Senior Stakeholder Engagement Specialist at Save The Children

Job ID: 210004PZ
Grade: 3
Post Type: National
Employee Status: Fixed Term

Position Overview

• Save the Children International (Nigeria) seeks a Senior Stakeholder Engagement specialist on a Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme that is working to strengthen and expand Nigeria’s social protection system towards bringing about significant reductions in multi-dimensional poverty across the country, ensuring a more adequate focus and consideration is put on children and their caregivers and other vulnerable or excluded groups.
• The senior stakeholder engagement specialist will leverage on lessons learned over the course of the programme’s implementation, evidence generated by the programme and a variety of advocacy best practices, to help raise the programme’s profile, as well as promote and strengthen its engagement with critical policy and decision makers, social protection programme implementers, civil society organizations and academia in an effort to bring about increased political will necessary to ensure that more Nigerians (particularly children) are covered by inclusive and accountable social protection.
• He/ she will be expected to engage actively with various stakeholders at the federal level, including but not limited to Nigeria Governors Forum, the National Assembly, the Organized Private Sector, the National Economic Council and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
• This role is not rooted in a thematic specialism, but in leadership and expertise in influencing policies, programmes and practices through synergized advocacy and campaigning.
• The position entails that the post holder has a natural passion for building trusted relationships which bring about positive changes. Thus, a track record of achievement in a similar role is critical for success in this position.
• The role will be located in SCI’s office in Abuja and the post-holder will report to the National Programme Manager and will be expected to maintain close contact with SCI Nigeria’s Head of Advocacy?  

Key Responsibilities

• The Senior Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will lead advocacy and campaign activities related to one of the programmes outputs primarily at the federal level and to a lesser extent in the focal states:
• Increased government delivery of effective, inclusive and shock-responsive social protection.

Key responsibilities of the senior stakeholder engagement specialist include:

• Leading the programme’s federal-level advocacy and campaign initiatives (with the aforementioned stakeholders) aimed at making the case for increased investments in inclusive and accountable social protection, with particular consideration for the needs of children and their caregivers;  
• Engagement with relevant sub-committees of the National Assembly, as well forming a group with special focus on social protection with lawmakers from the ruling party as well as the opposition parties; ensuring advocacy materials and tools are developed and routinely disseminated to Federal Lawmakers;
• Engagement with best international social protection practices for learning and experience sharing;
• Strengthening relationships with the social protection development partners group towards the continued advancement of inclusive and accountable social protection in Nigeria.
• Work with Senior Social Protection Specialist and other thematic leads to highlight and strengthen linkages with allied sectors to address cross-cutting issues – specifically on education, health, nutrition and climate change;
• Alongside the senior policy and advocacy specialist, strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of civil society organizations to contribute the development of a strong social protection system in Nigeria;
• Alongside the Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist, develop key messages and materials to enhance policy outreach and advocacy for social protection, including among civil society and the media;
• In collaboration with the programme’s Communications Specialist, facilitate the dissemination and communication of policy briefs, research reports, lessons learnt to relevant government and non-government stakeholders to inform public dialogue and policy and programme decision-making;
• In collaboration with the programme’s Knowledge Management Coordinator, develop and maintain a database of “promising practices” in stakeholder engagement.

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values In Practice)

Accountability:

• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
• High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
• Holds self and others accountable

Ambition:

• Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively

Collaboration:

• Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Designing more effective admin systems
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Skills & Experience

General Skills:

• The post holder will possess a high degree of analytical skill, political acumen, ability to facilitate change, ability to influence, and ability to communicate key advocacy messages effectively and convincingly to a diverse audience at national and international levels.

Essential

• Advanced university degree in public policy, political science, economics, sociology or other relevant social sciences
• Clear understanding of budgeting processes in Nigeria and how to influence public financial management decisions.
• Excellent conceptual and analytical skills and demonstrable ability to think strategically, innovatively and practically to ensure achievement of desired change objectives
• A good understanding and knowledge of social protection, ideally demonstrated through previous experience in influencing greater investment in it
• At least seven years of advocacy and campaign experience
• Be highly proficient in public speaking
• Excellent oral and written communication abilities in English
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability and ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.

Desirable:

• Prior experience working on a social protection programme.
• Prior experience working with and supporting civil society actors to influence change.
• A good understanding of the social protection landscape in Nigeria.
• Experience in training facilitation techniques and influencing tactics.
• Knowledge of the policies, functions, structures and decision-making processes of key national institutions in Nigeria with regard to child poverty.
• Experience working on FCDO funded projects/programmes.

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:

• Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.
• 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.

Safeguarding our Staff:

• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

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