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Save the Children International is hiring for a Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor, UN to join its global team: Apply Now!

Ednah Carrick October 26, 2025

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Closing Date: 4 November 2025

Save the Children International is hiring for a Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor, UN to join its global team: Apply Now!

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor, UN to join its global team.

Team and Job Purpose

This is a high profile, externally facing team, with responsibility for Save the Children’s global influencing agenda, which will actively work on global politically linked engagements on development, humanitarian and global issues. This team will coordinate and lead the development of a proactive global policy and advocacy agenda in order to unify and amplify Save the Children strategic voice and influence across all thematic areas and contexts, while ensuring consistent and coherent external representation.

By fostering collaboration within the organisation and engaging effectively with international bodies and influencing spaces including UN, Gulf and African Union, Save the Children International aim to establish Save the Children as a key partner in shaping international norms and influencing national policies. Save the Children International work supports and enhances the movement’s local to global advocacy efforts, ensuring its message and tactics are consistently applied, and its high-level external engagements reflect a unified stance.

Role purpose

The United Nations headquarters and institutions in New York and Geneva play a critical role in shaping children’s lives and helping to ensure their rights are fulfilled.

The Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor will advocate, influence, and communicate for policy change in and at the United Nations based on Save the Children’s policy and advocacy strategic plan and priorities. They will lead a selected priority area of work with relevant UN processes and bodies. They will represent Save the Children to relevant institutions and to influence them. They will be instrumental in influencing the agendas of governments through their engagement and networking with Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva. They will play a key role in contributing to the global humanitarian and child rights agenda of Save the Children, working in close collaboration with the global humanitarian, child rights, and technical teams.

The role holder will ensure strong integration of the local to global advocacy agenda, playing a critical role in supporting and enabling Save the Children’s country offices and regions, local partners, and ensuring that they are able to meaningfully contribute to influencing at the global level. They will work closely with other team members and global units, country offices and regions to promote and facilitate safe and meaningful children’s participation with UN processes in New York and Geneva.

Job Title: Humanitarian Advocacy Advisor, UN
Reports To: Global Diplomacy, Engagement & UN
Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
Contract Length: Permanent
Grade: P3
Location: Geneva / New York. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): Geneva / New York
Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment.
Language Requirements: English (essential); French (desirable)
International Travel Requirements: Yes, up to 10%

Principal Accountabilities

Advocacy

Promote Save the Children’s organizational priorities and key messages with policy makers and decision makers, including the UN Security Council, Human Rights Council, General Assembly, permanent missions, UN agencies, partner NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders.
Drive the advocacy and strategy on relevant priorities and UN processes.
Support the NY and Geneva Advocacy Team to plan and implement advocacy and outreach for specific influencing priorities and processes, including planning of meetings, priority events, publication launches to promote Save the Children’s organizational priorities and key messages with UN policy makers and decision makers.

Development and Implementation of Strategies

Coordinate activities to meet benchmarks set in the team’s work plan, and which contribute to Save the Children International strategic objectives (coordination of advocacy activities, building networks, organization and management of events, drafting of policy briefs, undertaking research, etc.).
Support agreed files and strategies.
Support the development, coordination and implementation of the strategy for key engagement and influencing periods and moments (e.g. the UNGA).
Where applicable, provide project management support.

Alliances and Partnerships

Build a strong network, in particular with key Member State decision makers.
Build relationships with relevant NGO and UN partners, including through NGO working groups/coalitions and interagency meetings, that enhance our advocacy impact.
Be a credible and effective representative for Save the Children and its key initiatives in UN and other relevant forums.

Child Participation and Safeguarding

Act as Child Safeguarding focal point for the office to ensure full implementation of Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding policy and Child Safe Participation in the team.
Provide regular training and orientation to team members and other relevant parties.
Conduct Child Safeguarding risk assessment and develop mitigation plans with relevant colleagues.
Support Children’s meaningful participation in UN Processes.

Experience and Skills

Essential

Demonstrable experience working in international diplomacy and/or humanitarian affairs and/or child rights.
Demonstratable experience in external engagement with decision makers.
Experience in advocacy and policy work at national and/or international level, including proven success in developing and implementing high quality advocacy strategies.
Capacity analyzing complex policies and experience in developing policy briefs and policy papers across multiple thematic areas.
Experience of coordinating networks, building partnerships and forging coalitions to ensure good information sharing, mutual accountability and joint coherent action.
Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
Understanding of the United Nations system and multilateral systems.
Excellent project management skills, with a track record of taking projects from concept stage to execution and building collaboration across functional and geographical boundaries
A commitment to child rights and to the aims, mission and goal of Save the Children.
Good interpersonal skills.
Excellent communication and writing skills.