Lead, Humanitarian Advocacy

About the role

Save the Children International is looking for a Lead, Humanitarian Advocacy to join its global team. The role supports the humanitarian advocacy agenda globally, working closely with and under the direction of the Head of Humanitarian Advocacy. It develops organisational positioning on major humanitarian crises, contributes to thought leadership on humanitarian advocacy, policy and practice, and advances influence with governments, UN agencies, donors and humanitarian leadership bodies. The position reports to the Head of Humanitarian Advocacy, is hybrid/remote with flexible working, and is open to any approved Save the Children International office location; it is permanent.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic humanitarian advocacy support and lead advocacy in major emergencies (Category 1 and 2, cross-regional crises), including surge capacity in the early stages of new or escalating crises.
• Support Country Offices, Regional Offices, Members and Global Teams, including through Humanitarian Advocacy Working Groups, to develop advocacy strategies, influencing plans and messaging during emergencies.
• Lead humanitarian horizon scanning and strategic analysis, integrating field evidence into policy and positioning.
• Contribute to organisational positioning on protection, displacement, humanitarian access, conflict and international humanitarian law, adapting global positions to context.
• Represent Save the Children in global humanitarian forums and engage governments, UN agencies and other stakeholders, and support senior engagement with inter-agency leadership and emergency coordination fora.
• Act as a spokesperson on specific humanitarian issues and major crises as delegated.
• Coach and give technical guidance to humanitarian advocacy colleagues, and promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Required profile

• Extensive experience leading humanitarian advocacy in major and complex emergencies, including cross-regional crises, and considerable experience developing advocacy strategies, positioning and messaging.
• Demonstrated experience representing organisations in senior external forums and policy dialogues with governments, UN agencies, donors and multilateral institutions.
• Experience acting as a spokesperson or public-facing representative on humanitarian issues, including with media.
• Experience coaching, mentoring or giving technical guidance to colleagues across a large, matrixed organisation.
• Demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, with experience advocating for marginalised groups.
• Advanced degree (Master's or higher) in International Relations, Human Rights, International Development, Law, Political Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• English; Arabic, French or Spanish is desirable.
• Right to work in the country where the role is based for the duration of employment.

Required skills

• Strong technical knowledge of humanitarian access, protection, displacement, conflict and international humanitarian law.
• Horizon scanning and strategic analysis, translating complex evidence into actionable advocacy positioning.
• Collaboration across teams, regions and organisational levels to align advocacy positioning.

Applications are submitted online via the Save the Children careers site with a CV and cover letter; the process involves a review of applications, two-stage competency-based interviews and, possibly, an assessment or case study stage, followed by a conditional offer and background checks. Only shortlisted candidates are contacted.