Program Manager
at Plan International USA
Team Name: Project Management Unit
Location: Washington, D.C.
Reports to: Senior Director, Program Management Unit
Plan International USA Overview
Plan International USA (Plan) is part of a global organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners to:
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Empower children, young people, and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability.
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Drive change in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels through our reach, experience, and knowledge of the realities children face.
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Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity.
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Support the safe and successful progression of children from birth to adulthood.
Founded in 1937, Plan now works in more than 70 countries. Our programs in water and sanitation, health, education, child protection, economic empowerment and disaster response, and our advocacy work made progress in addressing girls’ rights by bringing girls’ voices to the forefront in policy discussions on early marriage, sexual and reproductive health and gender based violence.
Plan International USA has two offices, located in Washington, DC and Warwick, Rhode Island. It is part of the global Federation, Plan International, which is comprised of collaborative partnerships between 21 national offices and 51 country offices. Plan International USA is registered 501(c)(3) and has an independent Board of Directors.
Department Overview
The Project Management Unit is a newly created team with Plan and was created to (1) standardize international project management across all technical teams and donors within Plan USA; and (2) improve the way resources are allocated to projects, ensuring that Plan’s programs are delivered in a compliant manner on time within budget and produce the expected results and (3) serve as a lead to continuously enhance Plan’s international project implementation. This unit performs a critical role working across Plan USA to ensure compliant project implementation of all Plan technical areas and requires working in close collaboration with Plan Country Offices at both the senior level and project implementation units (e.g., finance, Human Resources, procurement).
The Project Management Unit is part of the Programs & Policy division, which is led by the Senior Vice President of Programs & Policy. The person in this role will report directly to the Senior Vice President of Programs & Policy, collaborating as required with the Chief Operations Officer and Chief Marketing Officer. The peers of this position are the Senior Director of Business Development, Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MERL) and Senior Director of Technical Services, along with senior leaders in other divisions within Plan International USA such as IMC (significant individual, corporate and philanthropy donors), Operations, Finance and Plan Country Offices.
Job Summary
The Program Manager will work as a member of the Project Management Unit and have responsibility for managing /backstopping a portfolio of grant-funded projects from a range of donors, with a large focus on USG as well as some multilaterals and foundations. The Program Manager will be responsible for overall program quality, ensuring projects under his/her responsibility comply with Plan’s project management standard operating procedures in addition to donor requirements. This includes ensuring programmatic, operational and financial deliverables of projects are met. S/he will participate in related research and documentation efforts and represent Plan at sector meetings and events.
Responsibilities
Program Management and Support (70%):
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Provide management/backstopping for multi-year grant-funded projects, including design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and compliance with donor rules and regulations.
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Work with field counterparts to ensure timely and quality planning and donor reporting including: work plans, detailed project implementation plans, baseline reports, progress reports, etc.
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Work with Finance team to review and oversee budgets and ensure timely and appropriate use of project funds.
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Identify project monitoring and evaluation needs on field programs and work with the M&E team in developing M&E action plans and documentation of effective practice and program impact.
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Promote program quality by identifying field programs technical needs and coordinating the necessary technical assistance.
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Represent Plan to donors, colleague agencies, government and the private sector when requested.
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Present results of implementation at international conferences and through international working groups.
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Participate in the development of organizational processes and procedures to ensure efficient program operations.
Prospecting and Proposal Development (20%):
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Assist with the identification of potential business opportunities
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Assist with proposal development, as needed
US National Office Representation and Dissemination (10%):
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Respond to requests for information from the field.
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Liaise with other staff members to share information regarding projects, to discuss field needs, and develop strategies.
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Represent Plan to the international community in the U.S. through participation in key coalitions. Such representation may include speaking/presenting on behalf of Plan, facilitating the attendance and participation of Plan field personnel, and networking with other attendees and presenters.
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Ensure coordination and information sharing across Plan USA and Plan International teams.
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Requirements:
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7-10 years of progressively responsible project management experience, managing or supporting multi-year grants.
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Knowledge of best-practices and approaches for project management.
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Experience living/working overseas in a developing country.
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Excellent planning, communication, and organizational skills.
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Strong team player.
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Demonstrated commitment to the mission of Plan.
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Strong report writing and presentation skills.
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Fluency in written English required. Foreign language proficiency either French or Spanish, a plus.
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Ability and willingness to travel at least 25% of the time to designated countries, including in an emergency setting.
Education and Experience:
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Master’s Degree in relevant field
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7-10 years of professional experience with development organizations working on related projects.
Work Environment
Typical office environment
Physical and mental demands
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
Key Interactions
Within Plan USA
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Field Program Support Team
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Plan USA Teams
Within the Global Plan World
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Plan International Headquarters
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Regional and Country Offices
Outside Plan
International community in the U.S.
TO APPLY: Submit your cover letter and resume to recruitment@broderickhaightconsulting.com with the subject line “Plan – Program Manager”