BACKGROUND
Indonesia faces a significant youth unemployment challenge despite its demographic advantage. In 2023, 25.8% of youth aged 16-30 were NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), with young women experiencing double the unemployment rate of men. Women-led MSMEs contribute only 9.1% to GDP, with exports below 5%. Youth with disabilities also face major employment barriersโ55.5% of unemployed persons with disabilities are aged 15-34 (ILO, 2022). Limited government data further hampers effective support for this group. Structural and societal factors worsen the issue. The 2019 Youth Development Index highlights economic disparities, with womenโs labor force participation at 53.1%, far lower than menโs 82.4%. Young urban women struggle with limited access, job market competition, and societal pressures affecting career growth.
Plan Indonesia will collaborate with stakeholders to reach out to 100,000 marginalised youth. Stakeholders include Technical Vocational Educational Training Centres, Vocational Schools, youth social house. Once they completed the first module on financial planning training, they automatically could access the next module on future readiness training, with a target of 70,000 to continue the second module. Out of this, 6,000 youth will be selected to have intensive mentoring, basic technical skills training, and work readiness training to enter the job market. The selection of 6,000 youth will consider their educational background that suits the training subjects (IT, hospitality, retail) to determine their suitability for the program. Plan Indonesia will also prioritise youth who face additional challenges, including disabilities, parentless youth, or breadwinners in the family etc. There will be another screening process to assess their commitment to completing the program through an interview and essay test.
ROLE PURPOSE
The Private Sector Engagement Officer will responsible to ensure the engagement with relevant private sector for throughout project cycle, including but not limited to recruitment, skills development, internship and placement in particular young women to adapt with the changing landscape of economic opportunity in project area.
The Private Sector Engagement (PSE) role is to strategically build, strengthen, and manage partnerships with private sector actors that contribute to the projectโs goals. This role ensures that collaboration with businesses goes beyond transactional support by aligning corporate resources, expertise, and influence with development priorities. The PSE Officer identifies shared value opportunities, facilitates dialogue between stakeholders, and designs engagement models that are ethical, inclusive, and sustainable. They act as a bridge and translate project needs into language and value propositions that resonate with businesses, while ensuring private sector contributions are meaningful, impactful, and aligned with the project's mission. Ultimately, the role enhances innovation, resource mobilization, and long-term impact through responsible and strategic private sector collaboration.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
The post holder reports to the Project Manager The position will ensure all the Private Sector Engagement achievements meet the target as stated in the project proposal and DIP, as well as Plan country strategy program 3 Private Sector Engagement Officer that will be placed: 1 in Jakarta, 1 in Medan, and 1 in Surabaya. The position will ensure all the Private Sector Engagement achievements meet the target as stated in the project proposal and DIP, as well as Plan country strategy program Identify and assess potential private sector partners aligned with project goals. Design partnership models based on shared value and mutual benefit. Maintain strong, professional relationships with corporate partners. Act as the main liaison between the project and private sector actors. Ensure all partnerships align with ethical standards, safeguarding, and social inclusion principles. Facilitate private sector input in co-creating solutions and innovations. Build internal staff capacity on private sector collaboration. Coordinate with technical teams to align private sector efforts with programmatic needs.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
1. Program implementation in line with the project design and planning
Provide critical technical input into the strategy, design, indicators, and proposed detailed implementation plan of the youth engagement strategy. Develop and review program implementation guidelines, proposal, tools, and materials for youth engagement Be updated on initiative of private sector engagement from Plan International, including the join in the discussion to leverage the corporate engagement in RMER team On behalf of the project, will coordinate on a day-to-day basis and handle administrative tasks on the engagement process, supporting collaboration youth and private sectors for placement and post-placement Alert Project Manager and coordinate with internal related staff as well as external stakeholders (if required) if there are any variations from the initially agreed workplan and strategy Develop relations and network between youth organizations and coorporates in the context of providing support for the young people.
2. Strategic Private Sector Partnership Development
On behalf of the project, the officer will coordinate on a day-to-day basis and handle administrative tasks on the engagement with the private sectors, especially during the relationship establishment and on a periodical basis for youth placement and monitoring after placement Alert Project Manager and coordinate with internal related staff as well as external stakeholders (if required) if there are any variations from the initially agreed workplan and private sector engagement strategy Develop relations and network with private sectors in the context of supporting young people to be reskilled and transition to new work. Building relations with private sector-related associations for longer-term engagement time; relevant job portals, MSMEs, Gig, HR Associations, etc. Analyze market trends, private sector agendas, and business models to identify strategic fit between companies and project goals. Facilitate co-creation workshops or dialogues to jointly design initiatives that reflect both development goals and business interests, with young people's empowerment in employment Act as the main liaison between the project and private sector actors. Maintain strong, professional relationships with corporate partners3. Capacity Management and Learning
Advise other project staff member on ways to improve project quality, particularly improvement on the engagement strategy with private sector Providing capacity building for appointed partner in terms of private sector engagement Monitor and evaluate performance of partners and consultants in relation with private sector engagement Support continuous learning of other technical staff through workshops, seminars and conferences. Documented learning in project documents and reports Share learning and best practices and insure that they are incorporated into future work Help to develop and oversee ToRs for Private Sector Engagement-related activities. Ensure up to date with current trends of private sectors situation nationally and globally Conduct continuous search for innovation and improved learning program practices within and outside Plan Indonesia to pursue continuous program improvement
4. Networking and advocacy
Initiate, establish and maintain relationship with private sectors that can support the achievement of the project Establish external networks with private sectors or alliances, to strengthen the project implementation and support the placement and afterward Conduct mapping on private sectors or corporate relevant to the needs of the project for placement. Build contacts, liaise, and collaborate with identified coorporates Together with the project manager, maintain and expand high-quality and strategic relationships with project stakeholders, as well as reviewing reports and indicators, including promoting Plan Indonesiaโs work as youth youth-focused organization and NGO of choice on girls' rights in development and humanitarian. Link program participants to local resources, networks, or funding to continue or scale up their initiatives, in collaboration with the Resource Mobilization and Program Development team Build and implement an internal mechanism to have continuous engagement between private sectors and youth stakeholders, and provide the youth opportunities to thrive in economics Support the project manager to implement the advocacy agenda and campaign, in collaboration with private sectors and youth networks, to promote success stories and best practices of the project, including contributing to the larger agenda of Plan Indonesia Support the youth engagement team to strengthen youth centeredness program, involving the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) and Planet to ensure a coherent youth-led movement and a youth-led advocacy initiative in Indonesia5. Safeguarding โ PSHEA
Ensures that Plan Internationalโs global policies for Safeguarding Children and Program Participants and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work; Participates actively in capacity building and learning event on Safeguarding Children and Program Participants and Gender Equality and Inclusion; Submits required documentations (reports, checklists, action plans) to implement policy, standards and approach on Safeguarding and GESI; Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GESI policies and Plan Internationalโs Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
Bachelor degree in social sciences, business, management, economics development or any related field At least 1-2 years of experience in private sector engagement (include MSMEs), with existing network companies, in particular HR division in several targeted regions Extensive networks with MSMEs and companies in targeted regions Good communication skills (verbal and written) in Bahasa Indonesia Knowledge of the links between gender equality, childrenโs rights, and NGO development programming practice. Demonstrated understanding of child and youth-led initiatives and child and youth-sensitive monitoring and evaluation Good network with youth groups champion in Indonesia Good understanding of the practicalities of designing, implementing, and evaluating high-quality programmes that promote meaningful child and youth participation Good understanding of relevant policy-making processes and institutions on child and youth participation Ability to design proposals, guidelines, and standards, monitor and evaluate child and youth participation programming, based on sound analysis Strong teamwork Ability to build internal and external networks Facilitation and training skills for children and young people Dealing with conflict with tact and a collected manner
Desirable
Experience in private sector engagement for development projects focusing on