The Opportunity - Climate Resilience Technical Advisor [1]
Save the Children is in a strategic position to work with and for children to ensure that climate action is embedded in our programs as well as our partners’ programs, offering a distinct value proposition in the Vietnam Country office.
We are looking for an experienced climate change professional, with a commitment to children’s rights, who is able to think strategically about Save the Children’s potential to contribute in a more systematic and significant way to this global crisis. A strong commitment to evidence and impact is essential to help the organisation identify the right opportunities building on existing work, but also developing new proposals. She/he will be responsible for leading the development of a strategic approach to climate change for the Vietnam Country office and– through advocacy efforts – help position Save the Children as a leading child-centred organization working on climate change in the country.
S/he will coordinate and work closely with regional climate action team at ARO. S/he will assist the regional climate action team, ARO to roll out national evidence-based advocacy plans, build a national knowledge platform on climate change while fostering networks across countries in Asia-Pacific. The role also supports design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across country offices, and ensuring quality of programmes.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
A. Technical Leadership
- Develop national program strategies with support of regional technical experts focusing on building resilience of the most marginalized and deprived children (girls/boys), women and indigenous peoples in Vietnam.
- Work with relevant teams to ensure that climate resilience is embedded in the Country Strategic Plans (CSPs) and develop cross sectoral strategies for integrating climate programming.
- Provide technical support to thematic sector and cross sectors by integrating climate change adaptation in new programme design in alignment with the regional and global Save the Children’s inclusive and gender transformative approach to climate change programming.
- Capacity build, mentor and build networks across the Vietnam Country Offices on how climate change can be integrated into programmes, and also provide thought leadership on contextualised, child-centred climate change programming approaches
- Work with the advocacy, campaigns and communications team to provide evidence on climate resilience and disaster risk reduction evidence and impact, with a strong dimension for children’s rights, in our country initiatives
B. Ensuring Programme Quality (Design & Implementation)
- Work closely with new business development colleagues to identify and pursue funding opportunities; engage with technical partners, donors and colleagues across Save the Children
- Lead the technical scoping, planning, and design and proposal writing during new programme development, and ensure that we design and deliver high quality Climate Resilience programmes for children, building on global best practice. Ensure that gender, disability and resilience considerations are reflected in our programme design and implementation.
- Work with Child Rights Governance colleagues to ensure that a rights based approach is reflected in our programme design and implementation (in line with our child rights programming approach [2]), with a strong focus on child participation
- Promote a Protection Systems Strengthening approach as the overarching framework, that supports working in collaboration and partnership with governments and local partners and working towards impact, scale and sustainability.
- Provide oversight and guidance to the programme implementation teams to ensure that thematic programme components are technically sound, implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies, acknowledged good practice (e.g. Save the Children Common Approaches and global evidence); and are likely to achieve scale, as well as equitable and sustainable results.
- Promote and monitor integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of Climate Resilience programmes at the community level.
- Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) teams to carry out gender and power analysis, and conduct quality monitoring against international standards through participatory methodologies that promote gender equality and social justice (including child-friendly and gender sensitive/transformative methodologies);
- Contribute towards the creation of an organisational learning culture that promotes the use of disaggregated data, evidence and analysis (including gender and power analysis) and understands its link to quality and accountable programming; Contribute to strengthening the use of equality-focused programme principles and good practice across themes and sectors.
- Undertake field visits to project sites; work with implementation teams to understand impacts, operational challenges, and continuously identify opportunities for learning and improvement.
- Contribute to organisational learning on Climate Resilience, ensuring that learning from our programmes is shared across the Country Office and our partners, as well as with colleagues in the wider regional and global CC community in Save the Children.
- Support Humanitarian colleagues (as needed) to develop emergency preparedness plans, and conduct sectoral assessments (including gender analysis and disability situation analysis, using SC assessment processes and tools) and to design and deliver emergency response and recovery programmes.
C. Networking & External Engagement:
- In alignment with Country Office strategy and leadership, engage in strategic positioning with donors, partners and government in-country, and ensure that Save the Children is a partner of choice in Climate Resilience actions, especially relating to children and youth.
- Ensure that Save the Children is influencing and learning from others through national technical coordination and networking bodies such as clusters and working groups.
- Strengthen civil society engagement in national dialogues and policy processes through working closely with advocacy and child rights governance colleagues. Ensure that the diverse voices of children, especially one with disabilities, ethnic minority, different gender identities are equitably heard and represented across thematic advocacy work.
- Represent the program to National and Local government representatives, donors, partner agencies, etc. as required.
- Ensure the quality, clarity and consistency of technical components of internal and external reports (e.g. programme reports, sit-reps, internal updates), working closely with awards, programme implementation and communications colleagues as needed.
- Leverage and liaise with technical colleagues from across Save the Children, including technical working groups and centres of excellence, ensuring that learning from the Country Office is shared with others and global lessons brought back
- Work with other climate change and risk reduction technical experts of Save the Children in the region in key internal and external communities of practice including Save the Children’s Global Community of Practice on Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability
- Develop a Partnership Strategy for Climate Resilience, cultivate contacts and link them with relevant authorities, countries and members in the region for joint programming and other forms of joint action
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically.
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency
QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s Degree in social studies or relevant areas
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:
Essential
- At least 2 years’ experience of working internationally on Climate resilience issues in emergency or development settings.
- Experience in leading the creation and implementation of a strategy, demonstrating the ability to identify and prioritise the necessary steps towards an ambitious goal.
- Experience drafting proposals/bids, and designing, operationalising, monitoring and evaluating development programmes that build resilience to climate shocks.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to motivate, influence and negotiate both internally and externally – including in English.
- Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind sets.
- Excellent analytical skills especially on social aspects and impact of climate change on children
- Experience of building networks, resulting in securing significant new partnership and funding opportunities for the organisation.
- Sound understanding of major issues in the Asia Pacific Region related to the climate emergency - and a close focus on evidence-based approaches, and action learning/adaptation of programming.
- Experience of building, leading and developing colleagues and staff with different backgrounds and expertise.
- Commitment to Save the Children values – including gender equality and focusing on the most marginalised and deprived.
- Willingness to travel up to 50%.
Desirable
- Strong child rights programming and commitment to the rights-based approach, environmental justice and sustainability, ecosystem-based approach, gender equality, inclusion (disability, indigenous people), and community-based development.
- Experience of working within a complex and matrix organisation structure.
- Excellent training, facilitation, and team building skills.
KEY 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 marginalised 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 the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
The Organisation
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 children’s rights and 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 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 workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
Application Information
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document and use format. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at:
Location: VietBank Building, 70-72 Ba Trieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Closing Date: 04 Apr 2023
If you have any issues with applying via our system, please send an email explaining your troubles to [email protected] [4]
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 by our global anti-harassment policy.