Vacancies at Save the Children

Principle Accountabilities

• Coordinate and drive development and implementation of advocacy strategies and global policy positions for specific global targets based on a Global External Engagement Strategy in close collaboration with relevant policy and advocacy leads and key relationship-holders within Save the Children, including account holders and corporate partnerships teams to further Save the Children’s policy, advocacy and campaigns priorities 
• Develop and update policy positions across all thematic areas and contexts that are globally relevant, ensuring consistency across all contexts.  Drive visibility on policy gaps and updates.
• Contribute to building Save the Children’s reputation with global influencers and thought leaders as relevant in collaboration with relevant policy and advocacy leads and ensuring synergies with the Global External Engagement Strategy
• Coordinate the development and implementation of  specific cross-cutting advocacy strategies and global policy positions as necessary to deliver our organisational priorities and key messages
• Contribute to the development and implementation of different advocacy tools and approaches, i.e. Speaking Out and Strategic Litigation
• Coordinate and manage SC's global policy work, in collaboration with colleagues across the Movement
• Coordinate the external engagement in high risk contexts across global functions to ensure support to the respective country offices and with members where needed.

Experience and Skills

Essential

Experience

• Foundation of Experience: Experience in global policy and advocacy work, particularly in international development or child rights.
• Proficient Experience: Demonstrates a history of successful policy and advocacy efforts across all contexts, contributing significantly to global campaigns and initiatives.
• Considerable Experience: A track record of managing and implementing advocacy strategies and development of complex policy positions at an international level, with a keen understanding of global political dynamics.
• Extensive Experience: Experience working within a global NGO or similar setting, managing high-stakes relationships, risk and ensuring strategic alignment across multiple teams.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Committed experience in advancing DEI principles within their advocacy work, ensuring that policies and strategies are equitable and inclusive.
• Crisis Management and Resilience: Experience in managing advocacy efforts in complex, high-pressure environments, demonstrating resilience and adaptive problem-solving
• Significant experience working across advocacy, comms, campaigns and media in various contexts with a strong understanding and grasp of policy issues and risk management

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Master’s Degree in International Relations, Political Science, Public Policy, Development Studies, or a related field is preferable.                                               

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Principal Accountabilities 

This role integrates climate, child poverty and urban, to create a holistic and cohesive approach to sustainable development working across all the thematic areas.  The interconnected nature of these areas allows for strategic benefits and synergies, driving impactful and sustainable solutions for children and communities in our Breakthrough areas. Key accountabilities: 

• Strategic leadership: Ultimately accountable for delivery on the strategic direction of our Climate, Urban and  ‘Safety Nets and Resilient Families’ Goal, as well as contributions to other strategic goals and enablers. Ensure the development, delivery, and demonstration of ambitious goal plans. Overall accountability for the development as well as the delivery of Save the Children’s global thematic portfolio results framework in line with our Theory of Change
• Climate Justice: Lead Save the Children’s Climate Justice vision, strategy, positioning and influencing to: 1) amplify what’s working and relevant across the sector to drive impact at scale; 2) anticipate future trends and forward-thinking solutions; 3) deepen quality and commitment to increase investment and impact in this area across the movement.
• Collaboration & Integration: Drive integration of climate justice, urban, safety net and resilient families approaches into breakthroughs and strategic goals. Align efforts to share learnings, develop joint initiatives, and ensure that support to countries is consistent and integrated. Regularly collaborate with colleagues on evidence and learning, policy, advocacy and campaigns, fundraising, humanitarian etc. to ensure gender transformative agenda is embedded across all thematic areas starting from the design stage.
• Thought leadership: Based on a deep understanding of Save the Children’s programs portfolio across countries, keep abreast of and inform sectoral thinking and innovation on cross climate justice, urban and child poverty. In collaboration with the Breakthrough Directors, lead and inspire the movement to set and maintain technical standards, to innovate and to demonstrate technical excellence through evidence-based, child-rights programming. Bring the best of Save the Children’s expertise, thinking, and evidence to generate impact in the world.
• Service mindset: Understand and respond to country office technical needs on cross cutting issues, driving programme and influencing integration to achieve country strategies: Coordinate with Breakthrough Directors to provide comprehensive and integrated technical support that addresses the multi-faceted needs of COs. Ensure that country offices (and where appropriate, Members) have access to technical expertise needed to deliver on their strategies, meet surge needs, and tees up Save the Children for funding opportunities over time.
• Country portfolio strategic support / oversight: engage with country teams to understand their climate, child poverty, urban portfolio, and identify opportunities and needs to provide strategic support (programs models packaging, experience and capacity sharing, strategic partnerships, donor engagement, evidence generation and use…) in line with country strategies. Work closely with our Member organisations and new business development team to monitor, grow, and strengthen our programs portfolio in line with Save the Children’s Theory of Change.
• Evidence and learning: Work closely with the Evidence & Learning function and CO teams to design and support effective strategies for the generation of evidence, the filling of evidence gaps, and the uptake and utilization of the latest evidence in program design and influencing. Ensure that the latest climate, child poverty and urban-related research and data are incorporated into strategies and initiatives.  Align with our locally led commitment by developing and improving methods to involve communities, partners, children and young people networks and organisations  in monitoring, research, evaluation, and the design and delivery of program activities & lifting local voices and perspectives.
• Representation & partnerships: Serve as primary representative for our Climate, Child Poverty and Urban work internally and externally, able to represent the portfolio, programming, influencing, resourcing, and priorities. Nurture strategic partnerships, particularly in line with our commitment to localisation. 
• All contexts Approach: Goal/Thematic Portfolio Directors hold overall accountability for and represent on technical work across all contexts (in close collaboration with the Humanitarian Director, the Director of Humanitarian Program Quality, and thematic Heads in relation to work in humanitarian responses). It's crucial to ensure a seamless connection between development and humanitarian work in line with our impact agenda.
• Manage a high performing team of experts and leaders to inspire a shared vision and an empowering workplace culture to drive results. This includes talent management, strategic workforce planning for staff in these areas across the movement.

 Experience and Skills

Essential

• Technical leadership: demonstrated expertise in leading the development and implementation of high-quality programming and influencing working with diverse stakeholders with a locally led approach grounded in evidence and research and thought leadership practices. 
• Child Rights and gender transformative integrated approach: experience leading integrated approaches across policy, advocacy and programs at country, regional and global level to drive lasting change at scale for and with children especially in the areas of climate justice, child poverty and urban. 
• Cultural Leadership: Leads by example, embodying the organization’s values and fostering a culture of inclusion, integrity, respect, empathy and excellence.
• Visionary Leadership: Demonstrates the ability to articulate a compelling vision for the future, inspiring and motivating teams to achieve ambitious goals. Exceptional communication skills with the ability to inspire and engage employees at all levels, fostering a sense of purpose and commitment.
• Positive Influence and inclusive workplace: Creates a positive and inclusive work environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, and high performance.
• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and evaluate strategic plans and initiatives.
• Financial Acumen & Resource Mobilisation: extensive experience in attracting quality funding to resource impact at scale including financial management and budgeting processes
• Significant Experience: Extensive experience in senior leadership roles overseeing strategy, planning, and reporting, particularly in global or multinational contexts.
• Substantial Experience: Demonstrated track record of effective business partnering, showing considerable ability to progress strategic initiatives and departmental priorities.
• Extensive Experience: Substantial experience in thought leadership and strategic advisory capacity to executive-level stakeholders.

Desirable

• Influence – Proven track record in influencing outcomes without direct authority through collaboration & challenge
• Self-awareness – Commitment to giving and receiving feedback, continuous learning and self-growth
• Advisory Skills: Expertise in strategic advisory roles, providing thought leadership to senior leadership teams (SLT, SMT) and governing boards. 
• Foundational Experience: Experience in managing the delivery of strategic plans within nonprofit, humanitarian, or development organizations.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Postgraduate Degree in Environmental Science, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, International Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Strong Academic Background: Solid understanding of climate science, child poverty, gender issues,
• Professional Accreditations: Membership or affiliation with relevant professional bodies or associations related to climate change, sustainable development, or international development.

Desirable

Additional certifications or training in sectors like gender and child rights studies would be advantageous.

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Principle Accountabilities 

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive global evidence and learning strategy and agenda in line with Save the Children Global Strategy and Theory of Change, including with key inter-agency and external research agendas.
• Ensure rigorous MEAL frameworks, standards, policies, procedures, and tools are in place across SCI entities and implemented to measure and analyse the outcomes and impact of our programmes and influencing interventions, drive accountability and inform decision-making. Guide and monitor the way in which evidence and learning roles are staffed and trained across country offices.
• Determine and ensure high quality monitoring, evaluation, research, context analysis, and learning practices used in programs and influencing are in line with Save the Children and sector standards. 
• Lead knowledge sharing and capacity strengthening efforts with a focus on Country Offices to strengthen our cadre of MEAL staff and leverage high-quality evidence and knowledge to enhance impact.
• Champion and promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement, fostering innovation and leveraging data to enhance the impact of our programmes across diverse contexts within Save the Children.
• Facilitate the identification, communication, and application into programs of relevant lessons and evidence from Save the Children and other sources including working with programs and influencing leaders on proposals development and new business opportunities. 
• Ensure alignment with our locally led commitment by developing and improving methods to involve communities, children and young people in monitoring, research, evaluation, and the design and delivery of program and influencing interventions, lifting up local voices and perspectives.
• Digest and make available insights in a way that is accessible to, and can be applied by, team members for influential storytelling and influencing.
• Contribute to efforts to diversify I&I team and build a culture of inclusion, allowing all voices to be heard equally and difference to thrive.  

Experience and Skills 

Essential 

• Significant experience in setting and applying Country Offices MEAL frameworks, processes and standards across programs cycle and proven track record in leading capacity strengthening to drive high quality evidence and learning agenda and ensure continuous improvement to streamline these processes
• Experience in leading systems and approaches to drive impact at scale tracking across a global organisation with adapatability and ambiguity
• Extensive experience and proven track record in leading high-quality research and evaluation agenda development and delivery in line with a global strategy
• Cultural Leadership: Leads by example, embodying the organization’s values and fostering a culture of inclusion, integrity, respect, empathy and excellence.
• Visionary Leadership: Demonstrates the ability to articulate a compelling vision for the future, inspiring and motivating teams to achieve ambitious goals.
• Motivational Communication: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to inspire and engage employees at all levels, fostering a sense of purpose and commitment.
• Positive Influence: Creates a positive and inclusive work environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, and high performance.
• Proficient Experience: in designing and implementing MEAL strategies across various levels of an organisation with dedicated experience leading country or regional MEAL agenda.
• Significant Experience: leading monitoring, evaluation, and research activities within a non-profit, ideally within an international context.
• Extensive Experience: in senior MEAL positions including at country or regional levels with demonstrable results in organisational learning, thought leadership, and evidence-based program improvement and influencing. 

Desirable 

• Stakeholder Engagement: Considerable experience engaging with diverse stakeholders, including community members, children, and young people, to incorporate their voices in MEAL activities.
• Innovative Thinking: A track record of fostering innovation and continuous improvement in multiple contexts. 
• Influence – Proven track record in influencing outcomes without direct authority through collaboration & challenge
• Inclusivity and Equity: A passion for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and ensuring these principles are integrated into all aspects of MEAL 

Education and Qualifications     

Essential

• Advanced Degree: A post-graduate degree (Masters or PhD preferred) in a related field such as international development, social sciences, Planning & Statistics, with a specialization in Research and Evaluation

Desirable

• Recognised Certification: Certification in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) and in research, evaluation methodologies is highly desirable.

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Principle Accountabilities

• Lead on SCI/SCA global financial accounting policies and processes to meet accounting standards in the UK (for SCI), in Switzerland (for SCA) and other relevant standards in countries where SCI operates or has employees based. 
• Provide expertise and support country and global teams to embed best practice on financial accounting matters. Support development of professional financial accounting skills across global and country finance teams; ensuring documentation of policies, procedures, guidance in Quality Framework and appropriate training available. 
• Lead on quarterly balance sheet reviews to assess accuracy of financial accounting data and develop action plan to address any weaknesses. Support data governance processes. 
• Lead on preparation and review of SCI, SCA and Trading annual statutory Trustees report and financial statements to ensure completeness and accuracy and they meet UK charity and company law reporting requirements (including Charity Commission Return).  Lead on SCA/SCI Going Concern assessments. Support on reporting to Board, Finance Committee, Audit & Risk Committee and Members Meeting to gain approval of SCA, SCI, Trading reporting and accounts. 
• Lead on planning, preparation and delivery of SCI and SCA annual  statutory audits. Support with KPMG’s audit strategy and manage day to day relationship with KPMG to deliver efficient and effective audit. Lead on preparation of action plan to address and reduce audit findings, monitor and report on progress against plan.   
• Financial accounting Support statutory audits & reporting in country where SCI operates to meet local laws and accounting regulations. 
• Lead the Financial Accounting team.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Extensive knowledge of UK GAAP and substantial experience in financial accounting, demonstrating proficiency in applying complex accounting standards and principles.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with an ability to evaluate complex accounting issues.
• Strong process management skills, with a track record of designing and implementing efficient financial accounting processes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of conveying complex information clearly and effectively to non-finance staff.
• Leadership skills, capable of guiding and inspiring a team towards achieving objectives and best practices.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel and in other financial software.
• Experience in leading the preparation and review of statutory financial statements and reports, ensuring compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
• Proficient experience in leading and managing external audits.
• Considerable experience in conducting financial data analysis and balance sheet reviews to assess data accuracy and integrity.
• Experience in advising and supporting multidisciplinary teams to embed financial best practices and enhance professional accounting skills.

Desirable

• Knowledge of other global financial accounting standards, in particular Swiss GAAP.
• Experience in operating within the charity or non-profit sector, with an understanding of charity accounting and financial regulations. 

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• UK Accounting Qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).

Desirable

N/A