Senior Social Protection Advisor at Save the Children

The Senior Social Protection Technical Advisor will use their in-depth contextual understanding, technical expertise, and relationship building skills to define and deliver our strategic ambition for Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi. The role will lead strategy development and the technical design and implementation of high quality programmes that deliver change for children in both emergency and development programming. The Sr. Social Protection Advisor will ensure that all social protection programming is of excellent technical quality and contributes significantly to Save the Children’s strategic objectives, national/global learning and advocacy.

The role supports Child Poverty team members in national advocacy and influencing, and driving strategic partnerships for new business development. The role will provide technical advice in the design and implementation of social protection programming and also supports the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across our programmes, teams and partners.

The role will work closely with PDQ and operations colleagues and with partners in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi, building their capacity in relation to CSSP and building ownership, agency and engagement of local organisations.  This role includes a focus on training and coaching country office staff for external representation on priority issues including improving coverage and impacts for children through social protection systems, with a view towards supporting progressive realization of Universal Child Benefits, as well as nutrition-sensitive and shock responsive social protection, and poverty graduation discussions, among others. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly. The Sr. Social Protection Advisor champions a child rights programming approach and represents Save the Children in national and global forums and technical working groups.

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

Essential

• Master’s degree in Economics, Social Protection, Social Policy or a related field as well as equivalent relevant experience.
• At least 7 years’ experience working nationally and internationally on social protection policy, research and programmes, including design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Understanding of the social protection sector in at least one of the following countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania or Malawi.
• Demonstrated understanding and experience of life-cycle and rights based approach to social protection and how it contributes to outcomes for children.
• Understanding and experience of analysis of national social protection systems.
• Ability to analyse complex data in relation to social protection and poverty.
• Experience with complementary/cash “plus” approaches to social protection to improve impact on children.
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships with high level government officials.
• Diplomatic/negotiation skills to advocate for policy change.
• A demonstrated background or experience working on shock-responsive social protection, adaptive social protection and/or graduation would be an advantage.
• Track record in successful business development/fundraising for research or programming, specifically with large institutional and bilateral donors such as FCDO (formerly DFID), USAID, World Bank or UN Agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in successful programme design, monitoring and evaluation skills, including designing pathways to sustainable impact at scale.  
• Experience of strategy development and planning.
• Experience of context, capacity and policy analysis, and influencing and advocacy at regional/international level in order to hold duty bearers to account to children’s right to social protection.
• Skilled at networking, representation and partnership development in order promote learning, strengthen civil society and mobilise resources. 
• Able to generate and use data and evidence to innovate, deliver, learn and share what works and what doesn’t work for children.
• Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
• Experience of supporting humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery.
• Significant experience in training, capacity building, and mentoring.
• Fluent in spoken English and high level of English writing skills.

Contract duration: 2 years, with possibility of extension