Advocacy & Communication Officer (ECHO) Vacancy- Save the Children

Currently 420 million children – nearly one-fifth of children worldwide – are living in a conflict zone; a rise of nearly 30 million children from 2016. This number has doubled since the end of the cold war. 142 million children are living in high-intensity conflict zones; that is, in conflict zones with more than 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year. The number of ‘Grave Violations’ against children during armed conflict has almost tripled since 2010. Hundreds of thousands of children are dying every year as a result of indirect effects of conflict– including malnutrition, disease and the breakdown of healthcare, water and sanitation. In Africa, 1 in 4 children will be caught up in intense conflicts and 6 of the 10 most dangerous places for children to live are in Africa. Conflict settings are where the toughest obstacles exist to achieving Save the Children’s breakthroughs as some of the worst forms of violence against children are perpetrated in conflict settings.

The CAAC Advocacy Campaigns and Communication Coordinator will provide leadership and technical guidance on advocacy, campaigns, and communications and contribute to Save the Children’s Protection of Children in Conflict Programmatic ambitions and the Stop the War on Children Campaign through a complex Pan-African Programme that has been growing since its inception in 2013.

The CAAC Programme supports programming and advocacy initiatives targeting children in situations of armed conflict and a wide range of actors such as the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs), Treaty Bodies, Bilateral Institutions, Member States, Civil Society Organizations and Armed Actors both State and Non-State at strategic policy and decision-making level to address the complex subject of children in situations of conflict.

In order to be successful, you will bring/have:

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• University degree in the field of communications, public relations, languages, journalism, marketing, advertising or equivalent (Completed).
• Excellent written and spoken English is essential, as well as a critical eye for editing and proofreading grammar.
• Ability to think and work logically and work precisely with attention to detail.
• Knowledge in converting written text into creative works for children;
• Experience and skills in the use of software programs such as MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe.
• Experience in managing websites and in using social media tools in a professional context.
• Initiative, sound judgment, and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrated effective organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines and handle work in a timely manner.
• Knowledge of or interest in Save the Children, as well as a commitment to the mission and vision.
• 3 years or more experience in Child Protection Programming with at least 1 year Pan African/Regional level experience.
• Demonstrated professional working knowledge and experience in international human rights and humanitarian law relating to Child Protection and specifically CAAC and Peace and Security Programming.
• Solid understanding and engagement with the African Union Peace and Security Architecture.
• Solid understanding of armed actors’ engagement and relations.
• Demonstrated experience working on accountability mechanisms in situations of armed conflict.
• Demonstrated capability to make decisions with creativity and independent judgment.
• Demonstrated experience in influencing to obtain the cooperation of others.
• Proven excellence in being a team player, and significant experience working in an international organization.
• An appreciation and understanding of how to maneuver in a context of shrinking space for civil society, ensuring Save the Children’s integrity and child rights are not compromised.
• Demonstrated knowledge of children’s issues, rights-based program approaches, and child safeguarding principles.
• Strong skills and proven experience in program management processes; also, from the knowledge and learning perspective.
• Able to work well under pressure and deadlines.
• Excellent listening, interpersonal, communication, and networking skills; proven experience and effectiveness working across functional teams.
• High level of self-awareness and willingness to take feedback for growth and self-development.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Proven experience in drafting Terms of References and ability to design and review evaluation tools and approaches.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Exemplary level of spoken and written English.

Desirable

• Fluency in French, both verbal and written, is desirable

Contract duration: 2 year

Location:  East and Southern Africa Regional Office – Nairobi.

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 at www.savethechildren.net/careers.

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.

Disclaimer:

Save the Children International does not charge any kind of fee at whichever stage of the recruitment process and does not act through recruitment agents