Policy and Advocacy Adviser - Conflict & Humanitarian

Closing Date: 2 April 2024

Ref 6670

Save the Children UK has an exciting opportunity for a strategic and resilient individual with extensive humanitarian advocacy experience to join us as our Conflict & Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Adviser where you will work with the team on the Ukraine conflict and Syria/Turkiye earthquake response on a 50/50 split. 

Please note: This is a 12 month Fixed Term Contract. 

About Us 

Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.  When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave.  We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. 

About the role 

As a Policy & Advocacy Adviser (Conflict & Humanitarian), you will carry out a broad range of assignments and/or projects in line with the strategy and policies for your professional area and under overall managerial direction. You will lead on Save the Children UK's advocacy for children affected by conflict and crisis in Ukraine and Syria, two of the most complex and sensitive contexts in which our charity works. You will hold responsibility for driving work on specific parts of the Save the Children strategy, often working with minimal supervision, including representing the organisation regularly with external experts and high-level decision-makers. You will be a recognised specialist in your field, often working on complex assignments and projects, and providing technical guidance to others in resolving complex issues in a specialised area. You will produce high-quality policy analysis and research and/or planning, delivery and evaluation of advocacy to influence duty-bearers to uphold the rights of children in low- and middle-income countries. 

In this role, you will:   

• Design, lead and deliver policy, advocacy, research or MEAL strategies and products, to a high standard and often with minimal supervision.

• Identify policy and research needs and influencing opportunities in your thematic area, at the country level and/or internationally. 

• Maintain and develop high-level knowledge and expertise in your specific area and advise colleagues across the global movement, including at a senior level, as well as external stakeholders. 

• Develop and maintain relationships with key external stakeholders and build strong working relationships with partners and advocacy targets. 

• Build strong relationships with our country programmes and other colleagues across our global movement to ensure that national-level advocacy is delivered and informs international debates and decision-makers. 

About you 

To be successful, it is important that you have:  

• High-level expertise in global humanitarian policies, including national developing-country government policies, donor behaviour, international institutions and NGOs.

• High-level knowledge and expertise in a specific area. 

• A proven track record of carrying out high-quality research, policy and/or advocacy. 

• Ability to think creatively, innovate, strategize, set priorities, manage a workplan and evaluate progress with minimal supervision. 

• Strong networking and experience of participating in coalitions and working with civil-society actors to achieve change.

• Knowledge of human rights, international relations, political analysis and the international humanitarian system. 

• Ability and willingness to travel up to six weeks a year. 

• Commitment to Save the Children's vision, mission and values. 

What we offer you: 

Working for a charity provides one of the best benefits there is – a sense of purpose and reward for helping others. However, we understand the importance of giving back to our employees to ensure a happy and healthy working environment and work/life balance. 

• We focus on flexibility, inclusion, collaboration, health and wellbeing both in and outside of work. 

• We provide a wide range of benefits which will reward your hard work, motivate you, and inspire you to work to improve the lives of children every day. 

Closing date: Tuesday 2nd April 

Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

Ways of Working:

The majority of our roles can be performed remotely in the UK, but there are likely to be times when you will be required to come to your contracted office (up to 2-4 days per month or 6-8 days per quarter).  This will be agreed with your Line Manager and team and is intended to be time spent on collaborating with colleagues and relationship building. 

Please note: travel costs to your contracted office will be at your own expense. 

Flexible Working - We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: 

Save the Children UK believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable where all children have the opportunity to change their world. We apply this to our workforce and we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation where all employees have a sense of belonging and feel that they can be "Free to Be Me". We are not looking for just one type of person - we want to recruit people who can add fresh perspectives, innovative ideas or challenge that disrupts the risk of group think. 

We are especially interested in people whose childhood experiences - of life on a low income, of migration, of being in a racialised community, of the care system, of being LGBT+ or in an LGBT+ family or living with (or with someone with) a disability - help us to see things we might otherwise miss. Whatever your story is we want to hear it because we know that different voices, ideas, perspectives and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of children around the world. This is the reason why we are all here.