Save the Children UK
£46,750 – £55,000 Fixed term contract for 12 months Farringdon/Home working – with international travel
The job of a Save the Children UK’s Government Partnership Manager is strategic and rewarding
- Do you have extensive experience in partnership development and a strong existing external network/working relationships with key, and particularly senior staff within our partners – preferably UK Government?
- Do you have a strong record of accomplishment in strategic relationship management and partnership building, brokering relationships with partners and engagement at a senior level?
- 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!
About Us
We are Save the Children. For a century, we have stood up for children and made sure their voices are heard and we’ve been upholding their rights every day since. We stand side by side with children in the toughest places to be a child and we do whatever it takes to make sure they survive, get protection when they’re in danger, and have the chance to learn. We are constantly finding new ways to reach children who need us most, no matter where they’re growing up.
The Role
The UK Government Partnership Manager leads our programme partnerships with UK Government including Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). You will drive forward Save the Children’s partnership strategy by working with teams across the global organisation and with external networks. We are in the first year of a three-year strategy period and have ambitious plans to build our portfolio with UK Government, to be a partner in development leadership and evidence sharing and to be both an ally and an influencer. You will track our interactions with UK Government across the organisation and Save the Children movement and has line management responsibility for the UK Government Account Manager. As a senior member of the Partnership Development Team and a people manager, the you will also be relied on to review the strategy at the mid-point, develop staff, share knowledge and information widely around the organisation and build networks of collaboration.
Job Purpose
As the UK Government Partnership Manager you will direct and develop organisation-wide relationships between Save the Children and UK Government departments, representing the global breadth and depth of our work. You will influence and manage a global network of internal and external stakeholders (including at the most senior levels) to optimise our engagement with our partners, whether through our policy and advocacy, technical or programme work. You’ll also oversee the programme of work between Save the Children and the FCDO and other UK Govt agencies
Main Accountabilities
The UK Government Partnership Manager’s key duties will be to:
Provide vision and strategic direction within SCUK, and wider movement influencing a complex global network of stakeholders, particularly those at the most senior levels, to optimise our engagement with UK Government, including:
- Liaise with wider organisation and movement key stakeholders, providing evidence, advice and leadership on key partnership opportunities
- Continuously develop and pro-actively drive both Save the Children’s overall UK Government Partnership strategy, which includes the FCDO and several Government Departments.
- Drive Save the Children’s strategic positioning in partnership opportunities and our response to market trends with an aim to expand strategic collaboration and maximise funding and influence opportunities.
- Provide leadership in maximising synergies and leveraging expertise across all appropriate Save the Children divisions, members and ensuring effective participation in existing/new networks.
- Monitor the performance of the UK Government programme portfolio against set targets, forecast and explain/escalate variances.
- Secure support and buy-in of stakeholders such as our leadership and specialist teams from across the organisation to contribute to our engagement with UK Government
External engagement and positioning of Save the Children as a key partner with UK Government, including:
- Provide current analysis, insight, intelligence and direction on UK Government ODA and on the general market, including trends, strategies, peers/competitors, key contacts and inter-relationships between donors.
- Hold oversight and leadership of SCUK’s overall engagement strategies and key moments across the portfolio and actively promote and represent Save the Children externally.
- Personally, hold external relationships and networks within the sector (UK Government departments and key peer agencies) with both technical and managerial staff at senior levels.
- Ensure Save the Children’s ‘offer’ in the market adds value beyond delivering programmes – leveraging impact through co-creation, evidence generation, convening and influencing.
- Identify and develop ‘partnership making’ and ‘relationship building’ opportunities with new and existing contacts within UK Government
Influence a complex global network of stakeholders, particularly those at the most senior level, to optimise our engagement. This includes:
- Liaison with key stakeholders across the global organisation, providing evidence, advice and leadership on key partnership opportunities.
- Developing and pro-actively driving Save the Children’s relationships with UK Government, and strategies for each partnership.
- Providing leadership in 1) maximising synergies and leveraging expertise across all appropriate Save the Children divisions and SC members; and 2) ensuring effective participation in existing/new co-ordination mechanisms across SCUK’s full suite of thematic areas.
- Securing support and buy-in of other teams from across the organisation to contribute to our quality engagement with the Partner.
Person Profile
Experience
- Extensive experience in partnership development – knowledge of Aid agencies and ODA flows preferred.
- Strong existing external network/working relationships with key, and particularly senior staff within our partners – preferably UK Government – in global, regional and local contexts.
- Strong record of accomplishment in strategic relationship management.
- Proven and demonstrable record of accomplishment in partnership building, brokering relationships with partners and engagement at a senior level.
- Experience of influencing and delivering results cross organisationally within a large and complex organisation.
- In depth experience and knowledge of current thinking and future trends and thorough understanding of contemporary development and child rights issues.
- Strong and demonstrated team leadership skills
- Leadership skills, with an external orientation, adaptability, strategic vision, and commitment to delivering results.
- Strategic planning skills, in relation to positioning with donors, and in prioritising engagement focus.
Abilities
- Excellent relationship building skills with the ability to network with, and influence, senior people both internally and externally to achieve a pre-defined outcome.
- Insightful and analytic, with the ability to communicate clearly to both internal and external audiences.
- Entrepreneurial, with the ability to identify opportunities and execute them strongly, using novel approaches or techniques as appropriate.
- Self-driven, with the ability to take a pro-active approach, work on own initiative, solve problems and think creatively in fluid or less structured environments.
Aptitude
- A proven team player – someone who is open, ambitious, and who is able and willing to deliver beyond their personal brief.
- Commitment to Save the Children’s mission, values and approach (includes child focus and equal opportunities).
Remote Working:
The majority of SCUK employees are currently working remotely within the UK in line with UK Government guidance. Commencing July 2021 we will transition to flexible and hybrid ways of working (i.e. a mixture of remote/home and office-based working) as social distancing restrictions ease.
We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview**.**
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
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.
To see our full statement please visit this link: https://jobs.savethechildren.org.uk/our-policies/diversity/