Desk Officer Programmes
Title: Desk Officer
Reporting to: Team Lead Humanitarian portfolio
Department: Programmes
Grade: 3
Starting date: August/September 2026
Contract length: One year with aim to make the role permanent
Position summary
The Desk Officer is an important member of the Humanitarian Portfolio Team, supporting the management and delivery of Plan International Ireland's portfolio of institutional donor-funded humanitarian and nexus programmes. The postholder will manage a portfolio of grants funded by donors including ECHO, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), UN agencies, humanitarian pooled funds, bilateral donors and private foundations, and act as the primary focal point between Plan International Ireland and designated Country Offices. The role will also contribute to organisational learning, strengthen collaboration across humanitarian and development portfolios, and support the development of a strong pipeline of institutional funding opportunities.
About Plan International Ireland
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. 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/
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and are now active in more than 80 countries. Established in 2003, Plan International Ireland influences and supports Plan International’s work worldwide.
Key roles and responsibilities
Grant Management
Manage a portfolio of institutional donor-funded humanitarian and nexus grants throughout the project cycle.
Coordinate grant start-up, implementation, modifications, reporting and close-out processes.
Monitor programme implementation against workplans, contractual obligations and donor requirements.
Maintain grant management tools, trackers and documentation to support effective portfolio oversight.
Support Country Offices to deliver high-quality programmes in line with organisational and donor standards.
Donor Compliance and Reporting
Coordinate timely submission of donor narrative reports and other contractual deliverables.
Review reports to ensure quality, consistency and compliance with donor requirements.
Support grant audits, donor monitoring visits and compliance reviews.
Ensure grant files and supporting documentation are complete and maintained in accordance with organisational policies.
Financial Monitoring
Monitor grant expenditure and budget performance in collaboration with Finance and Country Offices.
Review financial forecasts, budget revisions and expenditure trends, identifying risks and supporting corrective actions.
Support accurate financial reporting and effective stewardship of donor resources.
Coordinate grant amendments and budget modifications where required.
Country Office Support and Coordination
Act as the primary focal point for Country Offices on grant management matters.
Coordinate communication between Country Offices, Technical Advisors, Finance, Compliance and other internal stakeholders.
Support Country Offices to resolve implementation challenges and strengthen grant management practices.
Facilitate regular grant review meetings and follow up on agreed actions.
Business Development Support
Support proposal development and donor submissions in collaboration with Business Development, Technical Advisors and Country Offices.
Maintain awareness of donor priorities and funding opportunities relevant to the humanitarian portfolio.
Learning Collaboration
Promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and the exchange of good practices across humanitarian and development portfolios, Country Offices and Plan Federation colleagues.
Identify opportunities to strengthen synergies between humanitarian, nexus and development programming, supporting integrated approaches where appropriate.
Collaborate with Technical Advisors, Business Development, Finance, Communications, and other internal teams to strengthen programme quality, learning and portfolio performance.
Contribute to organisational learning by capturing lessons learned, documenting good practice and supporting continuous improvement in grant management processes and tools.
Person specification
Essential Skills and Abilities
Experience managing institutional donor-funded humanitarian and/or development programmes and grants across the programme cycle.
Experience working with institutional donors such as ECHO, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), UN agencies, humanitarian pooled funds, bilateral donors and private donors.
Strong grant management, donor compliance, financial monitoring and donor reporting skills.
Experience supporting programme design, implementation, monitoring and adaptive management in humanitarian, nexus and/or development contexts.
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to monitor budgets, analyse financial and programme performance, and identify and mitigate implementation risks.
Knowledge of humanitarian principles and standards, including localisation, gender-responsive programming and accountability to affected populations.
Excellent written and verbal communication, coordination and relationship-building skills, with experience working collaboratively across Country Offices and multidisciplinary teams.
Commitment to children's rights, gender equality and Plan International's values.
Willingness and ability to travel internationally, including to fragile and crisis-affected contexts where required.
Experience working with programmes in West and/or Central Africa
Experience in one or more of Plan International's thematic areas, particularly Education in Emergencies, Child Protection, MHPSS, SRHR, and Gender Equality.
Minimum of four years' relevant experience managing institutional donor-funded humanitarian and/or development programmes and grants.
Demonstrated experience managing grants across the programme cycle, including programme design, implementation, monitoring, donor reporting, financial management and close-out.
Private Health Insurance for all employees (from commencement date);
Comprehensive health package;
Hybrid working, with a preference for candidates based in or able to regularly attend the Dublin office.
Matching company pension contributions up to 5% (once probation is
complete);
Flexible working hours (core hours of 10am to 4pm daily, minimum of 37 hours
per week)
As an employee you will be able to sign up to the Bike-to-Work scheme, or the
TaxSaver scheme for DART, LUAS, and Dublin bus users;
Learning and career development, including technical skills, management, and professional development.
Desirable Skills and Abilities
Level of Experience Required
Salary and benefits
This role is graded as a Level 3 within our salary scale, with an expected range between
€40,000 - €46,000 per annum. Placement on the scale will be dependent on level of
experience and fit. Plan International Ireland provides several employee benefits, which include:
Private Health Insurance for all employees (from commencement date);
Comprehensive health package;
Hybrid working, with a preference for candidates based in or able to regularly attend the Dublin office.
Matching company pension contributions up to 5% (once probation is complete);
Flexible working hours (core hours of 10am to 4pm daily, minimum of 37 hours per week)
As an employee you will be able to sign up to the Bike-to-Work scheme, or the
TaxSaver scheme for DART, LUAS, and Dublin bus users
Learning and career development, including technical skills, management, and professional development.
Location
The Plan International Ireland office is located on Harrington Street, Dublin 8. Our nearest LUAS stop is Harcourt Street.
To apply
Please submit your CV along with a letter outlining why you feel you’re the right person for the role by Sunday, 16th August 2026 via our website at: Careers at Plan International Ireland
Please note that applicants must have a valid work permit at the time of applying to enable them to work in Ireland.
Safeguarding
Plan International is committed to safeguarding people within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, consultants, and other organisational representatives.
Any candidate offered a job with us will be expected to sign our Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require police/Garda vetting.
