Thematic Funds Partnership Manager

£46,750 – £55,000

Fixed term contract for 11 months

Farringdon with international travel

The job of a Save the Children’s UK Thematic Funds Partnership Manager is strategic and rewarding.

• Do you have extensive experience within and knowledge of official development partners and of Official Development Assistance (ODA) instruments and flows.
• Do you have strong experience of accomplishment in strategic partnership management and engagement at a senior level?
• Do you have strong existing external network/working relationships with key senior staff within partners?
• 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. Together we fight for children every single day so that they can make their mark on the world and build a better future.

We stand side by side with children in the toughest places to be a child. We do whatever it takes to make sure they survive, get protection when they’re in danger, and have the chance to learn.

The Partnership Development (PD) team is at the heart of Save the Children’s future. Comprised of partnership experts across a portfolio of institutional partners, we support Save the Children’s ambitious vision for 2030 to ensure every last child grows up healthy, educated and protected. We aim to deliver influence, income and reputational value to support organisational priorities as well as securing wider transformational value through strategic long-term partnerships on a national and global scale.

Job Purpose

The Thematic Funds Partnership Manager leads SCUK’s partnership strategy for a range of thematic funds (vertical funds) that develop our portfolio of programme partners and SCUK’s sustainability ambition. You will provide vision and strategic direction to SCUK and the wider movement to encourage engagement and collaboration between the partners and their governing bodies.

You will also provide guidance and coordination to the global organisation on how thematic funds operate and where best to influence their direction in support of child rights and Save the Children’s programmes.

You will be responsible for influencing a complex global network of external and internal stakeholders to optimise our engagement with our partners, and for strengthening and developing both existing and new partnership opportunities, that positively impact on our Partnership for Impact Strategy.

Some key projects this role will focus on are:

· the delivery of the Green Climate Fund project pipeline, you will be focused on reporting to the account team and working with the teams in P&P to secure co-financing.

· Advancing our relationship with the Power of Nutrition, including developing their potential interest in a new impact investing model and opportunity.

· Delivery of the Save the Children’s movement’s investment into the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) account – SCI is co-delivering on this but you will be responsible for oversight and for supporting the Regional Offices.

Please Note: This is an 11 month Maternity Cover

Main Accountabilities

External engagement and positioning of Save the Children as a key partner, including:

• Establish and drive new partnership opportunities to maximise value for the movement, funding potential and influence.
• Represent Save the Children in external events and key meetings with partners to develop key partnership arrangements.
• Coordinate across the movement to develop and package a strong offer that resonates with partner mutual interests and language.
• Promote transformational partnerships by focusing on shared value and innovative programming opportunities, e.g. with private sector partners.
• Hold oversight and leadership of SCUK’s overall engagement strategies and key moments (including CEO, Board level) across the portfolio and actively engage, representing Save the Children externally.
• Personally, hold external relationships and networks within the sector, with both technical and managerial staff, at all levels of seniority, particularly at the most senior levels.
• Ensure Save the Children’s ‘offer’ 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 the portfolio globally, regionally and locally by working closely with partner contacts, supporting, and facilitating engagement across SCUK and the partner

Influence a complex global network of stakeholders, particularly those at the most senior level, to optimise our engagement within a portfolio of new partners, including:

• Provide leadership in maximising synergies and leveraging expertise across all appropriate Save the Children divisions and SC members; ensuring effective participation to existing/new co-ordination mechanisms that exist across SCUK’s full suite of thematic areas; use wider SC expertise at regional and country office levels to sustain new partnerships at field level.
• Monitoring the value of the accounts/portfolio against set targets, as well as explaining/escalating variances.
• Securing support of critical stakeholders from across the organisation to contribute to our engagement with this portfolio and in meeting financial and non-financial targets.

Other Accountabilities:

• Provide support, challenge and coaching to wider PD team members to develop and embed our partnership and account management approach.
• Provide leadership on your partners to increase the PD team profile and to optimise the benefit of the team’s work to the wider organisation and movement.
• Lead on identified and priority cross-team initiatives, key focus areas of work and/or entities within the wider PD team portfolio.

Person Profile

Experience

• Extensive experience within and knowledge of official development partners and of ODA instruments and flows.
• A strong external network/working relationship with key, and particularly senior staff within partners in global, regional and local contexts.
• Strong experience of accomplishment in strategic partnership management and engagement at a senior level.
• Experience of influencing and delivering results cross organisationally within a large complex organisation.
• In depth experience and knowledge of current thinking and future trends and thorough understanding of contemporary development and child rights issues.

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
• Entrepreneurial, with the ability to identify opportunities and execute them strongly, using novel approaches or techniques as appropriate.
• Insightful and analytic, with the ability to communicate clearly to both internal and external audiences.
• 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.
• Willingness and ability to travel.

Aptitude

• Strong leadership skills, with an external orientation, situational agility, strategic vision, and commitment to delivering results.
• Strategic planning skills, in relation to positioning with donors, and in prioritising engagement focus.
• A demonstrable commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion and their practical application and integration in the work environment
• A commitment to Save the Children UK’s aims and core values of accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity, and integrity

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.