Manager, Regional Affairs & Partnerships

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for Manager, Regional Affairs & Partnerships, LAC to join our LAC Team.

Team Purpose

The Programme Delivery department drives the implementation of our strategy by ensuring that programme and advocacy delivery is done right first time – at scale, with impact and quality, on time, on budget and with compliance. We aim to strengthen and enable implementing offices’ ability to work in complex and hostile environments, be more locally-led, smarter in its sourcing, and with a smaller environmental footprint. The department leads comprehensively on the organisation's humanitarian and crisis response strategy, including prioritisation, programme quality, operational delivery and interagency collaboration and influencing.

Role purpose

The role supports the Regional Director in driving regional priorities, coordination and strategic partnerships across Latin America and the Caribbean. It ensures effective collaboration and alignment between Country Offices, Members and Global Teams, follows up on priorities and actions emerging from regional and global fora, and provides the Regional Director with clear, comprehensive and objective perspectives to support informed decision-making.

A key focus of the role is to strengthen Save the Children’s external engagement with the private sector and corporate partners across the region. This includes identifying and developing strategic partnerships and opportunities with corporates, foundations, philanthropists, development finance institutions and other non-traditional partners; strengthening regional market intelligence and relationship management; and positioning Save the Children for longer-term partnership, resource mobilisation and market diversification.

Working closely with Country Offices, Members and Global Teams, the role will bring a regional perspective, connect opportunities and expertise across the region, and strengthen Country Office efforts through regional coordination, intelligence, relationships and market development. The role is not intended to replace Country Office partnership or business development functions, but to complement and strengthen them through regional expertise, coordination and strategic external engagement.

• Job Title: Manager, Regional Affairs & Partnerships, LAC
• Reports To: Regional Director, LAC
• Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Location: LAC - Any existing SCI office location in the LAC Region. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
• Required Time Zone: LAC Region Time Zones (UTC/GMT -3.5 hours or more)
• Contract Length: Permanent
• Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment. 
• Language Requirements: English, Spanish
• International Travel: up to 25% 
• Remit: Regional

Principal Accountabilities                    

Regional Coordination, Priorities & Strategic Support

• Coordinate and follow up on priorities, decisions and action points emerging from regional and global fora, ensuring that key issues are brought to the attention of the Regional Director and progressed effectively.
• Maintain a strong two-way flow of information, bringing Country Office perspectives and priorities to regional leadership while ensuring that relevant regional and global developments are communicated back to Country Offices.
• Act as a trusted and confidential adviser to the Regional Director, providing constructive challenge and feedback and supporting preparation for key meetings and strategic discussions.

Private Sector Market Intelligence & Opportunity Development

In close coordination with program funding colleagues, members and country offices: 

• Lead regional scanning of private sector and corporate partnership opportunities, alongside relevant foundation, philanthropic and other non-traditional funding markets relevant to LAC.
• Develop and maintain market intelligence, prospect mappings and opportunity pipelines to support regional and Country Office partnership and funding diversification efforts.
• Assess and prioritise emerging opportunities, connecting market intelligence with Save the Children’s regional priorities, programmes and existing portfolio.
• Strengthen mechanisms for sharing market intelligence, opportunities, learning and good practice across Country Offices, Members and relevant Global Teams.

Strategic Partnerships & External Engagement

In close coordination with program funding colleagues, members and country offices: 

• Develop and support a portfolio of priority regional corporate, foundation and philanthropic relationships, particularly where opportunities span multiple Country Offices or require regional coordination.
• Support the development of engagement and partnership strategies for priority prospects, including relationship mapping and positioning.
• Support the Regional Director, Country Directors and Members in senior-level engagement with priority corporate and strategic partners, as appropriate.
• Build and maintain relationships with relevant corporate networks, business associations, foundations, philanthropic actors and other strategic stakeholders.
• Represent Save the Children in relevant external forums and events, as appropriate and agreed.

Regional Partnership Coordination & Country Office Capability

• Facilitate multi-country partnership opportunities and connect Country Offices with relevant Member fundraising teams, private fundraising functions and Global Teams to maximise opportunities.
• Provide targeted advice, coaching and practical support to Country Directors and business development colleagues on partnership development, private-sector engagement and strategic account management.
• Strengthen Country Office capacity to engage with corporate, foundation and philanthropic partners, while complementing, rather than replacing, Country Office business development responsibilities.
• Convene and facilitate collaboration across Country Offices, Members and Global Teams around priority regional opportunities and partnerships.
• Promote practical tools, approaches and good practice that strengthen LAC’s collective capacity to diversify partnerships and funding.

Learning, Performance & Strategic Insight

• Track regional partnership activity, pipeline development and progress against agreed partnership and diversification objectives, providing regular updates and analysis to regional leadership.
• Monitor developments in corporate, philanthropic and other non-traditional funding markets and provide strategic insights to inform regional priorities and positioning.
• Capture and share learning from successful partnerships and market development initiatives across the region.
• Identify emerging trends, opportunities and challenges that may require strategic attention or coordinated action across LAC.

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Regional and partnership experience: Significant professional experience in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a strong understanding of the regional context and experience working across multiple countries and diverse operating environments.
2. Private sector and partnership development: Demonstrated experience developing and managing relationships with corporate partners, foundations, philanthropists and/or other non-traditional partners or funders. Experience with corporate social responsibility and/or corporate partnerships is highly desirable.
3. Market intelligence and opportunity development: Experience analysing funding and partnership landscapes, identifying emerging opportunities and trends, and translating market intelligence into strategic recommendations and actionable opportunities.
4. Strategic relationship management: Proven ability to develop and implement engagement strategies, build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, and position an organisation effectively with external partners.
5. Funding and proposal development: Experience contributing to or leading the development of high-quality proposals, pitches, concept notes or partnership propositions, including coordinating inputs from multiple teams and stakeholders.
6. Regional coordination and cross-functional working: Demonstrated experience working across functions, teams and organisational boundaries, bringing together different perspectives and facilitating collaboration between Country Offices, Members and Global Teams.
7. Strategic advisory experience: Experience providing strategic analysis, advice and recommendations to senior leaders, including the ability to synthesise complex information, identify priorities and highlight critical issues and opportunities.
8. Stakeholder engagement and communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting and communicating complex information clearly to different audiences, including senior leaders, donors, corporate partners and other external stakeholders.
9. Relationship-building and influencing: Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust, navigate different interests and perspectives, and foster constructive collaboration.
10. Relevant partnership and fundraising experience and credentials

Desirable

• Experience working in an international NGO or humanitarian/development organisation, with a good understanding of operational realities in Country Offices.
• Experience working across both humanitarian and development contexts.
• Experience with contracts, tenders, payment-by-results mechanisms or other innovative partnership and financing models.
• Experience working with private-sector networks, corporate foundations, philanthropic organisations or development finance institutions.
• Experience with project management, pipeline management and planning tools, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field such as International Development, Business Administration, or Social Sciences, or equivalent experience.

Qualifications:

• Certifiable qualifications in Project Management such as PRINCE2 or PMP are highly desirable.
• Certifications or training in areas such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are advantageous.

Desirable

• Professional certifications in project management, leadership, or relevant areas would be advantageous.

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found at SCI Careers. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who are successfully shortlisted should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our Recruitment Process

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse.  All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-Harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.