Belgium: Child Protection and Gender-based Violence Specialist

For almost 40 years, Plan International Belgium is working towards a world that is fair and safe for all children. All children are entitled to education and opportunities. This begins with equal opportunities for girls and boys. Girls are still too often disadvantaged and discriminated against, sometimes even threatened and abused.

Plan International Belgium is part of an ambitious international federation with projects in almost 80 countries (including Belgium). With our projects, we generate impact, via policy advocacy, awareness-raising and projects with and for children and young people.

Plan International Belgium is a strongly growing organisation. During the last 5 years, our income has increased from €14m to 20m and we have grown from 50 to about 65 highly motivated colleagues.

To translate Plan International Belgium's bold ambitions even more strongly into a better future for children and young people, we are looking for an experienced Child protection and Gender based violence (GBV) Specialist with a strong background in gender-transformative programming (child protection, GBV, youth empowerment, education) to join our Strategy & Innovation Department.

OBJECTIVE OF THE FUNCTION:

As Child Protection and GBV Specialist you are responsible for the implementation of the main result areas described below, in order to develop and support the quality of Plan International Belgium's project portfolio in the domain of child protection and sexual gender-based violence (SGBV), and to bring to our organisation cutting-edge expertise in this field.

Main Result Areas of the Function:

Technical Expertise:

You take the lead in strengthening the knowledge and expertise on child protection and GBV for the whole organisation and on behalf of the whole organisation. As Specialist you support efforts in capacity-strengthening of stakeholders. This involves actively participating in strategic forums on behalf of Plan International Belgium.

• Be the go-to person for anyone in Plan International Belgium regarding child protection and GBV, including key cross-cutting thematic (e.g. child, early and forced marriages, child labour, SGBV); actively engaging teams on the topics and create discussion spaces to foster interest in the subject
• Build and maintain relationships with relevant global networks in Belgium and internationally (e.g. link with EU, NGOs)
• Participate in global thematic initiatives focusing on child protection and SGBV
• Support advocacy teams to develop messages on issues affecting children and adolescents in development and humanitarian settings

Support to Programmes:

You contribute to the design of programs and provide support to the existing programme portfolio, both international and Belgian programmes. You are the technical lead in programme steering committees, ensuring that our programmes are technically sound and impactful.

• Programme design: participate in the design of child protection and GBV programmes and projects; design logical frameworks; develop innovative and impactful programmatic approaches
• Programme support: provide technical support to the existing programme portfolio via steering committees or direct support to project teams
• Quality support: provide technical insights to the development of child protection/SGBV MERL (Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning) tools as per Plan International and the sector’s standards

Knowledge:

As a technical lead, you lead or contribute to generating evidence on what works to protect girls, empower girls and promote protective environments. By leveraging expertise, you generate valuable insights and drive innovation in the field of child protection and GBV.

• Represent Plan International Belgium in research technical committees and/or take the lead in designing research projects
• Promote organisational learning on child protection and GBV through sharing case studies, good practices, lessons learned, for the whole organisation
• Contribute to programme impact measurement, position papers, opinion papers
• Contribute to maintain a sound database on key facts and figures regarding Child protection and GBV

Link with Plan International Global Hub and the Plan International Federation:

As part of a large network of Child Protection and GBV Specialists in the Plan International Federation, you establish and maintain strong relationships within strategic teams and entities in the Plan International Federation. This includes playing a key role in strategic forums.

• Liaison with the global network “Protection from Violence”, to support the revision of global tools, frameworks, and to identify priorities in collaboration and strengthening capacity of Country Office teams
• Be the technical lead for the revision of strategic programme models for Plan International

REQUIRED PROFILE:

Education, Experience, Knowledge and Talents: 

Level of Education/Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent in development, international relations, social sciences, social work
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in child protection and GBV programming
• Familiarity with gender equality, gender-transformative programming
• Proven track record in developing high-quality child protection and GBV projects (programme design), delivering trainings (including with distance learning methodologies)
• Experience in working on institutional donors-funded projects
• Significant experience in project planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• Significant working experience within development and/or humanitarian sector including experience abroad, close to the point of impact of programmes

Knowledge/Expertise: 

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to successfully interact with a diverse group of people including over virtual platforms, and to foster the interest of non-specialised audiences on the subject
• Excellent writing, analytical and communication skills: well-developed conceptual, critical and analytical thinking with the ability to convey complex information in a simple and interesting way
• Negotiation and representation skills and the ability to work comfortably in a multicultural environment
• Demonstrated ability to produce clear, concise reports, concept notes and other documentation
• Flexible work attitude, with the ability to work independently
• Language: Bilingual in French and English; proficiency in Spanish and Dutch is an asset

Personal Profile and Skills: 

Core competencies: 

• To know the rights of the child, the rights of girls and the theme of gender equality
• Achieving objectives
• Team-player
• Get involved in the organisation
• Demonstrate a digital mindset
• Behave according to the basic values of Plan International Belgium

Competencies related to the function: 

• Innovate
• Organise
• Motivate colleagues and inspire members of temporary task force for project design
• Establish relationships

WHAT DO WE OFFER YOU?

• A fascinating working environment within both a Belgian and an international context at a prominent international NGO
• The chance to make a difference for children and young people in our partner countries and in Belgium
• Space for personal professional development, together with competent, passionate and socially committed colleagues
• A competitive salary within the Belgian NGO sector (indicative range value between 3300 euros and 3900 euros gross) with extra-legal benefits (13th month of salary, double holiday allowance, group insurance, hospitalisation insurance, meal vouchers, free public transport between home and work, telework allowance)

Plan International Belgium is located in the heart of Brussels, right next to the Brussels-Central railway station. We are partly working via telework.

How to Apply: 

Then we would like to hear from you! Please send your CV and cover letter to job@planinternational.be with reference "Child Protection and GBV Specialist", before July 7, 2023.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a written test; interviews will follow with selected candidates.

As part of our Child Protection & Safeguarding policy, we ask each employee to provide a criminal record extract (Belgian ‘model 2’).

Equal opportunities are very important to Plan International! We therefore select you on the basis of your qualities and skills, regardless of your age, origin, gender, sexual identity, religion or other criteria unrelated to the position.