Head of Start Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing Team

Salary: £45,900 – £54,000
Permanent

Location: Farringdon, London (This position can be based outside the UK provided it is in a country with an SC office from which you would be able to work)

The job of a Save the Children’s UK Head of the Start Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing Team’s is strategic and rewarding.

• Do you have good knowledge of the humanitarian system, as well as experience and technical knowledge in crisis anticipation, risk analysis and/or innovative humanitarian financing?
• Are you a creative thinker, passionate about improving the humanitarian system?
• Do you have successful experience of creating and implementing strategy ?
• Are you motivated by our vision of creating a world where every child doesn’t just survive, but thrives, and can go on to change the world?

If the answers to these questions are yes, we would love to hear from you!

About Us
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to

In our Humanitarian department, we fight for children every single day. We integrate emergency and development work, through our country programmes. We increase our capacity to meet the assistance and protection needs of children and their families affected by crises. We go the extra mile – and we don’t rest until the work is done.

The Start Network is made up of more than 40 aid agencies, of which Save the Children is one, working across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to national NGOs.

The aim of the Start Network is to deliver more effective emergency aid, harnessing the power and knowledge of the network to make faster and better decisions to help people affected by crises. It advocates for radical change to the system so that the world can better deal with the humanitarian challenges of today and in the future.
Job Purpose

Reporting into the Director of Humanitarian Business Transformation within SCUK and the CEO of the Start Platform, the Head of the Start Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing Team will provide strategic leadership in the development of the Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing programme for the Start Network.
The role will provide expert knowledge in the given areas, especially to developing strategic partnerships and positioning Start Network within the wider anticipation and disaster risk finance architecture.

The role will also provide leadership to the overall globally dispersed team and undertake senior level engagement with Start Members, donors and the broader humanitarian system . You will work closely with the Head of Start Funds, as well as the Operational and Technical Leads for Anticipation and Risk Financing and other colleagues to ensure integration across the network.
This role sits in Start Network’s Senior Management Team, there is significant potential for growth as the Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing portfolio continues to attract more funding and partnerships. We are looking for a candidate with the creativity, energy and technical know-how to continue to drive this work forward, supporting member NGOs to move from reactive to more proactive ways of managing humanitarian crises.

Main Accountabilities
The Head of Crisis Anticipation and Risk Financing Team’s duties will include:
• Lead the evolution of the Crisis Anticipation & Risk Financing strategy for the Start Network, working directly with the Start Network Executive Team
• Lead representation of the Start Network in key technical forums and research initiatives, working closely with the Start Network Chief Executive Officer
• Work with the Head of Start Funds, and the Operations Lead, develop the overarching strategy for any new areas of work
• Oversee the design and piloting of the Start Financing Facility as Start Network’s framework for taking risk financing to scale, including digital technology for scaling
• Oversee advocacy in relation to crisis anticipation and risk financing, working closely with the Start Network Head of Communications and Digital and the Chief Executive Officer
• Support the development of fundraising activities on behalf of the Start Network, building relationships with key donors, including working with other Network Members (to grow the number of grant custodians)
• Provide vision, strategic leadership, and stability to all staff within the team and support alignment with the wider Start Network vision and Strategy

Person Profile
Experience
• Demonstrable experience and technical knowledge in anticipation, risk analysis, innovative humanitarian financing and humanitarian response.
• Experience of change management and building collaborative team culture
• Demonstrable experience of advocacy, influencing and lobbying senior internal and external stakeholders
• Successful experience of creating and implementing strategy, as well as engaging a variety of stakeholders to deliver against this strategy
• Track record of identifying and managing partnerships, particularly with governments
• Experience of developing and managing large team/programme budgets
• Demonstrable experience of collaboration, including forging and maintaining effective new relationships and partnerships, often across organisational boundaries and at a senior level

Abilities
• An effective communicator and networker with ability to build effective trust-based relationships and networks at senior levels.
• Ability to apply thinking and tools from other sectors and initiatives to the humanitarian context
*
Aptitude*

• Good understanding of the international humanitarian system and relevant networks
• Passion and energy to play a leadership role in developing the crisis anticipation and risk financing strategy for the Start Network
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills to fully understand humanitarian financial needs and identify practical solutions to operational challenges, including use of new technologies
• A demonstrable commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion and their practical application and integration in the work environment
• A commitment to Save the Children UK’s aims and core values of accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity, and integrity

Please note we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and interviews will be scheduled as applications are received. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
This role can be based internationally outside the UK provided it is in a country with an SC office from which you would be able to work – the salary will be based on local pay structures if not based in the UK.

Remote Working:
The majority of SCUK employees are currently working remotely within the UK in line with UK Government guidance. Commencing July 2021 we will transition to flexible and hybrid ways of working (i.e. a mixture of remote/home and office-based working) as social distancing restrictions ease.
We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
Save the Children UK is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBT+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.