Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Advisor at Save the Children

Team and Job purpose

• The Humanitarian Operations Team own and manage key procedures that support our organizational approach to preparedness and response, ensuring seamless coordination of functional support to humanitarian operations across all contexts in anticipation of and in response to humanitarian needs. To facilitate rapid deployment of high-quality surge capacity and flexible funding tailored to the specific needs and capacities of our responses, thereby maximizing impact. To build the capacity of humanitarian responders, empowering them with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively address humanitarian challenges.
• To oversee a Humanitarian Fund (HF) funding portfolio by coordinating reviews, monitoring fund usage, and providing recommendations to ensure effective fund allocation and compliance, enabling SCI to maximise its humanitarian impact. The Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Advisor supports the approval and amendment of applications, ensures data accuracy, and escalates issues to ensure alignment with strategic goals. This role collaborates closely with response teams and stakeholders, maintaining robust communication while upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Reports To: Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Manager

Principle Accountabilities

• Responsible for overseeing a HF funding portfolio with primary focus on reviewing applications and providing funds allocation recommendations, monitoring use of funds, identifying and escalating challenges or issues and reviewing reports.
• Coordinate the review and approval process for application and amendment requests submitted by implementing offices, ensuring alignment with HF decision-making criteria.
• Monitor the portfolio regularly and lead monitoring calls to ensure compliance and prompt issue resolution and scuccesfull implementation, escalating significant risks and challenges to HF management.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of data collected during application, monitoring, and reporting processes to facilitate informed decision-making and portfolio analysis.
• Ensure congruence between the data displayed on the Humanitarian Fund Dashboard and HF Portals and the collected data, focusing on allocations and earmarked funding.
• Support HF risk-based interventions, including compliance reviews and audits, to ensure the integrity and efficiency of fund utilisation.
• Facilitate effective coordination and communication with implementing offices and team members to support the implementation of decisions and capture all application changes and top-ups.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Grant or Programme Monitoring: A strong foundation of experience in grant or programme monitoring, including financial follow-up. Good understanding of the project cycle, and understanding of compliance to identify and escalate issues and risks. 
• Humanitarian Operations and Programming: Experience in humanitarian operations and programming, reflecting a good grasp of the complexities and dynamic nature of such environments, ideally with some practical experience in a Country or Regional Office, enhancing operational effectiveness. Understanding of NGO operations and Save the Children’s position in the wider humanitarian community. 
• Financial literacy: good financial literacy And ideally understanding of the financial aspects of award management.
• Analytical skills: Proficiency in evaluating applications and funding proposals against established criteria, with the ability to provide sound recommendations on funding allocations. 
• Data Management and Accuracy: strong analytical skills to Ensure that data is always accurate and consistent to support allocation decisions and portfolio analysis. Experience in data management, including data collection, accuracy and utilization.
• Communication: Strong written and spoken communication skills, reflecting the ability to work remotely and effectively with a global team. Ability to handle challenging conversations with senior stakeholders whilst building and maintaining effective relationships. 
• Skilled at building and maintaining effective relationships with implementing offices, response teams, and other stakeholders. Proficient in establishing strong communication flows to support decision-making. 
• Experience working with HF funding: strong understanding of the aims, goals and operations of the Humanitarian Fund and the benefit of flexible funding.
• Continuous improvement: creativity in identifying options for the continuous improvement of Humanitarian Fund operations.
• Cultural awareness: Commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team and across SCI’s operations. Cultural competence to engage effectively with diverse communities and ensure an inclusive approach in all activities.

Desirable

• Additional language of French, Spanish or Arabic preferred 

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Desirable

• Professional Qualifications in areas such as Project Management, Policy Analysis, or Advocacy are desirable.
• Training in Humanitarian Response, and IHL is highly advantageous.