The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.
We won’t stop until we are all equal.
The Opportunity
The Private Sector Advisor will lead PIE’s strategic shift toward market-based sustainable solutions and both the development of and access to dignified employment of all types. They will work with private sector companies investors, and development partners etc. In addition, the post holder will play a key role in driving business growth via resource mobilization through the development of commercially viable proposals, business cases, and investment opportunities to attract funding and partnerships with private sector actors, investors, and financial institutions. The post holder will further ensure effective integration of market-based approaches, investment thinking, and partnerships with businesses to deliver sustainable impact at scale.
The role will position the organisation as a credible, market-aware actor, capable of mobilising private capital, enabling inclusive business models, and unlocking systemic change to deliver inclusive economic growth, particularly in sectors such as youth employment, climate resilient livelihoods, WASH, and education, particularly for girls and young women.
PROBLEM SOLVING
- A systems-based approach to problems
- Provide economic analysis of key sectors (e.g. MSMEs, value chains, labour markets) to inform programming
- Identify systemic market constraints (e.g. access to finance, demand aggregation, productivity barriers) and develop strategic responses
- Analyze value chains and opportunities for suitable private sector focused opportunities
- Deliver private sector growth and job creation, from Ethiopian MSMEs, both new and existing
- Develop and deliver approaches for overseas investors and companies to deliver sustainable economic growth and dignified jobs across Ethiopia.
- Translate market insights into scalable business models and partnership opportunities and deliver upon hose opportunities
- Develop innovative, scalable solutions that attract private sector participation and investment
- Work through the full private sector support process including investment thesis development, fund concept design, enterprise pipeline development, investment-readiness support, partnership with financial institutions or fund managers and technical assistance support for investable enterprises.
ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES
Strategic Leadership – Private Sector and Market Systems
- Lead the development of PIE’s private sector engagement and economic development strategy
- Deliver, at scale, against that strategy for the benefit of women and youth in particular
- Position PIE within Ethiopia as a credible partner for private sector collaboration and market systems development
- Drive integration of market systems development, climate-resilient livelihoods, youth employment systems, innovation in digital skills and digital financial inclusion.
- Design and operationalize partnership models including: inclusive supply chains, last-mile market delivery mechanisms and workforce development partnerships
- Incorporate, and advise senior management on, emerging trends in blended finance, impact investment, and private capital mobilization
- Provide technical inputs into business development strategies and donor engagement.
- Integrate Market Systems Development (MSD), systems thinking, and scalability into program design.
- Drive the development of high-quality, competitive business proposals, investment cases, and partnership models to mobilize private capital and strategic partnerships
- Establish and manage a strategic pipeline of private sector partnerships, ensuring alignment with market opportunities and long-term sustainability
- Ensure commercial viability and financial sustainability are embedded in all market-based initiatives and partnership models
Program Quality Assurance
- Ensure provable and strong quality of delivery via results measurement.
- Lead staff and partner capacity building on MSD, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion etc.
- Promote innovation, learning, and adaptive management.
Networking, Representation and Relationship Building
- Represent PIE in relevant high-level forums and with relevant donors/investors and business groups such as Chambers of Commerce.
- Build partnerships with other actors across the sector and across Plan globally.
- Influence policy and practice to promote inclusive, gender-responsive economic systems.
The Individual
NOTE THAT HAVING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THIS ROLE. HAVING A BACKGROUND IN DEVELOPMENT OR HUMANITARIAN WORK IS NOT A REQUIREMENT.
Qualifications/ experience essential:
- Degree in Economics or similar relevant qualification.
- Minimum of 7 years of strong relevant experience in private sector, market systems development, investment, or economic development roles, with demonstrated leadership responsibility
- Proven experience in developing and managing strategic partnerships with private sector actors, investors, or financial institutions
- Strong experience in Market Systems Development and related approaches
- Successful experience of attracting investment and developing comprehensive business plans to support investment, with a range of financial service providers
- A willingness to work across both private sector and development actors
- Understanding of Climate issues as they relate to business opportunities is an advantage
- Strong practical experience and ability to analyse labor markets, value chains, and economic ecosystems.
- An understanding, or willingness to develop an understanding, of Ethiopian labor markets, youth employment and private sector policies, enterprise development frameworks, and national economic priorities
- Demonstrated leadership experience providing strategic direction, technical oversight, and capacity strengthening to teams etc.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including strong analytical writing, donor-facing documentation, and high-level technical presentations
Qualifications/ experience Desirable:
- Experience promoting future-oriented and inclusive economic pathways, such as green jobs, digital livelihoods, circular economy models, and climate-adaptive enterprises.
- Coaching and mentoring experience to foster a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.
- Prior experience in development or humanitarian work is not required.
Safeguarding Children and Program Participants (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)
- Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed per the appropriate procedures.
- Ensures that all staff in the unit/function/department are properly inducted on and understand their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
- Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day-to-day work.
- Ensures that Plan Ethiopia contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
Location: Addis Ababa, Country Office
Type of Role: Fixed Term - Full Time Contract
Reports to: Deputy Country Director with dotted line relationship with the Country Director
Closing Date: July 18, 2026
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.
