We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.
We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
- No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
- All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
- Violence against children is no longer tolerated
We know that great people make a great organization, 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 workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Save the Children International seeks to always be a child-safe organization by fulfilling its obligations to the community and through programme implementation carried out by the organization for safeguarding children and improve their living standards of the child.
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Position: Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media Director
Location: Country Office
Contract Length: 1 year
The Opportunity:
ROLE PURPOSE:
As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in the CO, the Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media (ACCM) Director shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Country Office. The ACCM Director in his/her capacity is responsible for providing leadership to ensure excellence in our public and private facing advocacy, campaigning, media and communications on the humanitarian crisis and situation of children in Yemen as well as our longer term development work.
The purpose of the role is to lead and manage the external and internal Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media work for the Yemen country office including the advocacy strategy development and implementation as a prioritized Category 1 response, supporting the priority programmatic areas, such as Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, Food Security, Education in Emergencies, and humanitarian space/operational space issues. The role will support the Senior Management Team in risk mapping, mitigation and management on issues identified as most relevant for the CO, and develop policy analysis and strategic planning in response to those issues.
As it is a humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.
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KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to:
- Leadership of the Yemen Country Office
- Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects the full programming spectrum (humanitarian and development) values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation, and supports staff to deliver outstanding results for children.
- Help design and implement a coherent organizational structure that is consistent with agency practices and appropriate to country office needs
- Ensure that all required support is provided promptly, during emergencies or times of humanitarian crisis.
- Develop risk mitigation management plans in response to SMT, regional office, center (HQ), or Member identified risks to the delivery of quality programs for children with focus and ownership on ‘Speaking Out’.
- Ensure strong linkages between Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media function and other Directors on the SMT so that advocacy is well resourced, evidence based and program driven and that programs are enhanced through advocacy.
Advocacy Strategy Development and Implementation
- Lead Yemen’s Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media team with a clear vision and integrated workplan and objectives, including setting SMART goals for the team and securing buy-in from key internal stakeholders.
- Lead the country office’s strategy to protect children in conflict, ensuring coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives. The postholder will hold primary responsibility for risk mitigation and management associated with the delivery on this strategy.
- Revise, strengthen and implement the Country Office’s overall advocacy strategy, identify policy and practice change, on the basis of Save the Children’s experience, that would promote and protect the rights of children in the Yemen.
- Based on Save the Children (SC) program priorities, and identified priority issues for children, develop key advocacy messages and identify targets from lessons learned, assessments, research and evidence gained through project implementation.
- Develop and implement advocacy objectives and initiatives, both short and long term, encompassing a wide range of issues and audiences.
- Develop and implement a plan for national level advocacy and influencing as part of the overall advocacy strategy, involving partners, technical experts and national actors where appropriate.
- Work with the Humanitarian Advocacy Working Group and the Regional Office to develop and implement and plan for international advocacy, identifying key strands of work to be collectively taken forward by the CO, RO, Members and Advocacy Offices.
- Ensure that the Humanitiarian Advocacy Working Group has the resources it needs to complete agreed objectives and activities, including via updating and collaborating with the group on the Regional Middle East Humanitarian Advocacy Working Group Calls and through regular high-quality written updates and briefings
- Ensure that voices of children are integral to SC’s advocacy, campaigning and media.
- Lead the Country Office’s campaigns strategy, with a focus on education, ensuring coordination and engagement across all departments to deliver on the strategic objectives.
- Maintain a strategic overview of issues effecting children’s rights in the Yemen, monitoring trends in the external environment and inputting and/or leading as required to organisational strategy and planning processes, in coordination with other team members.
- Ensure a robust overview, ongoing analysis, and development of key messages around protecting children in conflict issues with the particular focus on education and protection, movement and access, humanitarian and operational space issues affecting Save the Children’s ability to deliver quality programs for children.Work proactively with Save the Children Yemen’s partners on joint advocacy, media and communications objectives and support partners to identify and address capacity strengthening opportunities, both for partners and wider civil society in Yemen.
Situation and advocacy analysis
- Working closely with programs, provide analysis of how children have been affected by the crisis in Yemen, the national policy responses and policy frameworks, as well as other factors such as UN coordination, funding for the response, security and current and future challenges that have an impact on children and their access to humanitarian assistance, health, education and protection services.
- Define key advocacy opportunities and targets at national and regional levels, if relevant, and if needed mobilize international advocacy support for these.
- Ensure a strong power analysis of the relevant actors and where opportunities for influence and leverage lie to inform the advocacy strategy.
Producing advocacy products
- Draft and otherwise support the production of advocacy products as outlined in the advocacy strategy for use at the country, regional and international levels including supporting the Protecting Children in Conflict (PCIC) Advocacy and Campaigns strategy in country.
- Ensure that all advocacy messages, documents and strategies are evidence-based, drawn from field experience and assessments, of high quality and effective, and are approved by the Country Director, the Regional AMC Director, Regional Humanitarian Advocacy Manager, the Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Technical Working Group and the HAWG. When necessary ensure advocacy products are signed-off according to the SCI sign-off procedures.
- Support global and regional advocacy initiatives that include Yemen (internally and, where relevant, externally) by ensuring requests for input, feedback or sign-off are responded to in a timely manner and expectations are managed accordingly.
- Lead SC’s media and comms work to highlight humanitarian needs by developing products for social and traditional media. Advise on media lines and media strategy, ensuring potential risks associated with SC’s positions are assessed and sign-off procedures are adhered to.
- Lead or support external advocacy coordination forum, including within the Yemen Advocacy Working Group, the Humanitarian Country Team and other relevant interagency fora, promoting or ensuring inclusion of Save the Children prioritized child rights issues in these essential coalition fora.
Policy
- Keep a watching brief on policy makers and other key players in relation to children’s rights issues and identify opportunities to raise awareness and influence policy change.
- Lead and coordinate Save the Children’s engagement with humanitarian policy issues and related advocacy, including by developing briefing papers, engaging with the Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Technical Working Group, as well as supporting the in-country operations team to navigate issues relating to humanitarian access, humanitarian principles, centrality of protection, counter-terror legislation and other pressing policy issues.
External Engagement and Influencing
- Develop good knowledge of local and national government structures (in Yemen and in key Member capitals), parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them.
- Undertake a range of lobbying, communications and other activities to inform and persuade policy makers, including donors and politicians, of the value of SC’s policy recommendations.
- Build systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence based advocacy and influencing at national and international levels.
- Develop dissemination and communication strategies for key advocacy messages, together with communications colleagues.
- Produce or manage the production of reports, briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences, as outlined in the advocacy strategy.
Coordination & Representation
- Develop and cultivate strategic relationships with other agencies engaged in advocacy and policy work in the Yemen.
- Develop and maintain a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, donors, NGO sector, civil society and the media.
- Represent SC at various policy forums and advocacy opportunities at national and international levels, as directed.
- Act as a spokesperson for SC to a variety of external audiences including policy makers and the media, as directed.
- Liaise closely with staff in the Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns units within the Members, the Regional Office, and at the Center, and other fora to integrate and coordinate policy change initiatives throughout SCI members.
- Develop strong links with the Members programmes for advocacy / awareness raising globally.
Campaigns Planning and Delivery
- Lead the development of an integrated campaigns plan aligned with the country strategic plan.
- Lead the implementation of Save the Children global campaign ‘Save Our Education’ in Yemen as a focus country.
- Develop policy briefing papers, policy statements and public communication materials related to national, regional and international advocacy issues and priorities.
- In coordination with the programmes team, commission and/or conduct strategic research development to support campaigning efforts including evidence-based timely data and content.
- Oversee the delivery of planned campaigns including the development of campaign materials and all aspects of implementation, including public mobilization, community engagement, and child and youth engagement.
- Ensure that all advocacy and campaign messages, documents and strategies are evidence-based, drawn from field experience and assessments, of high quality and effective.
- Ensure that children are engaged in child-led and collaborative messaging development where relevant
- Establish and strengthen partnership efforts around campaigning for child rights.
Integrated Policy Programming Support
- Working closely with programs and programme development and quality (PDQI), provide analysis of how children have been affected by the crisis in Yemen in order to influence SC’s own national responses and policy frameworks, as well as other actors such as the UN, humanitarian community, donors and security actors.
- Support programme leadership to articulate their top priority advocacy or communications objectives in line with the Country Office Strategic Plan.
- Manage the communications staff/team, ensure delivery of high quality communications and documentation support to the CO and programs.
- Ensure development of the CO communications strategy, towards donors and other external stakeholders.
- Ensure proper planning and engagement in program proposals around communications, branding and visibility.
- Support the specialists and implementation team/s in defining and articulating thematic policy change objectives.
- Ensure clear links and mutual reinforcement between programmatic approaches and CO communications, and links external advocacy strategies where appropriate.
- Write regular progress reports as needed, to keep the CO and regional team updated, and contribute to the Regional advocacy updates for the Humanitarian Advocacy Working Group as required. Ensure that SC responds appropriately to emergencies, providing policy analysis and support around humanitarian space issues, and support the Comms focal point to meet emergency comms requirements, including sitreps, fact sheets, updates and other required products.
- Proactively engage and support country teams’ efforts to engage externally, build relationships that will generate new funding opportunities.
- In relation to specific opportunities, contribute where possible to the country leadership decision making to form partnerships which strengthen both programming and resource mobilization outcomes.
- Perform other tasks as required to ensure the smooth running of the country programme.
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- At least 8 years experience in a humanitarian or development environment, preferably leading advocacy and policy change in the Middle East.
- Prior management experience working in emergency response contexts or fragile states.
- Significant prior experience working in advocacy on humanitarian issues, child rights, human rights, and/or development issues.
- Experience of influencing and advocacy work including lobbying, policy development and information provision in humanitarian issues.
- Excellent skills in advocating towards government officials in developing countries.
- Experience of and strong skills in developing and implementing humanitarian advocacy strategies.
- Proven skills in media and communication work, including interviews on Radio and TV.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and lead research, surveys and other activities oriented towards developing positions and evidence base.
- Highly developed communication skills both written and verbal in order to establish effective relationships with a wide variety of internal and external audiences including at a geographical distance
- Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
- Fluency in Writing and Presentation skills in English required
- Good attention to detail
- Extensive knowledge of child rights and international humanitarian law
- Understanding of UN and donor operations at country level
- High level analytical and strategic thinking skills
- Cultural awareness and ability to build relationships quickly with a wide variety of people
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with experience in managing multicultural teams.
- Advanced understanding of Protection issues arising from a conflict setting, impact on protected populations, and implications for humanitarian aid agencies.
- Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
- Commitment to Save the Children values
- Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure
- Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities
- Experience in coaching, capacity-building and supporting the development of a team, including supporting junior members of staff to deliver high-quality output.
- Experience in managing risks associated with advocacy and communications in high-risk settings, including in developing risk management plans and mitigation measures.
Desirable
- Experience working for an international humanitarian organisation in Yemen (or the Middle East) preferred
- Experience with programs, program development, proposal writing, or implementation a plus.
- Experience in coordination of various stakeholders a plus
- Experience solving complex issues through analysis
- High Fluency in writing and presentation skills in Arabic
- Has a strong international network within advocacy and policy settings
- Understanding of the issues concerning the INGO sector with an in-depth knowledge in communications, marketing and/or fundraising
- Demonstrable track record of leading change, resulting in significant results for the organisation and their stakeholders.
Strong results orientation
Application Information:
Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers/apply
“Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer. Women are strongly encouraged to apply”