Save the Children - UK
§ Do you have significant experience working on issues of humanitarian response and policy?
§ Do you have a strong understanding of advocacy in the context of NGOs, with different types of stakeholders?
§ Do you have a high level expertise in humanitarian response architecture, international humanitarian law and child rights issues
§ Are you motivated by our vision of creating a world where every child doesn’t just survive, but thrives, and can go on to change the world?
If the answers to these questions are yes, we would love to hear from you!
Note:
To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.
About Us
Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.
Job Purpose
Reporting directly to the Head of Conflict Humanitarian Team, you be responsible for carrying out a broad range of assignments and/or projects in line with the strategy and policies for your professional area and under overall managerial direction.
You will hold responsibility for driving work on specific parts of the Save the Children strategy, often working with minimal supervision, including representing the organisation regularly with external experts and high-level decision-makers.
You will be a recognised specialist in your field, often working on complex assignments and projects, and providing technical guidance to others in resolving complex issues in a specialised area. You will produce high-quality policy analysis and research and/or planning and delivery of advocacy to influence duty-bearers to uphold the rights of children in low- and middle-income countries.
You will work closely with Save the Children country programmes to develop and implement advocacy strategies, improving the effectiveness of our global advocacy and leading to demonstrable policy shifts and positive change for children. You will also work closely with children to ensure their voices are heard in our advocacy.
As a rights-based organisation, we are committed to anti-racism and actively opposed systemic oppression of any form. You will also support our commitment to celebrate diversity, challenge inequality, and build an inclusive environment for every one of our employees so we can better represent the children we protect.
Note:
This role entails being deployed to country programmes or regional offices for up to 50% of time.
Main Accountabilities
The Conflict & Humanitarian Advisor’s key duties will be to:
§ Deploy to country programmes affected by conflict, mass displacement or other humanitarian crises to provide policy and advocacy support (e.g. to act as advocacy manager in response to a new crisis, to fill a gap in recruitment in a country team or to gather information to inform our advocacy)
§ Deploy to advocacy offices or other locations as required
§ Design, lead and deliver policy, advocacy or research strategies and products, to a high standard and often with minimal supervision with particular focus and experience around capturing children’s voices
§ Identify policy and research needs and influencing opportunities in your thematic area, at the country level and/or internationally
§ Maintain and develop high-level knowledge and expertise in your specific area and advise colleagues across the global movement, including at a senior level, as well as external stakeholders
§ Develop and maintain relationships with key external stakeholders and build strong working relationships with partners and advocacy targets
§ Represent the organisation externally, including in high-level meetings and events
§ Build strong relationships with our country programmes and other colleagues across our global movement to ensure that national-level advocacy is delivered and informs international debates and decision-makers
§ Write advocacy briefings, reports, externally published articles and blogs, as well as assist in the drafting of press releases, Q&As and opinion pieces
§ Contribute to the wider success of Save the Children’s teams in the UK and across our global movement, including our country offices and colleagues working on programmes, fundraising and communications, by providing policy, advocacy and/or research expertise as required
Person Profile
Experience:
You must have successful experience in all of the following:
§ Significant experience working on issues of humanitarian response and policy, including at the country level, and demonstrable understanding of issues relating to conflict, displacement and humanitarian policy
§ Understanding of advocacy in the context of NGOs, with different types of stakeholders (e.g. UN, governments) and a good understanding of the external advocacy environment High-level expertise in global development policies, including national developing-country government policies, donor behaviour, international institutions and NGOs
§ High-level knowledge and expertise in humanitarian response architecture, international humanitarian law and child rights issues
§ A proven track record of carrying out high-quality research, policy and/or advocacy
§ Strong networking and experience of participating in coalitions and working with civil-society actors to achieve change
§ Knowledge and experience of human rights, international relations, political analysis and the international humanitarian system
Ability:
You must have the ability to:
§ Ability and willingness to travel up to six weeks a year
§ Ability to operate within a predominantly self-servicing administrative environment
§ Ability to think creatively, innovate, strategise, set priorities, manage a workplan and evaluate progress with minimal supervision
§ Very strong written and oral communication skills
Save the Children UK is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.