Senior Global Policy and Advocacy Advisor (Maternity Cover)

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for Senior Global Policy and Advocacy Advisor (Maternity Cover) to join our global team.

Team Purpose

This is a high profile, externally facing team, with responsibility for the global influencing agenda, which will actively engage in global politically linked engagements on development, humanitarian and global issues. This team will coordinate and lead the development of a proactive global policy and advocacy agenda in order to unify and amplify our strategic voice and influence across all thematic areas and contexts, while ensuring consistent and coherent external representation. By fostering collaboration within the organisation and engaging effectively with international bodies and influencing spaces including UN, Gulf and African Union, we aim to establish Save The Children as a key partner in shaping international norms and influencing national policies. Our work supports and enhances the movement's local to global advocacy efforts, ensuring our message and tactics are consistently applied, and our high-level external engagements reflect a unified stance.

Role purpose

To lead movement-wide coordination and alignment on priority policy and advocacy issues and contexts, ensuring consistent approaches and facilitating high-level engagement and collective action to maximise Save the Children’s influence and impact. The role will support Save the Children’s senior leadership in external representation and strategic influencing, including by developing policy positions and briefings, identifying opportunities for high-level engagement, and supporting the delivery of advocacy priorities. The role will also lead efforts to future-proof Save the Children’s global child rights advocacy by anticipating emerging trends, challenges and opportunities, and helping develop forward-looking approaches that strengthen the organisation’s influence and effectiveness. In addition, the role will support the effective functioning of the Global Policy and Engagement Council (GPEC), including the development and monitoring of its annual plan, and coordinate movement-wide policy and advocacy sign-off processes under the leadership of the GPEC Group Chair.

- Job Title: Senior Global Policy and Advocacy Advisor (Maternity Cover)

- Reports To: Head of Global Strategic Policy & Influencing

- Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available

- 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: SCI Careers (https://www.savethechildren.net/careers)

- Required Time Zone: ET–UTC+3 time zones

- Contract Length: Fixed Term Contract, Maternity Cover (1 year- December 2026- December 2027)

- Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment.

- Language Requirements: English

- International Travel: up to 15%

- Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

- Policy Development: Develop prioritised policy positions in line with the wider strategic policy agenda, in collaboration with key experts and ensure alignment with Save the Children’s global policy agenda.

- Strategic Influencing and Advocacy: Act as an expert on key policy issues providing technical expertise to Members and CO facing teams. Support with and directly produce high-quality global policy and advocacy guidance materials in collaboration with technical and operational colleagues and document learning to facilitate continuous improvement

- Governance Support: Ensure that the Global Policy and Engagement Council and relevant advocacy coordination groups have annual plans with SMART objectives, and that their respective subgroups meet regularly and make progress against agreed priorities and deliverables. Coordinate GPAC sign off process under the leadership of GPAC SG chair, including thorough policy review.

- Forecasting and Analysis: Monitor and identify emerging risks and policy issues that impact Save the Children’s policy agenda. Support senior advocacy leaders to make strategic decisions around resourcing, external positioning, and prioritization.

- Planning and Coordination: Oversee and support movement-wide coordination to ensure coherence and alignment across global, regional, member, and country office advocacy initiatives and structures, and support senior leaders with strategic planning across departments to maximize impact of influencing work.

- External engagement: Support external and strategic engagement for high level advocacy through cross department coordination, developing talking points, and worrking with collaegues across the movement to identify influencing opportunities.

Experience and Skills

Essential

- Significant experience of progressively responsibility in policy and advocacy and/or international affairs, preferably with significant experience in policy development, advocacy, strategic influencing, or public affairs within an international NGO, multilateral organisation, government institution, think tank, or similar environment.

- Demonstrated ability to conduct policy analysis, synthesise complex information, and produce clear, evidence-based recommendations for senior decision-makers.

- Experience supporting the design and implementation of advocacy and influencing strategies, including stakeholder mapping, power analysis, and political economy analysis.

- Strong understanding of how policy and political change occurs at the global level, with experience supporting engagement with governments, multilateral organisations, civil society, and other external stakeholders.

- Proven ability to coordinate across multiple teams and functions, build consensus, and foster collaboration within complex, matrixed organisations.

- Excellent research, analytical, and written communication skills, with experience producing high-quality policy briefs, reports, executive briefings, talking points, and other influencing products.

- Strong interpersonal, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and build effective relationships across diverse cultures and stakeholders.

- Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, coordinate competing workstreams, and deliver high-quality outputs under pressure.

- Demonstrated ability to anticipate emerging policy developments, identify strategic risks and opportunities, and translate them into practical influencing priorities and recommendations.

- Cultural Competency: Ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Demonstrated leadership in designing inclusive practices for policy analysis and development, ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are integrated into advocacy efforts.

Desirable

- Additional language of French, Spanish or Arabic preferred

- Experience in global advocacy related to AI and technology and/or the climate crisis

Education and Qualifications

Essential

- Degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Affairs & Development Studies, or a related field

Desirable

- Advanced degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Affairs & Development Studies, or a related field is desirable.

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised 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 is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that 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 2030 , 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, colour, 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 at SCI Careers . 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 2 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.