Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Advisor

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Advisor to join our global team.

Team and Job purpose

The Humanitarian Operations Team own and manage key procedures that support our organizational approach to preparedness and response, ensuring seamless coordination of functional support to humanitarian operations across all contexts in anticipation of and in response to humanitarian needs. To facilitate rapid deployment of high-quality surge capacity and flexible funding tailored to the specific needs and capacities of our responses, thereby maximizing impact. To build the capacity of humanitarian responders, empowering them with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively address humanitarian challenges.

To oversee a Humanitarian Fund (HF) funding portfolio by coordinating reviews, monitoring fund usage, and providing recommendations to ensure effective fund allocation and compliance, enabling SCI to maximise its humanitarian impact. The Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Advisor supports the approval and amendment of applications, ensures data accuracy, and escalates issues to ensure alignment with strategic goals. This role collaborates closely with response teams and stakeholders, maintaining robust communication while upholding the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Job Title: Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Advisor (576605382; 201005634)

Reports To: Humanitarian Fund Portfolio Manager

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available 

Contract Length: Permanent

Grade: P3

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: Hiring Locations

Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): ESA, MENAEE and ASIA time zones

Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment. 

International Travel Requirements: up to 20% 

Budget Responsibility: 50$ million

Principle Accountabilities

• Responsible for overseeing a HF funding portfolio with primary focus on reviewing applications and providing funds allocation recommendations, monitoring use of funds, identifying and escalating challenges or issues and reviewing reports.
• Coordinate the review and approval process for application and amendment requests submitted by implementing offices, ensuring alignment with HF decision-making criteria.
• Monitor the portfolio regularly and lead monitoring calls to ensure compliance and prompt issue resolution and scuccesfull implementation, escalating significant risks and challenges to HF management.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of data collected during application, monitoring, and reporting processes to facilitate informed decision-making and portfolio analysis.
• Ensure congruence between the data displayed on the Humanitarian Fund Dashboard and HF Portals and the collected data, focusing on allocations and earmarked funding.
• Support HF risk-based interventions, including compliance reviews and audits, to ensure the integrity and efficiency of fund utilisation.
• Facilitate effective coordination and communication with implementing offices and team members to support the implementation of decisions and capture all application changes and top-ups.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Grant or Programme Monitoring: A strong foundation of experience in grant or programme monitoring, including financial follow-up. Good understanding of the project cycle, and understanding of compliance to identify and escalate issues and risks. 
• Humanitarian Operations and Programming: Experience in humanitarian operations and programming, reflecting a good grasp of the complexities and dynamic nature of such environments, ideally with some practical experience in a Country or Regional Office, enhancing operational effectiveness. Understanding of NGO operations and Save the Children’s position in the wider humanitarian community. 
• Financial literacy: good financial literacy And ideally understanding of the financial aspects of award management.
• Analytical skills: Proficiency in evaluating applications and funding proposals against established criteria, with the ability to provide sound recommendations on funding allocations. 
• Data Management and Accuracy: strong analytical skills to Ensure that data is always accurate and consistent to support allocation decisions and portfolio analysis. Experience in data management, including data collection, accuracy and utilization.
• Communication: Strong written and spoken communication skills, reflecting the ability to work remotely and effectively with a global team. Ability to handle challenging conversations with senior stakeholders whilst building and maintaining effective relationships. 
• Skilled at building and maintaining effective relationships with implementing offices, response teams, and other stakeholders. Proficient in establishing strong communication flows to support decision-making. 
• Experience working with HF funding: strong understanding of the aims, goals and operations of the Humanitarian Fund and the benefit of flexible funding.
• Continuous improvement: creativity in identifying options for the continuous improvement of Humanitarian Fund operations.
• Cultural awareness: Commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team and across SCI’s operations. Cultural competence to engage effectively with diverse communities and ensure an inclusive approach in all activities.

Desirable

• Additional language of French, Spanish or Arabic preferred 

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Desirable

• Professional Qualifications in areas such as Project Management, Policy Analysis, or Advocacy are desirable.
• Training in Humanitarian Response, and IHL is highly advantageous.

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.

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.