Director of Gulf Initiative (Dubai-Based) At Save the Children

Director, Gulf Initiative

BACKGROUND

Save the Children has long recognised the strategic importance of Gulf on the international stage, for their leadership and influence, as well as their contribution to funding and policy for development and humanitarian work.

Save the Children’s Gulf Initiative, established in 2010, has developed strong partnerships across the region, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & UAE, with some additional engagement in the wider Middle East and North Africa- specifically Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.

As part of our 2022-24 global strategy, Save the Children now aims to further strengthen its programming and advocacy partnerships in the Gulf. In order to drive this vision, we are recruiting for a Director, who will be accountable for translating this vision into action.

Title: Director, Gulf Initiative

Reporting to: Steering Committee for Save the Children’s Gulf Initiative

Location: Dubai, UAE*(with flexibility within the region)*

Budget Responsibility: Core Gulf Initiative budget

Line Management: Currently 5-7, potential to grow over the next 5 years as the Gulf Initiative develops

OVERALL ROLE PURPOSE

To provide overall leadership for Save the Children’s engagement in the Gulf, leveraging partnerships, funding, and influence to help deliver on our global strategy and breakthroughs for children.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Future Strategy & Direction

• Reporting to the Gulf Initiative Steering Committee, develop and execute an ambitious five-year strategy, that will engage Save the Children globally in support of our vision for the Gulf, strengthening partnerships, growing income, increasing influence, and developing a stronger presence in the key priority markets.
• Work across the Save the Children movement, to maximise potential from the Gulf to support Save the Children’s programmes, advocacy, and partnerships objectives.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction on other forms of Islamic Giving, such as Zakat, public engagement, and corporate support, where applicable, in the region as well as linking (through Members) with Islamic funding opportunities outside of the region.

Drive Partnerships

• Lead and drive Save the Children’s ambitions in the Gulf to create transformational partnerships, developing compelling partnership propositions and building long term relationships in support of Save the Children’s Global Goals.
• Ensure a holistic approach to Gulf partnerships, ensuring work is informed by local context and analysis and goes beyond funding to realise the full potential of a partnership – influence, impact and investment.
• Implement risk management policies ensuring all partnerships reflect Save the Children’s values, humanitarian principles and are aligned to our strategic breakthroughs for children.
• Lead the design and development of Islamic funding mechanisms relevant for the Gulf region, including to help address co-financing requirements and to help unlock emerging opportunities.

Drive our Advocacy Strategy

• Drive the Gulf Advocacy strategy, working closely with the MENAEE Advocacy team, global advocacy offices and members to establish high level relationships in the GCC countries and more broadly with regional bodies such as the League of Arab States.
• Engage external and internal stakeholders to help deliver Save the Children’s long and short-term global advocacy goals

Drive our brand building and awareness in the Gulf

• Drive our media, social media, and brand strategy
• Represent Save the Children at regional and global forums relevant to the Gulf
• Proactively engage our Gulf Advisory Council3 and Ambassadors to further raise Save the Children’s profile in the region

Leadership & Governance

• Ensure that the Gulf Initiative team is high performing, staffed with highly skilled and motivated individuals, delivering excellent relationship building with potential philanthropic & institutional partners and best practice relationship management to existing partners
• Build engagement and ownership from the wider Save the Children Movement (Save the Children country and regional offices and Save the Children Members) to deliver on the Gulf strategy objectives.
• In conjunction with the Steering Committee, set income targets, projection, and resource requirements as part of Save the Children’s annual budget development process and ensure proper oversight of and reporting against Gulf Initiative income and expenditure budgets.
• Provide regular reporting to the Steering Committee on progress against the Gulf strategy and annual plans.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Extensive knowledge of and understanding of the region, particularly the Gulf
• Significant experience of forming and delivering strategic high value partnerships including engagement at senior levels with governments officials, major institutions and foundations in the region
• Strong track record in delivering results with key institutional entities in the region
• Deep understanding of humanitarian work and international development
• Ability to inspire and galvanise support from external partners, highly entrepreneurial & ability to work successfully across multiple offices & stakeholders
• Experience of working in a matrix environment, influencing change, and delivering results in large complex organisations
• Commitment to Save the Children’s values of accountability, integrity, collaboration, ambition, and creativity
• Previous experience of building high performing teams
• Fluency in Arabic and English
• Existing network of contacts in the region, particularly in the Gulf