ThaiNGO

TITLE: Regional Institutional Partnerships Advisor, Asia

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Asia Regional Office

LOCATION:  Bangkok (preferred) or Manila

CONTRACT LENGTH: 2 years

ROLE PURPOSE:

Background:

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. 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 reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Job Purpose:     

Save the Children’s work in Asia is wide ranging both in geographical and programmatic scope. It focuses on improving education, health and protection outcomes for children, while also strengthening their resilience to a range of natural and made-man hazards. This work is being pursued in the context of an increasingly challenging institutional funding environment, with challenges from a range of non traditional development actors.

This is a critical role in supporting the Asia Regional Office and Country Offices with timely and strategic donor engagement, positioning and partnerships with key institutional actors . This role, working closely with Save the Children members  and supports Country Offices in building and managing donor relationships, in optimising our partnerships and funding given significant shifts in donor trends.

There is a similar resource currently based in East Africa and a newly established role in the Middle East. The function and scope of work for these posts varies according to the country and regional context but plays a critical role in ensuring programmatic alignment, timely strategic engagement and positioning with key donors.  This position will play a key role in linking our global and regional ambitions, as well as support our global agenda of Country Offices as Agents of Change. Located in Bangkok, this person is expected to work closely with a range of senior managers in the Regional Office, Country Offices and SC members (in particular Australia, Norway and UK).

Management of this role is with Director of Strategic Portfolio & Award Management (Asia), with matrix support from contributing members.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Director of Strategic Portfolio & Award Management (Asia)

Staff directly reporting to this post: none

Total number of staff: none

This role will initially conduct analysis and scoping and develop engagement strategies for prioritised institutional donors in Asia (including a focus on the Pacific for donors whose Asia regional office include management of their Pacific portfolios).  This initial work will help to proactively identity future funding opportunities to sustain our platform, generate pragmatic strategies to build partnerships with a diverse portfolio of key institutional donors and help deepen crucial donor relationships in the region. In the longer term the role will focus on:

• Donor engagement – setting the tone and creating an entrepreneurial culture.
• Building capacity of senior ‘engagers’ (Save the Children staff who regularly engage or come in contact with donors)
• Being the link – provide cohesion and coordination of effort in a complex and evolving landscape
• Triangulate and maximise data analysis, trends, competitor analysis.

Location/Travel:

The role will be based in the either in Bangkok, Thailand or Manila, Philippines with extensive travel throughout Asia (and to a lesser extent the Pacific) to spend time with country directors and teams. The role will also require attendance in regional events and conferences. Occasional trips to SC member offices may be required.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Creation of and incentivising entrepreneurial approach to partnership development with ‘senior engagers’

• Proactively design and carry out a mapping exercise to capture and analyse donor trends and opportunities across the Asia Pacific region (e.g. UN agencies, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, EU, etc.) and map the existing state of our relationships with key donors in the region.
• Conduct initial competitor/activity analysis – to include other INGOs and Save the Children members – what are they doing, what are their strengths/ areas of expertise/ coverage
• Building on your significant experience of managing complex relationships, proactively engage with Country Offices in identifying tailored approaches to developing and sustaining partnerships with wide range of partners/donors.
• Advise and capacitate ‘senior engagers’ (e.g. Regional Director, Country Directors, Country PDQ and Operations Directors, Country Sector Leads, Members’ Business Development Managers, etc.) on donor engagement based on best practices across the movement, while promoting an entrepreneurial approach and good relationship management practices.
• Create, incentivise, facilitate and support ongoing robust relationships between senior representatives at Save the Children and their counterparts within key institutional donors.

Increased levels of donor/partner intelligence and insights leveraged between global, regional & country level teams

• Inform and support strategic planning, particularly funding strategies and subsequent donor engagement planning, for country offices across the region.
• Secure intelligence on donor priorities and funding streams/cycles through direct engagement, leveraging networks and research.
• Support Country Offices to conduct competitor analysis to understand other INGOs/service delivery partners strengths/areas of expertise and coverage, to inform how Save the Children positions itself with donors and promote partnering/consortia decision-making.
• Act as a central link between SC Members, Regional & Country offices in relation to donor partnerships – providing cohesion in a complicated and complex context.
• Build on experience of managing complex relationships and learning from similar approaches in other regions.

Other Accountabilities:

• Promote and lead on movement-wide knowledge and best-practice sharing by engaging closely with colleagues across members and regions.
• Seek alignment with wider Save the Children initiatives and seek to utilise existing channels and processes to deliver on objectives.
• Support in upholding Save the Children’s good reputation and commitment to safeguarding of children in accordance with the Child Safeguarding Policy.
• To keep our promises to children, to safeguard our staff, and to meet our obligations to those who support us and give us funding, we must identify – and effectively manage – the risks we face in all we do. We believe that managing risk is the responsibility of everyone within Save the Children, so you will be expected to play your part by:
• understanding what we mean by risk, and by identifying, reporting and managing the risks associated with your role as an integral part of your daily work;
• operating within the policies, procedures and controls set out by the charity from time to time; and
• ensuring that specific controls are in place to manage the risks within your direct area of responsibility.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves, takes responsibility for their own personal development
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships within their team, colleagues, 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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Proven record of accomplishment in institutional partnership building, brokering relationships with partners, and engagement at a senior level, preferably in Asia.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with impact at a high level and with a range of appropriate styles for different audiences.
• Experience of influencing to delivering results within a large complex global organisation.
• Proven experience of providing creative and innovative approaches in developing new initiatives that contribute towards partnership objectives.
• Strong leadership behaviours, including external orientation, situational agility, partner focus, delivery of results, strategic vision and purpose, entrepreneurial approach, negotiating & influencing.
• Proven problem solving and strategic planning capability.
• In depth experience and knowledge of current thinking and future trends and thorough understanding of international development issues, particularly in the Asia region.

Personal Skills:

• A team player and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Problem solver.
• Results orientated.
• Entrepreneurial self-starter.
• Rigorous, methodical, and detail-oriented.
• Ability to coach and mentor senior country office staff in relationship management and funding strategies.
• Pro-active and the ability to work at a distance with minimal supervision.
• Commitment to Save the Children’s mission and values.

Desirable 

• Degree in international development, management, leadership or a related field.
• Strong business development and relationship management experience.
• Significant experience with actors and stakeholders in the Asia region.

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.

Child Safeguarding:

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.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Interested candidates should submit a motivational letter, comprehensive CV and details of at least 3 referees to: hr.thailand@savethechildren.org

Closing date for submission: 13 July 2018 

Please indicate in the subject as “Apply for Regional Institutional Partnerships Advisor, Asia_(Name of candidate)”

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

“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”