Lead, Humanitarian Advocacy at Save the Children

Role purpose

• The Humanitarian Advocacy Lead supports Save the Children’s humanitarian advocacy agenda globally, working closely with and under the direction of the Head of Humanitarian Advocacy to develop organisational positioning on major humanitarian crises, contributing to thought leadership on humanitarian advocacy, policy and practice, and helping to advance influence with key external stakeholders, including governments, UN agencies, donors and humanitarian leadership bodies.
• Working across humanitarian responses, regions, Country Offices, thematic teams, Members and the CEO’s Office, the postholder ensures coherent, evidence-based and impactful advocacy that advances children’s rights and humanitarian outcomes. 
• The role contributes through strategic influence, external representation, technical expertise and matrix collaboration, supporting cross-organisational alignment, humanitarian impact and organisational influence globally.

Principal Accountabilities

• Provide strategic humanitarian advocacy support and, during specific responses, leadership in major emergencies (including Category 1 and 2 and cross-regional crises), promoting anticipatory, forward-looking advocacy informed by evidence and country-level priorities.
• Deploy as surge capacity in the early stages of escalating or newly-onset Category 1 and 2 emergencies.
• Support Country Offices, Regional Offices, Members and Global Teams, including through Humanitarian Advocacy Working Groups, to develop and implement advocacy strategies, influencing plans and messaging during emergencies.
• Lead humanitarian horizon scanning and strategic analysis to identify emerging risks, trends and opportunities, and integrate humanitarian evidence and field perspectives into organisational policy and positioning.
• Contribute to organisational positioning on priority issues, including protection, displacement, humanitarian access, conflict and international humanitarian law, adapting global positions into context-specific influencing strategies.
• Represent Save the Children in global humanitarian forums and engage governments, UN agencies and other stakeholders to advance advocacy objectives and elevate the experiences of crisis-affected children, as delegated by the Head of Humanitarian Advocacy.
• Support senior engagement with inter-agency humanitarian leadership and emergency coordination fora, including by preparing timely analysis, briefings, talking points and positioning.
• Act as a spokesperson on specific humanitarian issues and major crises as delegated, contributing to positioning Save the Children as a credible and influential voice on humanitarian advocacy, policy and practice.
• Provide coaching and technical guidance to humanitarian advocacy colleagues across the movement, and engage in global humanitarian advocacy networks, communities of practice and working groups.
• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion across all work, ensuring interventions are accessible and effective for all, regardless of background or identity.

Experience and Skills

Essential

Humanitarian and Advocacy Experience: 

• Extensive experience leading humanitarian advocacy in major and complex emergencies, including cross-regional or system-wide crises. 
• Considerable experience developing and implementing advocacy strategies, positioning and messaging in fast-moving humanitarian contexts. 
• Strong technical knowledge of humanitarian access, protection, displacement, conflict and international humanitarian law. 
• Demonstrated experience representing organisations in senior external forums, high-level consultations and policy dialogues with governments, UN agencies, donors and multilateral institutions. 
• Experience engaging and influencing across a wide network of internal and external stakeholders. 

Institutional and Representational Experience: 

Strategic Analysis and Horizon Scanning: 

• Experience conducting horizon scanning and strategic analysis to identify emerging humanitarian risks, trends and advocacy opportunities. 
• Ability to translate complex evidence and analysis into clear, actionable advocacy positioning. 

Media and Public Advocacy: 

• Experience acting as a spokesperson or public-facing representative on humanitarian issues, including with media. 

Capacity Building and Collaboration: 

• Experience coaching, mentoring or providing technical guidance to advocacy colleagues across a large, matrixed organisation. 
• Experience working collaboratively across teams, regions and organisational levels to align advocacy positioning. 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 

• Demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with experience advocating for marginalised groups. 

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in International Relations, Human Rights, International Development, Law, Political Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. 
•  Demonstrated knowledge of international humanitarian law, human rights or child protection is highly desirable. 

Desirable

• Arabic, French or Spanish as an additional language is desirable.