Senior Cost Optimization Analyst at Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE: 

As a movement Save the Children generates vast quantities of information that is used for multiple purposes. From information gathered that is reused to build evidence into the design of our programmes; to information used to optimise interactions with our supporters and through to data that describes our internal operations. We have a number of systems used to capture and store this information with pockets of capability and processes focussed on driving operational improvement.

As Save the Children moves into the next strategy period, we have identified the need to better use our information to prioritise and improve our decision making; to support the most marginalised and deprived children through our breakthroughs.

With an aligned and forward looking data and analytics strategy our ambition is to enable better decision making, reduce the administrative burden on our operations and ensure we operate in a cost-efficient and effective manner.

Working with functional experts from across the movement, this role will be responsible to oversee and coordinate improvements to how we evidence the cost efficiency and effectiveness of our global programs, focusing in particular on enabling efficient extraction of data from source systems, to provide integrated analysis and comparison of cost-related metrics across interventions, regions and countries.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Ability to understand and manage stakeholder requirements/drivers and project expectations
• Proven business requirements gathering and process/workflow analysis skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to transform MEAL & cost data into existing Power BI dashboards to track unit cost per output/outcome by thematic portfolio
• Experience of designing replicable prototypes of cost models for the software developers
• Excellent technical documentation skills including data cleaning and transformation steps to identify cost drivers, outliers, expenditure trends & opportunities for cost-saving/avoidance
• Experience of creating standardised data analytical models and charting templates for automation/repeated use
• Ability to create spot check mechanism to identify margin of error in calculating cost per output/outcome, cost benchmarking analyses and cost projections for scale-up/replication
• Excellent communication skills (written & oral English), including the ability to communicate and present both at a technical and non-technical level
• Demonstrable ability to write high quality requirements / user stories and experience coordinating with a Scrum Master, Software developers and other supporting departments to collect, write and priorities user stories to deliver minimum viable products
• Advanced analytical and problem solving skills and proven ability to analyse and interpret financial data and models
• Ability to support the creation of compelling business cases with accurate cost and effort estimations
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to negotiate/mediate; to facilitate the resolution of conflicting business requirements
• Excellent understanding of business complexity and project interdependencies
• Intellectual curiosity and the ability to question thought partners across functional areas
• Proven experience in facilitating productive workshops, preferably in multi-cultural contexts
• Ability to effectively prioritise work and agree priorities with the Project Manager
• Experience working with a standardised Business Analysis methodology and associated processes and tools
• Strong remote-working abilities and self-motivated
• Demonstrates a strong work ethic and able to take the initiative and ownership to deliver value to the business
• Cultural awareness and experience of delivering solutions internationally

Desirable

• Non-profit sector knowledge/experience (especially international development projects)
• Domain knowledge of value for money or economic evaluation in international development, and particularly the “4Es” framework
• Experience working on digital transformation projects
• Knowledge of Azure/AWS text labelling process to prepare cost models for machine assisted learning programmes
• Second language – French, Spanish or Arabic
• ACCA or CIMA qualification

Closing: 15 July 2022