SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL

ROLE PROFILE

TITLE: Senior Advisor,Policy and Advocacy(Global Migration and Displacement Initiative (MDI))
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Migration and Displacement Initiative / LOCATION: Flexible, any existingSave the Children office
GRADE: TBC / CONTRACT LENGTH: 2 years
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 1: the post holder will not have contact with children and/or young people, or access to personal data about children or young people, as part of their work; therefore, a police check will not be mandatory for this post unless the content of the post changes, in which case the Child Safeguarding level should be reviewed.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The role holder will be a key member of a new centralised 5-person Migration and Displacement Initiative,which leverages existing capacity and skills to develop our global response to Migration Displacement (M&D)in a mannerthat enables Save the Children to become a global leader in child focused M&D work. This approach is expected to be mainstreamed within the organisation after 2 years, and will ensure a consistent approach across all of our international programming activities.
The MDI Policy and Advocacy Manager will play a leadership role in both establishing anddriving forward our Migration and Displacement (M&D) related policy work, by working with relevant policy and advocacy leads acrossSave the Children International and the Membership. The role holder will be responsible for providing strategic guidance to the organisation, brokering external engagements, briefing colleagues across the organisation, and staying abreast of international policy and political developments that impact on Save the Children’s work; including on issues affecting the rights of migrant and displaced children.The principal focus will be on policy work.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Report to: Director of Global Migration and Displacement Initiative
Staff reporting to this post: n/a
Key internal relationships:GACG, MAG, Global Campaigns, Advocacy and Communications Director; Advocacy, Campaigns and Communications team; Global Media Unit; Humanitarian Director; AU, EU and UN (NY and Geneva) Advocacy Offices; Save the Children Member advocacy and account management staff; Regional Advocacy Directors; Global Thematic Directors
Budget Responsibilities: n/a
Role Dimensions: This is a demanding and fast-moving role in a complex international federated organisation that works in over 100 countries. Save the Children’s policy work spans the UN and other international institutions, national governments, the private sector, and engagement with civil society.
The role holder will need to manage diverse external and internal relationships in order to secure external opportunities and to assist in the formulation of positions, write briefings, speeches and opinion pieces.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Policy/Advocacy
  • On the basis of Save the Children’s programming and policy experience, identify global policy and practice change that would promote and protect the rights of migrant and displaced children
  • Together with the MDI and key Save the Children,stakeholders develop an organisation-wide M&D advocacy strategy to address this change, including advocacy strategies around key global processes that affect migrant and displaced children. This includes also identifying clear theories of change, per policy priority.
  • In conjunction with organisational colleagues, identify key opportunities and events for Save the Children to position itself as the leading organisation in regards to MDI related children’s issues
  • Lead on internal and external organisational policy positioning around key child-related M&D issues
  • Deliver policy and advocacy products on behalf of the MDI, including internal and external positions, briefings, speeches, and opinion pieces in coordination with the key internal policy and advocacy focal points
  • Based on Save the Children (SC) programmeexperience and policy positions, develop key advocacy messages for the seniorlevel management team
  • Ensure that voices of children are at the frontline of our M&D advocacy strategy.
  • Maintain a strategic overview of top-line child related MDI policy and advocacyissues, monitoring trends in the external environment, and assisting in information exchange across the organisation
  • Ensure a robust overview, ongoing analysis, and development of key MDI messages.
  • Keep a watching brief on policy makers and other key players
Influencing
  • Develop good knowledge of key global structures and processes and key decision-making structures that influence the situation of migrant and displaced children
  • Advise and assist key internal stakeholders in hands-on influencing of the key global, regional, and where necessary also national policy processes and practices
  • Advise and assist key internal stakeholders in developing communication strategies to support advocacy on these issues
  • Produce or advice/assist in production of reports, briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences to support internal and external advocacy on M&D-related issues
Coordination & Representation
  • Develop and cultivate strategic relationships with key internal stakeholders as well as other agencies engaged in MDI advocacy and policy work
  • Develop and maintain a network of external contacts with key individuals in the global policy-making, NGO sector, civil society and the media.
  • Represent Save the Children at relevant policy forums, as required
  • Act as a spokesperson for Save the Children to a variety of external audiences including policy makers and the media, as required
  • Liaise closely with staff across the organisation to integrate and coordinate policy change initiatives
  • Develop strong links with Save the Children Members programmes for advocacy / awareness raising globally.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
  • holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
  • holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
  • sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
  • widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
  • future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
  • builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
  • values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
  • approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
  • develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
  • willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
  • Excellentverbal and written skills in English, including the ability to write in accessible and to the point language.
  • Master’s degree or equivalent experience in progressively responsible policy/advocacy positions
  • Excellent knowledge of M&D related policy/development issues (across all of Save the Children’s thematic areas), actors and legislation, including International Humanitarian Law.
  • Substantial experience in successfully leading the development of policy change analyses. The ability to lead and drive forward issues across a diverse global organisation will be key.
  • A good understanding of field operation realities and the ability to link these realities with our policy approaches
  • Substantial experience and knowledge of key global issues in three or more of SC’s main programming themes (child protection, education, child rights governance, child poverty or health and nutrition).
  • Experience solving complex issues through analysis
  • Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
  • Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
  • Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
  • Experience of building personal networks, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organisation.
  • Commitment to Save the Children values
  • Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
Desirable
  • Demonstrable track record of leading change, resulting in significant results for the organisation and their stakeholders
  • Experience working for an international humanitarian organisation
  • Experience in the coordination of various stakeholders
  • Has a strong international network within external media organisations
  • An understanding of the issues concerning the INGO sector with an in-depth knowledge in communications, marketing and/or fundraising

Date of issue: March 2017Authored: Steve Morgan