Save the Children believes every child has the right to a future. In Canada and around the world, we do whatever it takes – every day and in times of crisis – to support children to fulfill their rights to a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. With over 100 years of experience, Save the Children is the world’s first and leading independent children’s organization – transforming lives and the future we share.

THE IMPACT YOU WILL MAKE:

Reporting to the Head of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, this position will play a leadership role in defining thematic (impact-area) specific policy and advocacy strategy, focused on advancing policy influence work related to Climate Justice and Children in Crisis/Humanitarian, as well as leading work to strengthen government relations. The Senior Advisor will hold the primary responsibility for influencing Canadian government policy in specific areas, through actively engaging government officials, peer agencies and other relevant stakeholders, as well as developing transformative and value-based partnerships for this purpose. The purpose of the role will be to ensure that government and institutional policies, programs, laws, and decision-making processes better uphold and protect the rights of children. Both an experienced advocate and subject matter expert, the Senior Advisor will be able to take this experience and knowledge and translate it into measurable results, relationships and partnerships. The Senior Advisor will work cross functionally with different business units including Communications and Media, program teams and fundraising teams. The position will engage in relevant coalitions and working groups and represent Save the Children Canada at external events. The successful individual must be based in Ottawa and able to frequently attend in-person meetings with government officials and coalition groups in Ottawa.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Government Relations and Policy Influence 

• Responsible to implement Save the Children’s government relations priorities related to humanitarian affairs and climate justice taking into account the intersection with gender equality and other thematic issues, aligned to the SC Canada strategy.
• Analyzes government priorities to inform policy influence plans, especially those related to humanitarian affairs and climate justice.
• Remain abreast of federal and provincial government policy and budget decisions, including analyzing impacts to Save the Children and recommending action plans for organizational response.
• Actively monitor and analyze Canadian policy activities in the global arena including UN Sustainable Development Goals, multilateral agencies.
• Keep key message documents and policy briefs updated to achieve policy objectives.
• Represent SCC at meetings with key policy staff both at departmental, ministerial and political levels.
• Liaise with targeted counterparts within the Save the Children movement to feed into and leverage global policy products and expertise to both influence Canadian policy change and position Save the Children as a thought leader and programming partner for children.
• Ensure appropriate organizational representation at key government forums and with members of Parliament and government officials.
• In coordination with other SC business units, lead on agency participation in advocacy-themed external sector coalitions, forums, conferences, round tables and panels, ensuring alignment of resources and impact against organizational priorities.
• Collaborate globally with SCI and Member peers and participate in relevant Global Initiative working groups to achieve policy and advocacy outcomes and drive breakthroughs.

Policy implementation and Profile 

• Contribute to the development of the Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations team annual workplan, aligned to broader multi-year organizational Policy and Advocacy sub-strategy, inclusive of the development of annual KPIs.
• Coordinate meetings with senior ministerial and departmental staff, including with CEO and other members of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Prepare briefing documents for key meetings and engagements between senior ministerial staff and the CEO and other members of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Engage actively in the sector in order to showcase SCC’s value add and credibility; liaising, developing and maintaining strong working relationships with relevant organizations, coalitions and supporters.
• In coordination with the International Programs and Partnerships teams, create opportunities to profile evidence of what works for children in our programs, positioning Save the Children as a partner of choice to implement international assistance policy.
• Advise colleagues in International Programs as to strategic priorities of the Government of Canada within foreign policy and international assistance, including collecting and disseminating relevant information that could support advancement of primary priorities for Save the Children Canada.
• Work with Communications teams to feed into key marketing documents, press releases, OpEd’s, and other relevant materials to ensure proper integration of Policy and Advocacy messaging.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL): 

• Administer Lobby register reporting for Save the Children Canada.
• Create and strengthen existing tools for appropriate knowledge management.
• Administer Advocacy MEAL tracker.

Qualifications include (but are not limited to):

• A minimum of 5-7 years of proven progressive hands-on experience in a policy and advocacy function, policy development, advocacy, or government affairs or equivalent progressive experience working in the International Development sector.
• Post-secondary education in Public Policy, Political Science, Law, International Development, or special studies in Advocacy, and/or related equivalent fields. Master’s degree preferred.
• Strong knowledge or experience with the foreign policy structures of the Canadian government, including parliamentary committees, governance systems.
• Strong knowledge or experience with structures supporting Canada’s distribution of international development aid, including Global Affairs Canada.
• Knowledge of child rights programming and policy related to international assistance (development/humanitarian) in areas of Health, Education, Child Protection, and Livelihoods.
• Experience planning and implementing events for partners, coalition groups, parliamentarians.
• Knowledge of gender equality principles and practices.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to develop strong working relationships across cultural and organizational boundaries with internal and external stakeholders and managing through influence.
• A strategic thinker with good judgment and the ability to prioritise, assess added value of initiatives and translate broad concepts into tactical plans.
• Excellent English writing and copy-editing skills; proficiency in French considered an asset.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and time pressures.
• Strong project management skills broadly, and particularly in event management.
• Ability to travel internationally on occasional basis.

WHAT WE OFFER

This position salary range between $84,357.50 – $98,934.03 CAD depending on skills and experience. In addition to this, our employees will have the following package of additional benefits:

• Comprehensive benefits package for you and your dependents available in three months after employment.
• Coordinated benefits for your partner paid by Save the Children Canada.
• Hybrid workplace, and flexible work hours to support employee wellbeing and productivity.
• Confidential Employee Assistance Program services available to you and your dependents from your first day of employment.
• Discounted rate for a GoodLife membership.
• Organization-wide membership with Headspace.
• 3 weeks of annual leave.
• In addition to annual leave, we offer a December 25 – January 1 office closure (SAVE Days) so we can all recharge simultaneously.
• Paid 3-day-personal days.
• Paid 2-day-float days
• Paid 10-day-sick leave.
• Parental leave top-up.
• Employer contributions to group pension plan.
• Learning and development opportunities and specialized training.

HOW TO APPLY?

If you are interested in this position, please visit https://www.savethechildren.ca/ and submit your resume and cover letter by 5:00 PM EST November 6, 2024. Internal candidates, please apply via ADP by 5:00 PM EST October 30, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on ongoing basis. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

It is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure all children are protected from deliberate or unintentional acts that lead to the risk of, or actual, harm caused by our employees. Each employee shall be aware that there may be additional vulnerabilities facing children associated with their age, socio-economic background, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, identity, sexual orientation or identity, and is committed to ensuring this does not form barriers to effective safeguarding.

Each employee is committed to fostering and sustaining a safe environment through proactive, accessible, and effective approaches that seek to prevent and respond to any harm to the children including but not limited to sexual exploitation and abuse. SCC and all its employees will take all reasonable steps to make itself safe, both as an organisation and in the conduct of all aspects of its day-to-day operations of emergency, humanitarian, developmental, policy, campaigning and administrative work.

SCC is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (‘AODA’). If you require accommodation for disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please notify Human Resources (416) 221-5501