Intelligence and Foresight Analyst

Position description

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.

 

 

Role Purpose

 

The Intelligence and Foresight Analyst monitors and analyses the external policy, donor, geopolitical, and humanitarian environment to surface trends, risks, and opportunities that sharpen Plan International's positioning, influence strategic decision-making, support rights based, equitable decision making and identify key partners for maximum impact.

 

This role brings rigorous evidence-based analysis and forward-looking intelligence that reflects diverse perspectives, including from crisis affected and marginalised contexts into the heart of the Global Affairs function, enabling Plan International's senior leadership to make informed, timely decisions and to position the organisation proactively at global policy moments. The Analyst is central to building and maintaining networks and influence across key multilaterals, think-tanks, academic institutions, foundations and the private sector to ensure “just-in-time” briefings and longer-term horizon projections of high relevance to Plan and impact on girls. The Analyst is central to Plan International's drive to be propositional, data and intelligence-led, and strategic in its global engagements and impact.

 

 

 

Dimensions of the Role

 

This is a technical and analytical role within the Policy, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships function with significant cross-departmental reach. The post-holder monitors and analyses the external policy donor and humanitarian trends to identify trends, risks  and opportunities and produces intelligence outputs that directly inform the Global Affairs Executive Director, senior leadership, and the CEO's Office, as well as the Policy, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Director, Leads and team, the Fundraising Intelligence function, and the Programme Impact and Innovations team, to sharpen position and influence and enable identification of partners for impact

 

There are no direct line management responsibilities. The role requires a high degree of intellectual independence, strong analytical capability, including economic analytical capabilities, and the ability to communicate complex findings clearly and credibly to senior non-technical audiences. The Analyst operates within a high-functioning Global Affairs team and is expected to set the standard for evidence-based thinking across the department. The Analyst serves as an essential intelligence advisor to the Plan International Leadership. The Analyst is expected to apply critical awareness of bias, power dynamics and whose voices are represented or excluded in global policy, donor and geopolitical analysis.

 

 

Accountabilities

 

• Conduct ongoing market and landscape scans that consider differential impacts of global trends on children, young people, girls and marginalised groups across political, economic, donor, geopolitical, and humanitarian environments, producing timely updates, rapid short analytical briefing notes, and reports on emerging trends, risks, and opportunities relevant to Plan International's strategy and positioning.
• Draft high-stakes “just-in-time” briefings, intelligence reports and strategic memos to be considered by the CEO, Leadership Team, International Board, and ensuring Plan’s highest governing bodies are sighted on horizon risks and opportunities.
• Build and sustain a high-level network with foresight leaders and economists across key institutions, including multilateral development Banks (MDBs) and key UN agencies, global think tanks (e.g., Brookings, Chatham House), academic institutions to exchange early-warning signals and emerging policy shifts.
• Provide a strategic interface with key private sector analytical heads, including at major consultancy firms to synthesize private sector macro-trends with humanitarian needs and build a networked private sector analyst community.
• Influence key partners, shape approaches and identify areas for collaboration with key strategic partners and institutions to undertake research and translate cutting-edge research into actionable foresight for children’s rights. Consolidate, synthesise and analyse foresight inputs from across the Global Affairs team and wider organisation into actionable scenario summaries, horizon scans, and strategic intelligence briefings and recommendations for Plan
• Deliver evidence-based intelligence outputs that directly inform decision-making by the Global Affairs Director, senior leadership, and the CEO's Office.
• Support the global strategy design process by coordinating input-gathering activities across relevant teams and synthesising key findings into clear, usable strategic recommendations.
• Maintain a live intelligence repository and horizon-scanning system, that include analysis from Global South research institutions, local think tanks and diverse knowledge sources, where available to track policy shifts, donor trends, economic and geopolitical developments, and emerging thematic issues of relevance to Plan International.
• Provide thematic intelligence and foresight analysis to support the Policy, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Director and Leads in identifying funding opportunities, policy windows, and partnership entry points with consideration of safeguarding, GEI alignment and ethical partnership principles.
• Produce compelling, high-quality written intelligence outputs that translate complex multi-source information into concise, accessible formats for senior leadership, including drawing from economic trends analysis and drawing out implications for Plan International.
• Ensures that Plan International's global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International's Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

 

 

Qualifications

Essential

• Strong analytical background in economics, political economy, international relations, development and humanitarian sectors; and finance, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in intelligence analysis, policy research, economic trends analysis, horizon scanning, or strategic foresight – ideally within an INGO, multilateral, government, top-tier strategic consultancy firm; or research institution context.
• Ability to synthesize large volumes of complex, multi-source information quickly and accurately into clear, actionable intelligence outputs and recommendations.
• Experience in applying macro-economic trends and fiscal analysis to development contexts.
• Exceptional ability to distill complex, often contradictory, intelligence into high-impact narrative presentations and "talking points" for the CEO's and Leadership Team use in public-facing engagements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex findings persuasively to senior non-specialist audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in synthesizing extensive analysis and data into succinct, visually engaging formats such as infographics, charts and slide decks tailored for decision-makers
• Experience working with or analysing global multilateral systems, institutional funding and financing landscapes, and donor behaviour trends.
• Strong understanding of the global development and humanitarian sector, including key policy debates, donor priorities, and funding mechanisms.
• Proven ability to influence senior executives to adopt forward-leaning, propositional stances on emerging issues.
• Proven facility in using AI-enabled analytical tools to augment insight generation, detect patterns, and strengthen forward-looking analysis.

 

Desirable

• Experience using data visualisation tools or quantitative analysis methods to support intelligence reporting.
• Familiarity with Plan International's thematic areas - including education, protection from violence, climate, and youth.
• Strong experience and networks within private sector, policy research, think tanks, or multilateral institutions.

 

 

Location: The location of this role can be flexible, but given the nature of the interactions and engagements, preferably based out of the USA or our global hubs in UK or Kenya aligned with where you have the pre-existing right to work and live 

Type of Role: Permanent or maximum fixed term contract as per employing office’s standard terms and conditions.

Reports to: Director, Policy, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships

Closing Date: Tuesday 21st July at 23.59pm UK

 

Application instructions

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