Country Director, Paraguay

The Opportunity

This is an exciting time for Plan International as we implement our global strategy for 2017-2022. Our global strategy defines who we are, why we exist, the change we want to see in the world and how we will contribute to making change happen. It underpins everything we do, guiding all our work in all parts of the federation.

To achieve greater change in children’s lives we are dramatically transforming how we operate, and we need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to steer our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to transform the lives of 100 million girls globally.

Plan International has been working in Paraguay since 1994, helping vulnerable children, young people, and their families to break the cycle of poverty. Plan International Paraguay country office is located in Asunción and implements projects funded through grants and sponsorship in three Program Units in San Pedro, Caaguazu and Guaira-Paraguari departments.

Our ambition is By 2030, girls and young women in Paraguay exercise their autonomy to live free from gender-based violence, adolescent pregnancy, child marriages and early unions, in a safe and sustainable environment.

Currently the country office implements a viable portfolio of approximately €3.5M per annum. This includes sponsorship, grants from bilateral donors (€850K delivered through National Organisations), and local resource mobilization. Local resource mobilization is a new high priority area in which it needs to be developed further, in identifying a clear strategy to ensure Plan International Paraguay funding sustainability over the coming years.

We currently employ approximately 100 staff with a Country Leadership Team of 5 members reporting directly to the Country Director.

The organization is committed to meeting safeguarding expectations across all its operations and will expect the country director to ensure all incidents regarding child abuse and sexual harassment are reported and effectively managed.

Do you have what it takes?

As a Country Director, you will drive Plan International’s programme and influencing work, setting overall direction, leading a high performing team, ensuring accountability for meeting demanding targets and maintaining alignment with the global strategy.

You will be deeply comfortable with leading transformative change, have a demonstrable commitment to gender equality and relish the prospect of representing Plan International to the highest levels of government, civil society, the media and international media.

You will understand and drive efforts to deliver positive change for girls through advocating, campaigning and communicating at a national level. Equally, you will ensure the country-operating model is fit for purpose, we have the right funding mix to achieve our ambition, key business processes are in place and organisational values are embedded in everything we do.

You will lead by example in ensuring gender equality is evident in everything we do from staffing, to programing and influencing, to ways of working. You will work with your team to bring about the right culture that ensures we are champions for girls and gender equality.

You will lead a motivated team, ensure legal compliance, and be ready and able to respond to emergency and development needs of the most marginalised children, especially girls