Country Education and Policy Lead

Date: 10 May 2026

Location: flexible, Cambodia

Company: Plan International

The Organisation

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation.

Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries

Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality.

The Opportunity

Plan International is seeking an experienced and highly credible Education and Policy Lead to provide senior technical and policy leadership for the ASEAN–UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (SAGE) Phase II Programme—the UK Government’s flagship regional education partnership with ASEAN.

Phase II (2026–2029) will sharpen its focus on foundational learning, deepen engagement in priority countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Timor-Leste), and expand evidence-based approaches that strengthen national education systems and drive sustainable reform. You will play a pivotal role in shaping national education policy, influencing reform processes, and supporting Ministries of Education to deliver lasting system-level change.

In this senior role, you will, among other things:

• Provide strategic technical leadership and serve as the principal advisor to Ministries of Education on policy development, reform, and system strengthening
• Lead high-level policy engagement and dialogue with government, development partners, ASEAN bodies, and key education stakeholders
• Drive policy reform efforts, particularly in foundational learning, ensuring alignment with national priorities and education sector plans
• Design and oversee targeted pilots as policy instruments to generate evidence, test innovations, and inform system-wide reform
• Translate research, data, and programme learning into actionable policy recommendations and reform pathways
• Lead the generation, synthesis, and use of evidence to inform education policy, planning, and implementation
• Manage and coordinate national technical teams, consultants, and advisory inputs to ensure high-quality technical delivery
• Facilitate linkages between country-level work and regional ASEAN SAGE initiatives, contributing to cross-country learning and regional influence
• Ensure integration of gender equality, inclusion, and safeguarding across all aspects of policy engagement and technical support

Do you have what it takes?

To be successful in this role you will need among other things:

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Education, Education Policy, Public Policy, or a related field
• At least 10 years of progressively senior experience in the education sector, with strong focus on policy, reform, or system strengthening
• Demonstrated experience working closely with Ministries of Education and advising on policy, strategy, or reform processes
• Strong technical expertise in foundational learning, including literacy, numeracy, and inclusive education
• Proven ability to translate evidence, research, and data into policy and practice at national level
• Experience leading policy dialogue and engaging with senior government officials, development partners, and regional bodies
• Experience managing technical teams, consultants, or advisory workstreams
• Familiarity with donor-funded programmes (e.g. FCDO, World Bank, UNICEF, USAID) and evidence-driven programming approaches
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills; fluency in English is essential

Desirable:

• Experience engaging with ASEAN, SEAMEO, or regional education platforms
• Experience in policy research, political economy analysis, or large-scale reform initiatives
• Exposure to multi-country or regional programmes

Location:                    Manila, Phnom Penh and Dili

Type of Role:             Up to 3 year Fixed Term contract with the possibility of extension

Reports to:                 SAGE Phase II Team Leader

Remuneration:          Competitive salary and package available (local T&C)

Closing Date:            Open recruitment (until filled)

THIS ROLE IS CONTINGENT ON PLAN WINNNING BID

The contracting body will be the Plan Country Office

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy.

As an international child centred community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children's rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.

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. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for. Our organisation 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 will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds. We foster an organisational culture that embraces and exemplifies our commitment to gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion while supporting staff to adopt good practice, positive attitudes and principles of gender equality and inclusion.