ROLE PURPOSE:

• The Child Participation Advisor will provide technical leadership, coordination and strategic direction for Save the Children’s child participation portfolio across our programming, advocacy and evidence generation. It supports the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across our programs, teams and partners. The Child Participation advisor guides the implementation of Child Participation Basic Requirements and policy and ensures close alignment to our organizational Strategy and across program cycle. This includes providing guidance and technical leadership for child participation and child rights programming across thematic programs (both development and humanitarian work) and functions. Additionally, the Child Participation Advisor collaborates closely with teams across thematic/cross-cutting areas, departments, and with partners in building their capacity and building ownership and agency of local organizations to ensure children’s right to be heard is effectively mainstreamed and truly cross-cutting in what we know and do.
• S/he represent Save the Children at country level fora as relevant, showcasing Save the Children’s child participation portfolio and advocating for the advancement of children’s right to be heard. This will involve working across a diverse range of internal stakeholders, including children and young people themselves, as well as external stakeholders including partners. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more) because they work country programs; or are visiting partners.      

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Thematic Support and Technical Quality Assurance

• Provide child participation technical leadership across thematic sectors and support functions to embed quality child participation and child rights programming across the movement.
•  Support strategic planning, new business development (NBD) and program design processes to align with the quality framework with particular respect to non-discrimination, child participation and rights
•  based approach (child rights programming), and the inclusion of safe, ethical and meaningful child participation.
• Provide technical support to thematic sectors (Program Development and Quality and Operations) to build their child participation and child rights programming capability and improve the quality of child participation in the program implementation.
•  Develop/adapt practical tools and guidance that contributes to and facilitates the integration of child participation in all programs of Save the Children
•  Develop the capabilities of staff to internalize and implement practical child participation actions
•   Lead the development, roll out, tracking, documentation and dissemination of evidences of specific child participation actions and benchmarks
• Follow-up programs in relation to quality of implementation and results in relation to non-discrimination, child participation and Rights based approach.
• Support Humanitarian colleagues (as needed) to conduct sectoral assessments on child participation (including gender analysis and disability situation analysis using SC assessment processes and tools) during design, implementation and delivery of emergency response and recovery programmes. In particular, ensure that consultations with children and affected communities are integrated into emergency preparedness and executed through our response plans.
• Maintain line of sight on technical quality across programs through effective coordination with thematic sectors and functions within Save the Children as well as partners, and ongoing coordination via the
• Matrix Leadership, Mentoring and Network Building:
•  Support active Child participation Technical Working Group and Communities of Practice, to enable collective and coordinated work to advance children’s right to be heard.
•   Ensure that Save the Children is influencing and learning from others through national technical coordination and networking bodies such as clusters and working groups.
•   Support humanitarian colleagues on child participation and accountability to children in humanitarian response, including contributing to response strategies, policies, standards and guidance for humanitarian professionals.
•    Participate in key national/international networks, global conferences and other international initiatives, relating to the prioritized areas for Child Rights and Child Rights Governance.
• Provide on-demand mentoring and coaching, actively supporting the professional development of SC staff and partners to build knowledge of child participation theory and practice.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

•  Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
•  Holds suppliers accountable to deliver on their responsibilities

Ambition:

•  Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and takes responsibility for their own personal development
•  Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
•  Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale

Collaboration:

•  Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to; builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
•  Values diversity and different people’s perspectives, able to work cross-culturally.

Creativity:

•  Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
•  Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach

Integrity:

•  Honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence
• Displays consistent excellent judgement

Job Requirements

• Masters degree in Social Work, Child Protection or related field, or equivalent experience. BSc degree with exceptional and relevant work experience may be considered in lieu.
• Social Work, Child Protection, Child Welfare, migration or related qualification

Education

• At least 10 years of experience of leading the design and implementation of human rights (preferably children’s rights), governance, child centered social accountability, advocacy and campaigning. 
• Depth knowledge on child rights (UNCRC, ACRWC, and other child/human rights instruments), child rights monitoring and reporting.
• Demonstrated success in facilitating and managing successful child participation at different levels. Experience in supporting child participation on child survival, education and/or child protection particularly desirable.
• A strong commitment to ethical, high quality, meaningful children's participation and the ability to inspire, motivate, and build capacity and confidence in this in others.
• Demonstrable ability to co-ordinate and work across organizational boundaries to change behaviors and deliver results.
• Strong facilitation skills and a deep understanding of the principles and practice of safe and meaningful child participation.
• Proven ability to broker collaboration and engagement between teams and organizations to contribute to shared goals and objectives, and promote learning.
• Experience of training and capacity building with a track record of building in-country child participation understanding and skills.
• Robust analytic skills and demonstrated knowledge MEAL including indicator development, preferably related to child participation, child rights governance and child rights programming.
• Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, and adaptive and safer programming. 
• Excellent writing, communication and networking skills in English.
• Strong ability to mobilize, build partnerships, guide and motivate people towards the achievement of agreed goals  
• Respected reputation with external audiences and an ability to provide high-level external representation.
• Ability to prioritize when working under pressure, along with strong problem-solving skills.
• Self- motivated, collaborative, innovative, adaptable to complex situations and able to work with high degree of autonomy.
• Experience of working within a complex and matrix organization structure

KEY COMPETENCIES

Technical competencies:

• Understands the interdependency of Human Rights, Governance and Development Agendas, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).
• Undertakes and uses outcomes of Child Rights Situation Analysis (CRSA).
• Works to empower children to claim their political and civil rights
• Works to promote civil society voice and space.
• Child Rights Programming-applies the principles of child rights programming in practice; builds capacity of others in child participation, and sets organizational level standards and benchmarks for child rights programming. 

Generic Competencies

•  Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities.
•    Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalized children.
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery.
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers

Additional job responsibilities

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SC Health and Safety policies and procedures.
• We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. The duty station of the position holder will be in Addis Ababa This role is offered on the basis of national terms and conditions only.

The Organization

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, 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.

Application Information:

• Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found here
• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the
• protection of children from abuse .All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

How to Apply

Interested applicants who meet the MINIMUM requirements should apply using the link