Senior Thematic Advocacy Advisor

Save the Children; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading humanitarian organization is seeking a Senior Thematic Advocacy Advisor to drive child rights advocacy in various contexts. The role involves strategic support to country offices, developing high-quality advocacy materials, and leading thematic initiatives to influence global policy. Ideal candidates should have significant experience in advocacy, strong communication skills, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. This role offers a hybrid work pattern with flexible options.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Collaborative and inclusive environment

Qualifications

• Significant advocacy experience in Health, Education, and Child Protection.
• Track record in developing advocacy strategies across various contexts.
• Experience in influencing at global and national levels.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic thematic advocacy support to country offices.
• Develop advocacy materials, plans, and training.
• Lead key working groups and represent thematic advocacy efforts.

Skills

Advocacy experience

Leadership and mentoring

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field

Master’s Degree in relevant discipline

Job description

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

Team Purpose
To drive local to global influencing efforts by establishing a cohesive and relevant advocacy, campaign, child rights governance, and child participation agenda aligned with our global strategy, thereby driving impact at scale. By leveraging evidence and analysis, and promoting a culture of learning, we ensure a child rights approach is embedded in all our initiatives, while partnering with country offices to prepare, scale-up, and execute effective operational humanitarian advocacy efforts. Our team co-owns the delivery of advocacy, campaigning, and mobilization strategies and leads child participation approaches across all programs to empower children and amplify their voices in decision-making processes.

To strategically provide support and leadership to SC’s thematic advocacy initiatives that champion the rights of children. This role will help primarily help drive strategic, evidence-based, and high-quality thematic advocacy work in our country offices across humanitarian, nexus, and development contexts. This role will drive thematic learning and coordination and will be responsible for developing key materials and guidance to drive high-quality thematic advocacy work. This role will also play a key role in contributing and supporting thematic-specific global opportunities and initiatives where relevant.

Job Title: Senior Thematic Advocacy Advisor

Reports To: Senior Thematic Advocacy Manager

Work Pattern: Hybrid with flexible working options available

Grade: P

Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit:

Time Zone: Any

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

International Travel Requirements: up to %

Vacancies: roles available. For these roles we are looking for expertise and experience in Survive (health, nutrition, WASH), Protection, and/or Climate

Principal Accountabilities

1. Provide strategic, evidence-based thematic (survive, learn or be protected) advocacy support and leadership to Country Office teams driving high standards across humanitarian, nexus, and development contexts.
2. Develop key advocacy materials including briefings, messages, guidance notes, and relevant trainings to directly support high-quality CO thematic advocacy work.
3. Support the development of CO thematic advocacy plans, bringing innovative solutions, evidence, programmatic coordination, and thought leadership to drive impact at scale. Drive the local to global approach by connecting thematic advocacy work with regional and global opportunities, advocacy offices, and our global influencing agenda. Actively monitor and review the progress of our thematic advocacy work.
4. Lead, represent, and support in key relevant TWGs/APWGs where necessary and useful, promoting a community of practice and learning across thematic advocacy priorities.
5. Provide thematic advocacy input and support into key global advocacy opportunities and initiatives.
6. Support and input into the development of key policy initiatives on critical thematic areas as requested.
7. Lead the operational aspects of our thematic advocacy external partnerships in coordination with the CEO office.
8. Apply thematic advocacy knowledge to support the development of proposals ensuring strong advocacy integration.
9. Promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within all programmes, ensuring all interventions are accessible and effective for all community members, regardless of background or identity.

Experience and Skills

• Significant advocacy experience within one of the priority breakthrough areas of Health, Education, and Child Protection (survive, learn, or be protected) and one or more of the cross-cutting areas.
• Proven track record in successfully leading the development and implementation of advocacy strategies across development, nexus, and humanitarian contexts in a large INGO.
• Long-term experience in influencing at global, regional, and/or national levels on child-related issues.
• Extensive knowledge of international development, humanitarian, and child rights actors and key stakeholders.
• Sound knowledge of global development and humanitarian issues/trends and the current international education discourse.
• Experience of working in developing countries and/or humanitarian crises.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring skills, including the ability to both lead and be a member of a team, and of delivering significant results. Experience of building shared objectives, quality control, evaluation, motivation, performance management, staff development, and training.
• A demonstrable ability to plan and communicate at a strategic level.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Excellent mentoring and capacity-building skills, applicable across different countries and cultures and at the international level.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work collaboratively.

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree: Preferably in International Relations, Political Science, Communications, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Other Qualifications: Commitment to Save the Children’s values and willingness to engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Master’s Degree: Strongly desirable in a relevant discipline for advanced understanding of global issues.

Working at Save the Children International

is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~, staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfill their potential. Through our work in countries, we put the most deprived and marginalized 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 immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure 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, 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, color, 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 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 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our recruitment process:

• Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
• Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
• Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third-stage interview
• 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.