Save the Children International is looking for a UN Lead, Geneva

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a UN Lead, Geneva to join our global team.

Team and Job 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

The UN Lead will play a key role in driving Save the Children’s advocacy across both the humanitarian and child rights agendas at the United Nations. The postholder will support efforts to ensure that Save the Children’s cross-thematic priorities are reflected in relevant international human rights and humanitarian mechanisms, global processes, and UN fora. They will coordinate engagement with and contribute to influencing the UN system, Permanent Missions, and other key stakeholders to advance children’s rights in both development and crisis contexts, ensuring that the specific needs and rights of children are protected before, during, and after emergencies. The UN Lead will contribute to the delivery of Save the Children’s global child rights and humanitarian agendas, while enabling strong local-to-global linkages in our advocacy work.

• Job Title: UN Lead, Geneva
• Reports To: Director Global Diplomacy, Engagement and UN representative
• Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Contract Length: Permanent
• Grade: P5
• Location: Geneva. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
• Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): Geneva
• Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment.
• Language Requirements: English, French Desirable
• International Travel Requirements: up to 5%
• People Management Responsibility: Number of people managed in total: 1
• Manager of a team: no

Principal Accountabilities

• Support the development and coordinate delivery of integrated UN advocacy strategies covering humanitarian and child rights agendas to influence key UN events and multilateral processes.
• Directly undertake or remotely support a range of engagements to inform and persuade key stakeholders of the value of Save the Children’s asks and policy recommendations.
• Develop and cultivate strategic relationships with key stakeholders in Permanent Missions of Member States, UN Agencies, the NGO sector, civil society and think tanks, in coordination with colleagues across the team.
• Represent, coordinate or support external advocacy coordination, forums, meetings or opportunities with other key stakeholders and allies, including NGO & CSO networks linked to the UN.
• Liaise closely with staff in the Global, Member and Country-facing teams to integrate and coordinate key global advocacy opportunities and processes, ensuring strong local-to-global linkages.
• Contribute to monitoring and analysis of issues impacting children’s rights in humanitarian and development contexts, to help inform priorities.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of influencing strategies for policy and practice change in relevant UN processes, ensuring alignment with Save the Children’s global priorities.
• Monitor and document the outcomes of advocacy initiatives to support continuous improvement and share learning across the movement.
• Produce or manage the production of briefing papers and presentations for internal and external audiences, in line with the joint UN advocacy strategy and wider Global Strategy.
• Support the engagement of the SCI CEO, UN representatives and other senior leaders in global influencing spaces, including planning meetings, priority events, and publication launches to promote Save the Children’s organizational priorities and key messages with UN policymakers and decision makers.
• Ensure that voices of children are integral to the advocacy work of Save the Children

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Strong and relevant experience in humanitarian and/or child rights advocacy and policy work either within an NGO, UN agency, donor or policy think tank.
• A good understanding of key and current humanitarian and child rights processes
• In-depth knowledge of humanitarian principles and standards, and of UN human rights/child rights procedures.
• Demonstrable experience of contributing to inter-agency processes/coordinating different agencies in joint processes.
• Experience in leading the creation and implementation of influencing strategies, demonstrating the ability to identify the necessary steps towards an ambitious goal
• A proven ability to network and build relationships with external partners that will add new value
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate complex material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policy makers and peers.
• Professional fluency in English (both written and verbal).
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing and negotiation
• A collaborative and solutions orientated approach, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• A commitment to the mission, vision and values of Save the Children

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in International Relations, political science, international law, development/humanitarian studies, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Considerable demonstrated experience in progressively responsible positions in advocacy and policy work

Desirable

• Master’s Degree in relevant discipline

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 here via the job listing. 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:

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. 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.

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