12 month fixed term contract
Location – any UK office – Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London or Manchester
Do you want to play a key role in a network which stands up for everyone’s right to a healthy, sustainable and affordable nutrition? Then join us as a twelve-month maternity cover for our Senior Adviser and help to facilitate and enable the work of over 4,000 organisations and more than 50 Civil Society Alliances (CSAs) around the world and play a leading role in our advocacy work.
The Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network (SUN CSN) is part of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, which unites governments, UN bodies, businesses, donors and civil society in a collective effort to end malnutrition. The SUN CSN Secretariat team (of which this role is part) is hosted by Save the Children UK, and the two organisations share the passion for ending malnutrition wherever it is found.
The Senior Adviser leads on the network’s strategy development, global governance and external advocacy work, and is responsible for running the SUN CSN’s regional and country support system, ensuring that Civil Society Alliances (CSAs) have access to the information and opportunities they need to deliver their plans and to contribute to multi-sectoral efforts to address malnutrition.
As Senior Adviser you will be responsible for supporting collaboration at all levels of the network, with particular emphasis on fostering regional coordination, enhancing governance practices, and building CSA capacity in key areas. This role is broad and strategic, working with the Head of the Secretariat to engage with the SUN Movement Secretariat and the other networks, coordinate CSN inputs into SUN Movement processes, and drive thought leadership on a variety of key issues facing the team.
In addition, you will:
· Lead the dissemination and regionalisation of the SUN CSN strategy, and work closely with the Head of SUN CSN to oversee the different elements of the team’s workplan
· Lead the network’s global governance work, including ensuring CSN members are meaningfully equipped and supported to contribute to the SUN Lead Executive Committee and the CSN Steering Group, in consultation with a wide range of senior SUN Movement stakeholders
· Coordinate and manage the Secretariat’s regional and country support efforts, with focus on enabling collaboration and learning across the network, working closely with the existing SUN CSN regional coordinators and Secretariat focal points
· Lead the Secretariat’s global advocacy work, with focus on raising country and regional voices to the global level
· Support and advise the Advocacy and Youth Adviser with their advocacy agenda at country level
· Work with the Head of SUN CSN on strategic cross-network collaboration, with focus on regional and country level
· Act as Secretariat focal point for one or two regional group(s) and multiple national CSAs
· Support the Head of SUN CSN and deputise as required
· Drive thought-leadership on key issues affecting the SUN CSN, including private sector engagement, conflict of interest, the rights-based approach, and nutrition in fragile and conflict-affected settings
· Spend a portion of the CSN annual budget to deliver our workplan, subject to sign-off from the Head of SUN CSN
· Deepen and expand relationships with key high-level external experts, partners, donors and advocacy targets
To be successful we require that you demonstrate having clear and relevant advocacy and campaigning experience with a passion for achieving change for the most deprived and marginalised people around the world. We do not require you to have a formal university education, it’s your skill set in which we are most interested. An excellent strategic thinker, you will be capable of managing multiple competing priorities and concurrently holding important relationships with key partners across the SUN Movement and beyond.
In addition, you will:
• Understand the role of advocacy, the power of coalitions, and the importance of holding governments to account for their actions
• Have extensive advocacy experience and a record of successful influencing, ideally in developing countries
· Have superior written and verbal communication skills, and an ability to communicate with impact to a range of audiences
· Have a proven ability to work effectively with, and play an organisational role in, coalitions/networks of civil society organisations
· Be a strong team player and collaborator
· Have language ability and be able to bring French (most needed) and Spanish (desirable) skills to our team.
At Save the Children we are committed to the safeguarding and protection of children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with children are recruited to work for us. This post is subject to a range of vetting checks including a criminal records disclosure.
If you share our belief in the power of children, join the fight. It takes relentless determination, creativity and a real commitment to real change. Because every child should be able to make their mark on their world and help to build a better future.
We look forward to hearing from you.