Head of Sponsorship Operations at Plan International

Functional Area: Child Sponsorship
Job Family: Business and Professional Services
Reports To: Sponsorship Director
Grade: G5
Level of Contact With Children: Low contact

Role Purpose

• To lead the Sponsorship Operations Team, providing functional leadership to the implementation and maintenance of efficient and effective sponsorship systems, policies, projects and approaches to maximise income for programme intervention ensuring that Plan International’s commitments to both sponsors and Sponsored Children are met and safeguarding, gender equality and Plan International’s’ values are embedded.
• Contributing to the delivery of Plan’s strategy by ensuring all sponsorship products promotes and champions the rights of girls and young women.

Key Accountabilities or Main Responsibilities

• To lead a team of specialists to ensure both team and individual objectives are achieved.
• Responsible for monitoring, controlling and managing operational budgets and resources.
• Create and manage the relationships with all internal and NO stakeholders ensuring that all requirements are met efficient and effective.
• Supports and provides advise to countries and regional hubs for sponsorship operations
• Leads on management and support in emergency and crisis as they effect the end to end sponsorship business/process
• Lead and/or support, advise on special projects assigned to improve sponsorship operations enabling achieving the value proposition
• Ensure all policies and processes relating to caseload management are up to date, relevant and allow for the effective assignment and retention of Sponsors and engagement of Sponsored Children
• Carry out regular analysis of sponsorship global performance management reports including caseload, ensuring information is used for continuous improvement of sponsorship operations.
• To manage the efficient and effective sponsorship products and processes that are relevant and deliver Plan's values and purpose.
• Conduct risk management and quality & control assurance related to sponsorship operations, this would include identifying and escalating risks impacting both global and local Sponsorship operations organisation wide.
• Ensure compliance and support on management standards and Plan´s commitment as well as any Global Assurance recommendations related to sponsorship operations.
• Serve as safeguarding focal point, ensuring all child protection incidents and concerns relating to Sponsorship are handled within the requirements of Plan’s child protection policy and Sponsorship procedures are reviewed accordingly to manage and minimise risk to our sponsored children and organisation.

Dimensions of the Role:

• Responsible for a budget
• Managing a team of specialists to maintain and support the roll out of new efficient and effective sponsorship products and processes
• Leading the implementation of sponsorship processes and products including managing business continuity during times of change and crisis.
• Working in collaboration across Plan International including managing the GH responsibilities towards and relationship with Plan Germany with respect to the Sponsorship Hub.
• Ensuring all sponsorship procedures are managed or implemented within the requirements of Plan’s child protection policy.

External / Internal Interactions

• GH Leadership Team
• GH Senior Management across all functions
• Risk and Safeguarding Teams
• Global Fundraising Strategy Team
• Sponsorship Hub in Plan Germany
• Sponsorship & marketing leaders within NO’s
• Regional Sponsorship Managers
• Sponsorship Development Team.

Qualifications and Experience

• Deep knowledge of Sponsorship, its role in achieving Plan International’s objectives and it’s risks and challenges.
• Proven experience leading the implementation and maintenance of efficient and effective sponsorship systems, policies, projects and approaches to maximise income for programme intervention
• Proven track record of leading a team
• Proven track record of successfully implementing large projects or changes, ideally on a multi country, regional or global basis.

Competencies: Leadership and Business and Management:

• Demonstrable skills in global complex resolution management
• An ability to identify and manage key risks around Sponsorship.
• An ability to engage, influence and negotiate at all levels of the organisation
• An ability to communicate with clarity and effectiveness across a range of media to global stakeholders.