Summary

Plan Europe is a regional network within Plan International, one of the largest international children’s development organisations in the world, which links 12 European national offices of Plan and 50 programme countries around the world with the Plan EU Office in Brussels. Plan EU office works in close collaboration with Plan International’s headquarters (IH) and regional offices. Plan Europe strives to ensure that the promotion and protection of the rights of the child is a priority for the EU’s external action in policy and practice.

Over the last years, Plan International has been scaling up its disaster risk management and humanitarian work, and Plan is now recognised as one of the global leaders in child-centred disaster risk reduction. In particular, with ECHO, Plan collaborates and mobilises resources from ECHO for both humanitarian response and for disaster preparedness and risk reduction work (through DIPECHO).

The ECHO Partnership Manager position is a newly created role in the Plan EU office, to respond to the fact that the Plan EU office will soon become the Global Account Manager for ECHO on behalf of the Plan family. The Account Manager oversees the fundraising process and the engagement strategy with ECHO. Its role is to maximize funding potential for Plan as a whole and influence ECHO around Plan priorities and approaches. He / she is responsible to ensure that there is a coherent and managed approach and collaboration within Plan towards ECHO, presenting a “One Plan” face to the donor. All work needs to be aligned with Plan’s DRM efforts. This position is designed to ensure that Plan is effective and efficient in its fundraising and influencing with ECHO and that it has effective and contractually compliant systems and processes to deliver any programme and manage any contract.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy – to establish and lead Plan International’s resource mobilisation and engagement strategies with ECHO, setting strategic priorities and monitoring its overall implementation
   
   • Develop and implement a business case and plan to increase the funding and strengthen collaboration between Plan and ECHO
   • Develop a strategy on how to handle multiple FPAs within the Plan federation
   • Establish the ECHO Partnership Manager as a strategic focal point for ECHO around Plan priorities (thematic and country-specific)
   • Influence and shape ECHO strategies and funding decisions according to Plan priorities.
   • Lead on to develop and strengthen strong strategic partnership between Plan and ECHO, including with Technical Assistants through Plan’s Country and Regional Offices.
   • Monitor and analyze relevant ECHO trends, potential changes to ECHO funding and donor intelligence, and provide strategic advice to Plan’s FPA holders and Country Offices on opportunities to prioritise and pursue
   • Develop clear protocols for sharing information, communicating and engaging with ECHO in strategic and policy issues across the organisation.
   • Monitor, analyse and report on Plan success rate with ECHO, including return on investment and comparison with peer INGOs.
   • Support and monitor Plan’s Country Offices and FPA holders’ engagement with ECHO at the field level (through briefing papers, policy briefs, etc)
   • Collaborate and provide support to Country Office-based Emergency Response Manager/ team for developing quality proposals and liaison with ECHO.
2. Implementation and technical support – to set up effective systems and processes to assist Plan’s implementation & management of ECHO contracts to high levels of professionalism and consistency
   • Support National Offices of Plan in their FPA application process, especially to ensure consistency in the way Plan is presented to the donor (a “One Plan” face to the donor).
   • Liaise closely with other Plan’s DRM colleagues and seek support from existing capacities and sources of expertise within Plan.
   • Lead on the ECHO coordination mechanism for Plan’s FPA holders to ensure that all Plan offices have access to ECHO calls (review the mechanism if needed, especially if more Plan offices become FPA holders)
   • Support FPA holders in the development of specific proposals (including proposal writing) and provide technical assistance on running ECHO grants, including contacting relevant ECHO officials
   • Ensure quality control in proposals and track and monitor outcomes of submitted proposals.
   • Provide advice and support to audit preparation of ECHO and DIPECHO grants
   • Facilitate the exchange of best practices of ECHO projects
   • Establish and lead on an ECHO technical taskforce composed of Plan entities
   • Monitor, analyze and report on relevant donor requirements, in particular Financial Regulation, application and implementation procedures
   • Monitor, analyze and report on child rights mainstreaming in ECHO policies and funding decisions, and liaise with Plan’s headquarters on Plan’s positions
   • Identify funding opportunities for activities relevant to Plan’s work and keeping Plan entities regularly informed to facilitate access to these resources
   • Gather, store and disseminate donor information and funding intelligence (country specific and global)
   • Analyse and assess Plan Country Offices positioning and challenges in positioning for ECHO funding
   • Advise Country Offices, Regional Offices and Plan’s IH of necessary means for strengthening Plan’s approach to emergencies in order to access ECHO funding (preparedness, capacity, early response, anticipation, mode of operations, engagement with ECHO at country level, structural and operational issues, response modalities
3. Capacity-building – to strengthen capacities of Plan staff in accessing and implementing ECHO grant
   
   • In collaboration with Plan’s Disaster Risk Management training coordinator, identify areas for capacity development and develop capacity building/ training materials and support training
     Identify opportunities and develop funding proposals for such training and capacity building issues
   • Develop and roll out capacity-building tools, mainly training material, but also briefing papers on contract compliance issues and ECHO funding modalities
   • Deliver trainings and support ECHO inception workshops
4. Networking & Outreach
   
   • Represent Plan International in relevant Brussels networks and foras  such as VOICE, ECHO’s annual meeting, ECHO meetings, etc; in particular, an active lead in the FPA Watchgroup of VOICE
   • Represent Plan International and NGO networks at meetings or events with EU institutions and other external stakeholders
   • Represent Plan EU in all relevant DRM and programmes networks within Plan
   • Represent Plan International in important meetings with donors and UN agencies
5. Others
   
   • To support the Head of Office and participate in senior management decisions
   • To liaise and coordinate closely with the EuropeAid Partnership and Senior Advocacy Managers
   • To support Plan EU office’s branding in a consistent way
   • To contribute to the advocacy strategy of Plan EU Office with specific lead on Plan’s DRM priorities
   • To keep abreast of the current HA issues and funding trends (HIPs, etc)
   • To work cooperatively and supportively with Plan EU team and collaboratively with other Plan entities
   • To ensure that all activities undertaken on behalf of Plan, externally or internally, are implemented in accordance with the overall aims of the organisation and in line with Plan’s policies and procedures
   • To participate in training and other activities as requested by the organisation

Skill requirements

1. Experience and Knowledge
   
   • At least 5 years professional experience in a related field
   • Solid experience in leading institutional donor strategies
   • Proven track record in raising significant funds from major donors, including ECHO
   • Significant high-level senior management experience of implementing emergency programmes ideally at both field and headquarters levels
   • In-depth understanding of contemporary issues relating to emergencies and emergency response in complex and less complex environments.
   • A strong network/working relationship experience with ECHO staff
   • Good knowledge of ECHO at Brussels, regional and country levels, including ECHO funding and compliance mechanisms
   • Experience in facilitating trainings and workshops
   • Experience of managing ECHO contract
2. Skills
   • Fluent in oral and written English and excellent working knowledge of French. Spanish an asset
   • Proven problem solving and strategic planning capability with creative skills to support the development of strong proposals
   •  Excellent communication, networking, and inter-personal skills
   •  Excellent strategic, analytical and problem-solving skills
   •  Innovative and creative thinking in relation to programmatic advocacy and representational skills
   • Proven strategic relationship management and networking skills
   • Excellent coaching, training and facilitation skills
3. Personal Qualities
   
   • Independent professional able to lead a small team to contribute to the overall goal of the organization
   • Flexible, willing to share information and to take up various tasks done in a small office
   • Managing all relationships inside Plan and outside in a constructive and collaborative way, diplomatic and with discretion
   • Sense of service for other Plan staff and the Plan Europe board
   • Capacity to work in a multi-cultural environment
   • Ability to meet deadlines under pressure
   • Willingness to travel, often to hostile locations

How to apply?
To apply for the post, please send a single page letter outlining the skills and approach that you would bring to the post, your self assessment against the requirements and competencies, together with your CV to alexandra.makaroff@plan-international.org  by 5 September 2014, 6pm Central European Time, with the title “ECHO Partnership Manager”. Interviews will take place in Brussels during the week of 22nd September 2014. We regret that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.