Regional Sponsorship Program Advisor, ESA at Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE: 

• The role holder will work cross-functionally with operations, program, and sponsorship office colleagues to ensure effective implementation and opportunities for improvement by evaluating the quality of Sponsorship funded programs; the use of Sponsorship funds; and the level of understanding & compliance with Sponsorship procedures. The role holder will monitor performance of sponsorship programme and ensure compliance with global standards, procedures, policies, practices and tools for all aspects of Sponsorship management. The role holder will also facilitate quality technical support is available to help Sponsorship Offices achieve quality programs and impact for children. 
• Additionally, the role holder will support global level sponsorship team as needed in operationalization of changes to the sponsorship model across locations and functions. This position will require occasional travel to Save the Children International London, country or regional offices to support sponsorship delivery. 

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• Reports to: ESA Regional Programme Operations Director with a dotted line to Global Sponsorship Operations

Role Dimensions:

• The role holder will need to work closely with many different staff across the organisation and the Save the Children member organisations and will need to build a network of key contacts relevant to their role and engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Ensure high quality Sponsorship programme management 

• Work cross-functionally to ensure the effective implementation of Sponsorship programs and deliverables according to the project timeline in Sponsorship Offices and SCI systems (PMM, PRIME, ProSave and Projects on Track). This involves leading and/or providing strategic support for start-up, phase-over or exit of Sponsorship programming in a country. 
• Analyze monthly, quarterly and annual reports and indicators to determine areas where there are performance issues and/or compliance concerns and best practices; work closely with sponsorship teams in developing action improvement steps for areas of concern.  Provide inputs to bi-annual Sponsorship Scorecards, as required.
• Ensure quality long-term plans are in place for all Sponsorship funded programs. Support countries to identify support for programming issues and escalating to PQIS if program re-design is required.  
• Use Sponsorship data-driven tools (e.g. risk matrix, Quality Framework, Sponsorship Country Strategic plans, Safeguarding) and resources provided at global level to ensure performance gaps are addressed and to ensure that Sponsorship Offices have a clear and consistent understanding of the minimum requirements for achieving quality in sponsorship.  
• Respond to Child Information Management (CIM) team and Global Sponsorship Operations (GSO) concerns regarding sponsorship enrolment and availability levels to ensure scheduled transfers, sponsor acquisitions and day-to-day operations are effective. 
• Review Annual Family Update (AFU) plans, in conjunction with Child Information Management (CIM) team, for completeness and risk mitigation.
• Review monthly sponsorship financial dashboard (provided by SCI Centre) to ensure effective and correct utilization of Sponsorship funding as well as adherence to policies such as: Program/Admin split, sponsor and child services charges, correct expense coding, burn rate, ICR and CAM.  
• Provide first-line business partnership for Sponsorship Offices regarding Sponsorship specific policies and procedures.  Escalate to global stakeholders as needed.   

Effective Management of Risks & Sponsorship Reviews 

• Ensure sponsorship offices adhere to Sponsorship and SCI/Member Safeguarding practices and policies.
• Monitor country office and member office compliance on risk assessments, breach of policies and sponsorship procedures. Review risks assessments of sponsorship awards with specific lens to child safeguarding and data privacy among other risks.
• Complete quarterly correspondence review for respective portfolio of countries, using templates from the global Sponsorship team.  Ensure spots checks for grooming and safeguarding risks are done regularly and on time. 
• Engage country leadership in escalated emergencies and/or discussions regarding low performance and quality improvement plans.  Engage global Sponsorship to agree course of action when major disruption to sponsor and child services.
• Circulate Sponsorship Emergency Notification Form, template and process managed at global level, as needed when an emergency directly impacts implementation of sponsorship programme and individual child sponsorships.
• Lead in-country Sponsorship reviews, when applicable. Train Sponsorship review team members on conducting reviews, as needed.
• Ensure construction standards are met in annual plans and Project Sponsorship (including gender equality & social inclusion [GESI], safety, safeguarding etc.)

Oversight of Sponsorship Reporting Requirements 

• Review Sponsorship reports, including Sponsorship Annual Plan (SAP) and Sponsorship Annual Report (SAR), for completeness and alignment with CSPs, safeguarding and fiscal standards.
• Review reports for TE requests to identify gaps in support​. Support SOs in filling planned requests.
• Review Sponsorship section of Quality Framework Self-Assessment for completeness and accuracy, and PART (Proposal & Award Risk Monitoring Tool).​
• Review Sponsorship program baselines and endlines for completeness before submission for technical review. 
• Identify, prioritize and work with sponsorship office staff to improve financial, operational and programmatic issues based on results shared.
• Ensure Sponsorship is integrated into regional KM and learning processes (e.g. Learning Log, Learning Agendas)

Support to Global Sponsorship Team & Change Management 

• Provide support to Sponsorship new programme model, currently being piloted in 4 countries, as needed and relevant based on assigned portfolio of countries.
• Support roll-out of new 10-year sponsorship programme cycle and revised phase over process, based on learnings from the Proof of Concept pilot.
• Provide knowledge management support at global level for sponsorship operations.
• Lead tasks as needed to ensure successful implementation of sponsorship model changes agreed by the Sponsorship Steering Group, including revisions to direction of Individual Child Sponsorship (ICS), GeoPresence or phase over process.
• Participate in regular Sponsorship team meetings to reflect issues and learning from assigned portfolio and global trends.
• Lead necessary revisions for phase-over resources and tools, as well as effective management and support for all upcoming phase-overs in Sponsorship Global Portfolio.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS   

• Minimum of a Bachelor Degree or equivalent experience, plus at least 5 years of experience in non-profit management or related field. 
• Willingness and ability to travel at least 25% of the time
• Experience leading cross-functional, cross-departmental projects.  Experience with quality improvement tools and approaches desired.   
• Proven experience generating and analyzing data to identity and frame issues, propose options supported by “what if” scenarios and financial model
• Demonstrated ability to create metrics to specify objectives and track progress versus key milestone
• Proven experience managing budgets and performing financial analyses
• Proven organizational skills; ability to prioritize among competing objectives and manage multiple complex tasks independently
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose situations or conditions using data and facts
• Proven planning, setting objectives and determining courses of action
• Demonstrated team player with strong leadership skills
• Proven interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build effective relationships and ability to handle difficult situations with tact and professionalism.
• Professional proficient verbal and written communication skills in English 
• Strong analytical skills
• MS Office proficiency skills

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Previous NGO experience with a good understanding of project management 
• Proven influencing skills with the ability to communicate compliance requirements to stakeholders in the most appropriate way
• Proven planning, setting objectives and determining courses of action
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills with the ability to draw out complex data from various different sources
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to explain complex issues to both staff and peers
• Ability to manage a varied workload quickly and efficiently, and work effectively under pressure to organise and prioritise work for yourself and others to ensure deadlines are met
• An energetic, flexible and proactive approach with the ability to work both independently and cooperatively within a team setting
• Strong team skills and the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships at all levels both within and outside the team
• Demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities and an awareness of what constitutes good practice

Desirable

• Language skills, alongside English, particular in Spanish or French 
• Ability to understand budget management and analyze financial reports
• Experience of working in a complex international organisation 
• Experience working in across departments and in business process
• Experience managing multi-departmental projects and in business process