Humanitarian Transformation Officer

£35,100 – £39,000 pa
Full time (flexible working options available)
Fixed Term Contract – 12 months
Farringdon, London/Home-based

Closing Date: 4 March 2024
Ref 6630

We’re looking for a collaborative and influential individual to join us as Humanitarian Transformation Officer in our Humanitarian Department here at Save the Children UK.

About Us

The number of children requiring humanitarian assistance is rising as the climate crisis, entrenched conflict and fragility, forced migration and infectious diseases all lead to an increase in the frequency, duration and severity of catastrophic events. With needs continuing to grow and rapidly outpacing available resources, humanitarians around the world are once more forced to do more with less. Recognising the changing humanitarian risk landscape, the need to stay relevant, and to step up for greater impact, Save the Children has adopted a bold vision for the future of its humanitarian work. This vision includes bringing together emergency response funding and expertise under One Humanitarian Team, and decentralising humanitarian response capability, resources and accountability closer to children.

The Humanitarian Department Purpose

Save the Children UK now has a critical role to play in the success of the One Humanitarian Team, mobilising resources and influence from the UK Government, UK Public and other key partners including multi-laterals, academia, corporates, and philanthropists. SCUK, as host to the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, is also accountable for the provision of high-quality humanitarian capacity building for the movement and the wider sector, as part of our shifting the power agenda. Building on SCUK’s strong track record of innovation and partnership in the humanitarian sector, including incubating Elrha, the Start Network, the Collaborative Cash Delivery platform, and other cross-sector global good initiatives, there is an important role for SCUK to play in identifying and supporting next-generation collaborative initiatives that will ultimately deliver impact for disaster-affected children and their families.

About the Role

As the Humanitarian Transformation Officer you will provide operational, award management and coordination support to the established entities of Elrha and Start Network via the Start Programmes and the Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing Teams. As well as providing support in the development and delivery of new humanitarian initiatives.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

Resource Mobilisation & Grant Custodian relationship

• Operate the day-to-day business/programme management of the work with the entities with a focus on compliance, due diligence, awards, and risk management
• Provide administration and coordination support to internal relationships with teams such as finance, legal and HR to ensure quality service provision and appropriate allocation of resources and in line with agreements (such as grant custodian)
• Provide award/grant management and project support for the funding flows through Save UK to entities
• Ensure that awards management information systems are up-to-date and global and internal processes are followed.
• Coordinate and participate in multi-function task force and any relevant working groups that benefit areas of mutual benefit such as operations, programmes, members, advocacy etc
• Support access, support and advice on funding resources that support growth and development
• Support and champion entities within Save UK

Coordination, Collaboration and Partnership

• Collaborate to enhance the entities relationships and how we can work together on some of the future challenges of the humanitarian sector
• Work closely with the Head of Humanitarian Transformation and the Transformation Lead to support the development and delivery of new humanitarian initiatives as necessary

About you

To be successful, you’ll demonstrate:

• Experience of working in humanitarian contexts, either in the field or at headquarters
• Understanding of humanitarian programming and core principles, humanitarian quality frameworks (e.g. Sphere, CHS), and current humanitarian issues
• Good understanding of award (grant/contract) management
• Excellent IT skills including use of spreadsheets, databases and the ability to develop and maintain office and information management systems and proven analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong team skills, with the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships and collaborate both within and outside the team.
• Ability to work within a network of working groups and teams, and through a matrix management structure, both of which require very strong coordination and cooperation skills and behaviour.
• Ability to manage a varied workload, to organise and prioritise multiple tasks efficiently, manage reactive and proactive work, and deliver tasks to tight deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to deal tactfully and sensitively with a wide range of people in a large and complex organisation, often at a distance.
• Fluent written and spoken English
• Proven attention for detail and ability to effectively manage a high volume of data and information.
• A high degree of flexibility and adaptability to respond to changing needs and priorities
• Understanding of child safeguarding and gender equality programming
• Experience in extracting, producing reports and analysing complex sets of data

Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we will be reviewing applications and interviewing on a rolling basis. 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.

Ways of Working:

The majority of our roles can be performed remotely in the UK, but there are likely to be times when you will be required to come to your contracted office (up to 2-4 days per month or 6-8 days per quarter). This will be agreed with your Line Manager and team and is intended to be time spent on collaborating with colleagues and relationship building.

Please note: travel costs to your contracted office will be at your own expense.

Flexible Working – We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview**.**

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Save the Children UK believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable where all children have the opportunity to change their world. We apply this to our workforce and we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation where all employees have a sense of belonging and feel that they can be “Free to Be Me”. We are not looking for just one type of person – we want to recruit people who can add fresh perspectives, innovative ideas or challenge that disrupts the risk of group think.

We are especially interested in people whose childhood experiences – of life on a low income, of migration, of being in a racialised community, of the care system, of being LGBT+ or in an LGBT+ family or living with (or with someone with) a disability – help us to see things we might otherwise miss. Whatever your story is we want to hear it because we know that different voices, ideas, perspectives and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of children around the world. This is the reason why we are all here.