Senior Strategy Manager at Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian non-profit organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and enable children to prepare for - and respond to - crises and adversity. We believe in the power and potential of every child, but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Strategy Manager

Location: Nigeria
Type of Role: Permanent or maximum fixed term contract available as per employing entity terms and conditions
Functional Area: Strategy & Engagement - Global Hub
Reports to: Strategy Director
Grade: 5

The Opportunity

• This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact in the lives of women, girls and children globally. This role helps the organisation deeply understand the implications of our fast-changing world in order to make the most of new opportunities and to manage risk through more informed strategic choices, stronger strategy development and greater strategic alignment across the organisation.
• You will act as a strategy subject matter expert, working on strategic initiatives at global, regional and individual country levels.
• You will be responsible for strengthening the organisation’s ability to create aligned, consistent and coherent strategies that result in greater effectiveness and efficiency across the organisation and you will be responsible for helping the organisation to improve its ability to respond to opportunities and threats through timely adjustment to strategy based on horizon scanning insights, and strengthened Leadership Team decision making.

Role Purpose

• This role exists to help the organisation implement its new Global Strategy, develop its midpoint review and lead on strategic projects to help the organisation to remain relevant and increase its impact in the long term.

Dimensions of the Role

• The role might have a couple of line management responsibilities and will also provide guidance, support, mentoring and coaching to other more junior members of the strategy team.
• Furthermore, the role will work with cross-organisational teams, with members from different levels of the organisation, often in dispersed locations.

Accountabilities

• This role is a strategy subject matter expert, leading on strategic initiatives at global, regional and individual country levels. It is responsible for strengthening the organisation’s ability to create aligned, consistent and coherent strategies that result in greater effectiveness and efficiency across the organisation.
• It is also responsible for improved organisational ability to respond to opportunities and threats through timely adjustment to strategy based on horizon scanning insights, and strengthened Leadership Team decision making.
• The Senior Strategy Manager will perform the midpoint review for the Global Strategy for Plan International.
• Produce and manage complex strategy processes and projects, through the full lifecycle, using self-direction and initiative.
• Leverage previous knowledge, relationships and experience of best practice to shape Plan International’s strategy approach and implementation.
• Lead the coordination of the Global Strategy implementation by tracking, reporting on and ensuring progress against the Global Strategy. Be execution-focused and support internal clients in the move from strategy development to implementation.
• Manage the Strategy Roadmap setting out the changes over the 5-year period and enabling the Leadership Team to make sequencing decisions that are realistic and affordable.
• Work with other teams to ensure annual Planning and Budgeting process is aligned to Global Strategy implementation.
• Manage and influence all projects to time, cost and quality, reporting updates and forecasts to the Head of Strategy.
• Mentor and coach Strategy Manager(s) in project scoping, design and implementation approaches, providing oversight and guidance as needed.
• Create and deliver presentations and influence and motivate discussions that succinctly and creatively communicate robust and evidence-based messages around the Strategy Implementation.
• Build trusted and valued relationships with senior internal stakeholders and peer organisations, and develop a strong internal and external reputation as a strategy subject matter expert.
• Actively identify and recommend new opportunities for the global strategy team to create value for Plan International, presenting these to the Strategy Director.
• Supporting the development of the long-term vision of Plan International.
• Ensure 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.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge
Knowledge:

• Significant experience within a blue-chip consulting firm, INGO strategy team or industry, including responsibility for leading substantial projects or engagements. A strong track record in consulting is highly desirable.
• A proven track record in delivering a suite of strategy consulting services e.g.
• Corporate and Growth strategy, to include activities such as baselining current business (incl. financial) performance, benchmarking a company’s performance to its peers and competitors, conducting trend analyses to assess current market landscape, identifying growth levers, visioning and prioritising to develop a set of strategic choices, and guiding organisations through business model reinvention.
• Strategy implementation to successfully implement a strategy across a large complex organisation including the design and development of long-term strategic roadmaps, implementation planning, dashboard and reporting mechanisms, short term plans, critical success factors and development of best practice models to integrate strategy delivery.
• Annual planning that has been translated from the strategy and roadmap into departmental workplans and budgets.
• Strategic Cost Reduction to include the undertaking of financial and organisational baselines, operational analysis to understand cost drivers, prioritising opportunities.
• Experience of running and motivating teams through challenging strategy projects, or relevant transferable experience.
• Experience earning the trust of and negotiating with senior colleagues.
• Good understanding of how to develop ambitious long-term visions for organisations.
• Good understanding of Plan and/or other INGOs (desirable).
• Good understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges that working in a global federated/membership organisation can bring (desirable).
• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience with a strong academic and professional record.

Skills:

• Outstanding strategic and financial analysis and evaluation.
• Horizon Scanning and Scenario Planning.
• Operating Model design including an understanding of INGO/NGO country office operating models.
• Strategy implementation and annual planning expertise.
• Strong project/programme management and programme governance experience.
• Facilitating, influencing and negotiating with senior executives, and strong communication and stakeholder management skills (excellent ppt skills).
• Understanding, building relationships and engaging tactfully across cultures.
• Executive-level written and verbal presentation skills.

Behaviours:

• Ambitious and driven, tempered with effective risk management.
• Takes initiative and navigates confidently through ambiguity.
• Logical and structured in approach while being flexible and agile to respond to changes.
• Holds a high-quality standard and helps others meet standard.
• Comfortable working with and challenging senior managers within a complex governance. and management structure.

Key Relationships:

• International Board and Members’ Assembly
• Strategy and Engagement Department
• Senior executives in the Leadership Team, Regional Teams and Country Management Teams
• Staff across Global Hub departments and offices
• Peer organizations endeavouring to enhance strategy practice
• Specific partners related to strategic initiatives.

Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable:

• We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent.
• We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact:

• We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls.
• We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together:

• We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors.
• We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals.
• We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering:

• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace.
• We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.
• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

Physical Environment:

• Typical office environment

Level of contact with children:

• Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction.

Application Closing Date
3rd April, 2023.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• 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.