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Job Title: Head, Global Sponsorship Operations (maternity cover)
Team: Programme Delivery
Reports To: Senior Lead, Programme Operations LAC
Contract Length: Fixed Term Contract (maternity cover for 6 months approximately)
Grade: M4
Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location.
Time Zone: Any
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
International Travel Requirements: up to 10%
Budget Responsibility: $55 million
People Management Responsibility: manager of team/manager of multiple teams; 6 direct/indirect reports
Team And Job Purpose
Team purpose
The Programme Delivery department drives the implementation of our strategy by ensuring that programme and advocacy delivery is done right first time – at scale, with impact and quality, on time, on budget and with compliance. We aim to strengthen and enable implementing offices’ ability to work in complex and hostile environments, be more locally-led, smarter in its sourcing, and with a smaller environmental footprint. The department leads comprehensively on the organisation's humanitarian and crisis response strategy, including prioritisation, programme quality, operational delivery and interagency collaboration and influencing.
Role purpose
The Postholder Is Responsible For Developing, Implementing, And Ensuring Compliant And Efficient Operational Oversight Of Sponsorship Program Delivery Globally. S/he Will Provide Strategic Guidance And Lead The Operationalization Of Changes To The Sponsorship Model, Including Revisions To Budget Model, Sponsorship Program Cycle, Program Guidance And Geo-presence, To Ensure The Successful Implementation Of Sponsorship. S/he Will Ensure That People-centred Policies, Procedures, Tools And Operating Models Are In Place To Enable The Global, Regional And Country Level Sponsorship Teams To:
* achieve sponsorship’s strategic, financial, operational and programmatic objectives;
* ensure alignment and effective risk management across programs, operations and fundraising;
* capitalize on continuous improvement approaches to bring about learnings and innovations.
Principal Accountabilities
* Provide strategic guidance and direction on the operationalization of the Sponsorship model, performance management and risk mitigation (20%):
* Contribute or lead efforts to develop a strategic vision for Sponsorship that reflects current realities, builds consensus through communications and manages risks with effective tools and clear roles and responsibilities to implement and monitor progress.
* Drive/improve the operational performance of sponsorship offices through clear, people-centred, iterative and evidence-based (data-driven) performance feedback, opportunity assessments and capacity strengthening support.
* Cultivate a child-centric risk-based approach to minimizing risks to children, sponsors, and Sponsorship strategic objectives globally resulting in improved operational performance, fewer risks to children, and increased funding to country offices
* Partner with relevant functions and/or offices to maintain and/or strengthen safeguarding, child experience and inclusivity in sponsorship.
* Ensure accountability to children, families and sponsors through the effective delivery of sponsor and child services (10%):
* Manage the phase-out of Child Information Management processes, including Annual Family Update Campaign, eligibility checks and transfers.
* Evolve the Sponsor and Child Services Procedure to ensure that it enables safe and quality operations and sponsorship marketing efforts of Members vis-à-vis Sponsorship wind-down.
* Ensure that clear ways of working are in place to facilitate the effective coordination and collaboration among GCCU, Members and the Social Transformation Programming Hub to ensure alignment of marketing, programs and operations.
* Work with IT Business Solutions to ensure that systems (ASISt, BBEC, Web) support sponsorship business needs with adequate data protection.
* Ensure effective management and utilization of Sponsorship funds (10%):
* Lead annual country budget allocation for 10+ Sponsorship Country Offices (SCO) and 5 Implementing Members, considering performance ratings, programmatic needs and operational considerations.
* Lead bi-annual analysis of global sponsorship spending trends and propose proactive plan to mitigate any underspend risk. Support plan for any reallocation of resources, global level budget planning and monitoring.
* In collaboration with the Finance Business Officer, support any strategic decision-making needed to ensure the successful roll-out of the new sponsorship budget model, and monitor its effectiveness and alignment with the overall Sponsorship vision/strategy.
* Work collaboratively with leadership to foster an understanding of financial performance and effective management of the global Sponsorship budget.
* Lead renewal process of Contributing Members Sponsorship Agreements, working closely with legal, finance and the Child Sponsorship Transformation Project Team.
* Drive Operational Accountability across Global Sponsorship and Sponsorship Offices (30%):
* Lead annual strategic planning to identify team priorities, change management plans and necessary workstreams to ensure the effective execution of GSO workplan. Ensure successful process, tools and support system for a responsible wind down of Global Sponsorship, including the exit of Child Sponsorship fundraising by end of 2025.
* Lead the identification and management of global level risks associated with Sponsorship; including providing close supervision and support to SCO(s) with high impact risks.
* Maintain relevant and updated global Sponsorship Policies and Procedures and develop appropriate quality metrics and global minimum-operating-standards to ensure compliance with Policies and Procedures, as well as continued alignment with SCI.
* Manage SCO required deliverables, working closely with programs to drive a successful and simplified process for planning and reporting of sponsorship program. Ensure that Members, Regional Offices and Sponsorship Offices have access to consistent and reliable information (i.e. child data, awards, finance) to inform management decisions.
* Staff Management (30%):
* Accountable for setting and implementing the long-term strategic direction and daily operational priorities, technology needs, and staffing needs across the department.
* Provide clear expectations in terms of individual and team outputs. Prevent or address low performance.
* Foster positive team moral and professional development plans of direct reports.
Essential
Experience and Skills
* Strategic Thinking and Visioning: Ability to develop long-term strategies and models for sponsorship with a focus on addressing inequality and discrimination.
* Leadership and People Management: Strong capability to manage and motivate teams and nurture their professional development.
* Data-driven Decision Making: Expertise in utilising data insights for evidence-based performance feedback and operational improvements.
* Risk Management: Proficiency in identifying and mitigating risks, especially related to child safety and sponsorship operations.
* Communication and Collaboration: Strong ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders and communicate impactful ideas clearly.
* Cultural Competency and Inclusion: Deep understanding and application of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in programme operations.
* Financial Management: Experience in leading budget allocation and financial decision-making processes to ensure efficient use of sponsorship funds.
Key Relationships
Internal (excluding direct team and manager)
* IP Operations
* Social Transformation Programming Hub
* Finance
* Awards Management
* Transformation Delivery & IT
* IP Operations Data & Insights
* Resource Mobilisation, Communication & Engagement
* Legal
* Global Assurance
* Construction
* Safeguarding and Ethical Programming & Advocacy
External
* Funding Members
Essential
Education and Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree: Preferably in International Development, Social Sciences, Business Administration, or comparable field experience in implementing child-centred programs.
Desirable
Former experience implementing sponsorship-based models.
Competencies
Cluster: Leading
Competency: Leading and Inspiring Others
Level: Leading Edge
Behavioural Indicator: Creates and engages stakeholders in a shared vision and strategy that will deliver transformative sponsorship programs that address inequality and discrimination.
Cluster: Leading
Competency: Delivering Results
Level: Leading Edge
Behavioural Indicator: Establishes and monitors performance metrics to drive operational efficiency and risk mitigation in sponsorship operations.
Cluster: Thinking
Competency: Problem Solving and Decision Making
Level: Leading Edge
Behavioural Indicator: Provides a framework to support decision making across sponsorship functions, applying a child-centric risk-based approach.
Cluster: Engaging
Competency: Working Effectively with Others
Level: Leading Edge
Behavioural Indicator: Builds strong collaborative networks across global sponsorship offices to enhance operational performance and accountability.
Cluster: Engaging
Competency: Communicating with Impact
Level: Leading Edge
Behavioural Indicator: Delivers influential advice
* Job Identification 13458
* Job Category Programme Operations
* Posting Date 07/10/2025, 10:11 AM
* Apply Before 07/17/2025, 11:55 PM
* Locations CENTRE - London
Annuel based
Morocco, Morocco
Morocco, Morocco
