further expertise;

Click here to access the full Job Description:  Advocacy and Influencing Specialist

Location: Maputo

Type of Role: Permanent 

Reports to: Head of Programmes

Grade: 16 (Pay range 2.628.549,60MT a 2.957.118,36MT annual gross) Plan reserves the right to pay according to internal procedures

Closing Date: 28th February, 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.