Advocacy Advisor

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for an Advocacy Advisor to join our global team.

Team and Job Purpose

This is a high profile, externally facing team, with responsibility for the global influencing agenda, which will actively engage in global politically linked engagements on development, humanitarian and global issues.  This team will coordinate and lead the development of a proactive global policy and advocacy agenda in order to unify and amplify our strategic voice and influence across all thematic areas and contexts, while ensuring consistent and coherent external representation. By fostering collaboration within the organisation and engaging effectively with international bodies and influencing spaces including UN, Gulf and African Union, we aim to establish Save The Children as a key partner in shaping international norms and influencing national policies. Our work supports and enhances the movement's local to global advocacy efforts, ensuring our message and tactics are consistently applied, and our high-level external engagements reflect a unified stance.

Role purpose

The United Nations headquarters and institutions in New York and Geneva play a critical role in shaping children’s lives and helping to ensure their rights are fulfilled.

The Advocacy Advisor will advocate and communicate for policy change in and at the United Nations based on Save the Children policy and advocacy strategic plan and priorities. They will lead a selected priority area of work with relevant UN processes and bodies. They will represent Save the Children to relevant institutions and to influence them. They will be instrumental in influencing the Child rights agenda of governments through their engagement with Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva.

They will play a key role in contributing to the global child rights agenda of Save the Children, working in close collaboration with the global child rights team and other technical working groups. The role holder will be ensuring strong integration of the local to global advocacy agenda, playing a critical role in engaging with Save the Children’s country offices and regions, local partners and ensuring that they could contribute to influencing at the global level.

The role holder serves as child participation and child Safeguarding focal point for the team. They will work closely with other team members and global units, country offices and regions to promote and facilitate safe and meaningful children’s participation with UN processes in New York and Geneva.

Job Title: Advocacy Advisor

Reports To: Deputy Director

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available 

Contract Length: Permanent

Grade: P3

Location: Geneva, New York. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers

Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): Geneva

Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment.

Language Requirements: English, Additional UN language desirable 

International Travel Requirements: Yes, up to 10% 

Principal Accountabilities

Advocacy

• Promote Save the Children’s organizational priorities and key messages with UN policy makers and decision makers, including in the secretariat, UN agencies, permanent missions, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Lead the advocacy on relevant UN processes. 
• Support the NY and Geneva Advocacy Team to plan and implement advocacy and outreach for specific influencing priorities and processes, including planning of meetings, priority events, publication launches to promote Save the Children’s organizational priorities and key messages with UN policy makers and decision makers.

Development and Implementation of Strategies 

• Coordinate activities to meet benchmarks set in the team’s work plan, and which contribute to Save the Children International strategic objectives (coordination of advocacy activities, building constructive networks, organization and management of events, drafting of policy briefs, undertaking research, etc.)
• Support the development, coordination and implementation of the SC strategy for key engagement and influencing periods and moments (e.g. the UNGA).
• Where applicable, provide project management support including activities relevant to the child rights portfolio being led by the team.

Alliances and Partnerships

• Build relationships with relevant NGO and UN partners, including through NGO working groups/coalitions and interagency meetings, that enhance our advocacy impact.
• Be a credible and effective representative for Save the Children and its key initiatives in UN and other relevant forums.

Child Participation and Safeguarding

• Act as Child Safeguarding focal point for the office to ensure full implementation of Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding policy and Child Safe Participation in the team.
• Provide regular training and orientation to team members and other relevant parties.
• Conduct Child Safeguarding risk assessment and develop mitigation plans with relevant colleagues. 
• Support Children’s meaningful participation in UN Processes.

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Demonstrable experience working in child rights, child participation, child protection or related field at national and/or international level.
2. Experience in advocacy and policy work at national and/or international level, including proven success in developing and implementing high quality advocacy strategies
3. Capacity of analyzing complex policies and experience in developing policy briefs and policy papers
4. Experience of coordinating networks, building partnerships and forging coalitions to ensure good information sharing, mutual accountability and joint coherent action.
5. Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
6. Understanding of the United Nations system and multi-lateral systems
7. Excellent project management skills, with a track record of taking projects from concept stage to execution and building collaboration across functional and geographical boundaries
8. A commitment to child rights and to the aims, mission and goal of Save the Children.
9. Good interpersonal skills.
10. Excellent communication and writing skills.
11. Computer skills including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Education to bachelor’s level, with a qualification in Human Rights, Child Rights, International development, law, or a related field.
• Fluency in English

Desirable

• Knowledge of Spanish, French, or another UN official language would be an asset.

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 here via the job listing. 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.