Fixed term contract for 18 months
Holborn
The job of a Save the Children’s UK Start Funds Programme Advisor is interesting and fulfilling.
· Do you have experience working on humanitarian or international development funding mechanisms?
· Do you have a successful track record with managing donors?
· Are you a strong project manager with the ability to lead and engage others to achieve goals?
· Are you motivated by our vision of creating a world where every child doesn’t just survive, but thrives, and can go on to change the world?
If the answers to these questions are yes, we would love to hear from you!
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.
Job Purpose
Reporting directly to the Head of Start Funds, the Start Funds Programme Advisor will be responsible for supporting the Start Funds team on humanitarian financing initiatives.
The Start Funds Programme Advisor will provide project management and work to increase the reach and impact of the global Start Fund by unlocking funding for local and national NGOs within the growing Start Network membership.
They will also work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) teams to assess the impact of approaches to financing that are locally led and accountable to people affected by crises and ensure that learning is reflected in planned evaluations and programme development.
This is an 18 month donor funded project and will include a weekend duty rota once every 2 months to ensure that the global Start Fund can function 365 days per year.
As a rights-based organisation, we are committed to anti-racism and actively opposed systemic oppression of any form. The role holder will also support our commitment to celebrate diversity, challenge inequality, and build an inclusive environment for every one of our employees so we can better represent the children we protect.
Main Accountabilities
The Start Funds Programme Advisor’s key duties will include:
Project Management
· Act as main point of contact for the project donor
· Proactively coordinate (in conjunction with the Head of Start Funds) with focal persons across the Start Network and Save the Children UK to ensure the successful project delivery
· Collaborate and engage with the wider Start Funds team and governance bodies. Ensure that learning from the project is widely shared and information is effectively managed and communicated
· Develop and monitor project plans and management accounts. Produce progress reports and updates and play a leading role in formulating verbal and written reports to the donor and other key stakeholders
Programme Quality and Development
· Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop workable adaptations to Start Fund processes that aim to increase local and national NGO access to the Start Fund
· Work closely with the Start Funds Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Manager to provide support and guidance to the development of a grant for Start Network member organisations
· Work closely with the Start Funds team to launch global Start Fund programme adaptations and a new assessment grant
· Ensure that monitoring and learning of Start Fund disbursements feed into programme development and contribute to the project donor’s evaluation processes
· Identify and promote learning and development opportunities for the global Start Fund through their engagement with other funding mechanisms that are part of the donor project
· Help to identify and explore capacity development opportunities for the Start Funds’ team that will strengthen programme quality and performance
Stakeholder Engagement
· Lead a Start working group on humanitarian funding design. Ensure local and national NGO’s perspectives are represented
· Facilitate a series of knowledge sharing and learning events for the Start Network member organisations and supporters, and the wider humanitarian sector
· Lead the internal review of the Start Fund processes and approaches with Start team and Start Fund governing bodies. Identify opportunities for improvement
· Contribute to the development of annual business plan and work-plans and associated annual and quarterly reporting to stakeholders with Save the Children UK and the Start Network
· Support the development and implementation of Start Funds’ service offer to Start Network hubs and members.
Person Profile
Experience
· Substantial experience in international development or humanitarian programme operations
· Demonstrated experience with humanitarian funding mechanisms
· Proven experience in project management,
· Experienced in managing donor relations and liaising with external stakeholders
· Experience of working with diverse and globally dispersed teams and stakeholders
· Experience in partnership development or networks
· Skilled at managing and building effective partnerships
· Willingness to assist with Start Fund weekend duty rota (approximately once every two months)
Abilities
· Ability to effectively analyse and problem solve complex problems
· Ability to operate effectively and flexibly within an evolving portfolio of work
· Ability to communicate with colleagues in a dispersed, creative, and multicultural professional environment
· Ability to lead and mobilise people in a highly decentralised environment towards a desired outcome
· Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Aptitude
· A demonstrable commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion and their practical application and integration in the work environment
· A commitment to Save the Children UK’s aims and core values of accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity, and integrity
Save the Children UK is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.