South Yorkshire Child Poverty Partnership Officer

Job Description - South Yorkshire Child Poverty Partnership Officer 

Overview 

Resolve Poverty are excited to be working in partnership with Save the Children UK to recruit a South Yorkshire Child Poverty Partnership Officer that will improve outcomes for children and young people living in poverty across South Yorkshire. This new role will mobilise the development of a regional Child Poverty Action Plan, working closely with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and work with complex systems and multiple partners.  

Drawing on Resolve Poverty’s expertise in developing strategic local responses to poverty and the work of the Dream Big South Yorkshire: Children & Families Commission, the postholder will be passionate about using this pilot phase to establish the necessary mechanism for a sustainable long-term approach to addressing child poverty across the region.  

Particulars: 

Role Title: South Yorkshire Child Poverty Partnership Officer 
Location: Hybrid — based in South Yorkshire with regular presence at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Save the Children’s offices in Sheffield and an expectation of some travel to Resolve Poverty’s office in Manchester. 

Hours: Full-time (35 hours/week)  

Contract: Fixed-term, 12 months, with potential extension dependent on funding. 

Salary: £43,000 to £47,000 (dependent on experience).  

Host and working arrangements 

Employer: Resolve Poverty (host organisation). 

Embedded placement up to 2 days per week within South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to support regional policy development and delivery. 

Partnership support: Will receive regular technical and programme support from Save the Children UK — South Yorkshire team and work closely with their staff on delivery, stakeholder engagement and safeguarding. 

Background 

The South Yorkshire Child Poverty Coalition  is being established as a collaborative advisory board, co-chaired by key partners and supported by stakeholders including VCSFE infrastructure organisations, policy academics, strategic leads, and national experts. Its mission is to develop and deliver a comprehensive South Yorkshire Child Poverty Action Plan that tackles the root causes of child poverty and leverages opportunities for change at regional, local, and community levels. 

Central to this work is the South Yorkshire Children and Families Commission, a regional body made up of Community Commissioners and Civic Commissioners who blend lived and learned experience to embed the reality of poverty’s impact across our communities. Their voices will shape priorities, decisions, and direction throughout the strategy period, ensuring that the Coalition’s work is grounded in the experiences of those most affected. This role will also ensure that this work aligns with SYMCA’s ambitions to develop a youth engagement strategy.  

The Coalition will also play a pivotal role in aligning the Action Plan with the proposed Child Lens Investment Fund. This pioneering approach to child-lens investing—intentionally directing investment decisions based on their potential impact for children and families—offers South Yorkshire the opportunity to maximise social investment to improve outcomes for children and families living in poverty, while strengthening the local economy through funding for businesses, social enterprises, and charities. 

Role Purpose 

The South Yorkshire Child Poverty Partnership Officer will work closely with SYMCA to provide strategic leadership, coordination, and  development of the Child Poverty Action Plan. The role will initially sit within the Violence Reduction Unit as part of an embedded placement, building capacity within the unit to ensure that the Action Plan reflects the work of the unit to embed lived experience, youth voice and preventative approaches to address exploitation and vulnerability. The role will ensure that the Coalition’s work is embedded within wider regional strategies, aligned with local and national frameworks, and driven by lived experience and robust data. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead the Coalition: Convene partners, provide strategic leadership, oversee progress, and manage projects to ensure effective delivery. 

• Build capacity: Strengthen organisational capacity within SYMCA to embed the Child Poverty Action Plan within regional strategies, working closely with the four local authorities. 

• Develop the Framework: Work alongside the Coalition and the regional Commission to design a robust Action Plan framework, informed by data and region-specific priorities. 

• Champion Lived Experience: Promote a culture of participatory production, ensuring that lived experience is embedded and championed throughout the Coalition’s work. 

• Maintain Momentum: Collaborate with Coalition partners to sustain energy and momentum, ensuring the Action Plan feeds into wider opportunities and regional priorities. 

• Set Regional Targets: Based on national child poverty targets and metrics, establish South Yorkshire-specific ambitions with short, medium, and long-term goals to reduce child poverty rates. 

• Empower the Commission: Support the Children and Families Commission to be fully embedded within the Coalition, ensuring it holds equal decision-making power alongside other partners. 

• Advance Child-Lens Investing: Support the development of the Child Lens Investment Fund, aligning investment outcomes with the deliverables of the Child Poverty Action Plan to maximise social impact and economic benefit. 

• Strengthen Partnerships: Hold and nurture relationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders—including health, education, transport, and planning sectors—to ensure the Child Poverty Action Plan is supported and embedded across the region. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Proven experience in strategic leadership, partnership working, working with complex systems and project management. 

• Strong understanding of child poverty, social policy, and regional inequalities. 

• Ability to convene diverse stakeholders and build consensus across sectors. 

• Commitment to participatory approaches and embedding lived experience in decision-making. 

• Excellent communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills. 

Desirable 

• Experience of working within combined authorities, local government, or regional policy environments. 

• Knowledge of social investment approaches, particularly child-lens investing. 

• Familiarity with evaluation frameworks and data-led strategy development. 

Benefits and practicalities 

Salary: £43,000 to £47,000 (dependent on experience). 
Pension and leave: Standard employer pension contributions and annual leave in line with Resolve Poverty policy. 
Professional development: Access to training and peer support through Resolve Poverty, Save the Children UK and with SYMCA. 
Travel: Travel across South Yorkshire and occasional travel to national meetings. There is an expectation of some travel to Resolve Poverty’s office in Manchester. Travel expenses will be reimbursed in line with policy. 

The postholder will be required to hold an Enhanced DBS.  

Application and selection 

Application materials: CV (max 2 pages) and a short supporting statement (max 1,200 words) explaining how you meet the essential criteria and why you are interested in the role. 

Applications should be sent to Michelle Hewitt no later than 5pm on Tuesday 28th April.

Selection process: Shortlisting, panel interview and a short task or presentation related to project. 

Recruitment timetable:  

Deadline for applications: 5pm on Tuesday 28th April.  

Confirmation of interview dates for shortlisted candidates: Tuesday 5th May. 

Interviews to be carried out in Sheffield on Tuesday 12th May.