Advisor, Global Awards

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Advisor, Global Awards to join our global team.

Team and Role Purpose

To provide expert strategic and operational award management service to global teams, ensuring efficient, compliant, and high-quality use of award funds to deliver impactful programmes for children, while leveraging Global Awards and funding expertise to strengthen organisational capacity across globally implemented, managed, and supported funds and awards. The team supports global functions and programme teams through coordination, technical support, and award lifecycle management, ensuring effective planning, delivery, and oversight across the portfolio. We directly support globally managed award-funded programmes and pooled funds to ensure consistent and effective delivery across the award lifecycle, contributing to strengthened organisational performance and delivery of results for children.

Role Purpose

The role holder will provide award management advisory, coordination, and support across a portfolio of globally managed and implemented awards, directly supporting award-funded programmes to ensure compliant, high-quality, and timely delivery while strengthening organisational capacity to manage complex and high-risk funding. The role supports the planning, management, and monitoring of both humanitarian and development awards through operational oversight, budgetary and administrative support, and strong information management, ensuring adherence to donor and organisational requirements. The role works closely with global functions to coordinate award processes, maintain data quality, and support reporting, compliance, and performance, while contributing to continuous improvement of systems and ensuring effective and adaptable award management.

• Job Title: Advisor, Global Awards
• Reports To: Manager, Global Awards
• Work Pattern:On-site/Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
• Required Time Zone: Any
• Contract Length: Fixed Term Contract (until 31st May 2028)
• Grade: P3
• Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment.
• Language Requirements: English + working languages balanced across the team a plus (Arabic, Spanish, French)
• International Travel: up to 10%
• Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

• Provides global teams with award management advisory, coordination, and support, working closely with stakeholders in day-to-day operational award delivery, under the direction of AMDC leadership.
• Delivers and administers the allocation and management of globally managed awards and funds, ensuring accurate and timely distribution of resources across global teams and multiple implementing offices, while maintaining clear and constructive communication among stakeholders.
• Monitors budget expenditures across global teams, implementing offices, and partners through regular Budget versus Actual reviews and portfolio monitoring, ensuring alignment with approved budgets, delivery plans, fund requirements, and organisational policies to promote accountability and effective resource management.
• Supports the planning and management of globally managed awards and funding mechanisms, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of processes, systems, and delivery approaches.
• Supports in operationalizing award management in Global level, understanding the different processes within SCI and exceptions around it, proactivity, planning, data upkeep on Award Management System and supporting the Sr. Manager and the Sr. Specialist
• Identifies, assesses, and mitigates financial, operational, and programmatic risks associated with awards and funds, implementing proactive measures to ensure compliance and minimise risk throughout the award lifecycle.
• Coordinates monitoring and reporting processes across assigned awards and funds, ensuring high-quality, timely financial and narrative reporting in line with donor and organisational requirements.
• Leads the award close-out process for assigned awards, ensuring all payments, reporting, and system actions are fully reconciled and completed, and coordinating with Finance and other stakeholders to ensure financial, contractual, and administrative closure.
• Maintains high-quality award information management, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and integrity of data within the Award Management System, and supporting effective tracking, analysis, and decision-making.
• Works closely with global functions (including Programme Operations, Finance, Treasury, and Partnerships) to coordinate award processes, ensure data quality, and support compliance and performance across the portfolio.
• Supports the continuous improvement of award management systems, tools, and processes, identifying gaps and contributing to enhanced efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness across globally managed and implemented awards.
• Supports the Senior Manager, Global Humanitarian Awards and Manager, Global Awards on strategic and operational initiatives related to award management and global funds, contributing to coordination, analysis, and delivery as required.
• Demonstrates flexibility to adapt priorities and support organisational needs during periods of high demand or shifting priorities, ensuring continuity and effectiveness of award management support

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Proficient experience in grant (award) management cycle.
2. Proficient experience in working across multiple teams and offices to facilitate grant start up, monitoring and reporting.
3. Considerable experience in monitoring and closing out awards with accurate and compliant documentation across programme, administrative, contractual and financial areas. This includes strong skills in budget monitoring and financial reporting to ensure compliance and transparency.
4. Demonstrable foundation experience and interest in humanitarian response work.
5. Effective communication skills, both written and oral, capable of liaising with diverse stakeholders.
6. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate complex financial data and make informed decisions.
7. High proficiency in using award management software and financial management systems.
8. Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines, maintaining high-quality standards.
9. Strong teamwork skills, including the ability to work with, influence and guide cross-functional and cross-cultural teams.
10. Ability to manage a complex workload, proactively managing large portfolios of awards/projects/deliverables.

Desirable

• Strong project management skills, particularly in planning, coordination, and execution of complex projects across multiple regions and teams.
• Proven experience working in a complex international organisation, demonstrating the ability to navigate and manage diverse cultural and operational contexts.
• Previous experience working for Save the Children and familiarity with Save the Children’s awards and finance systems, including the Award Management System (AMS).
• Experience working within emergency response settings, including a robust understanding of humanitarian response activities and emergency management cycles.
• Solid foundation in financial accounting, capable of managing and reconciling diverse financial transactions and reporting.
• Proficiency in additional languages such as Spanish, French, or Arabic alongside English, enhancing communication and collaboration with international teams.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Demonstrable continual professional training and development in award/grants management topics including financial oversight, compliance, reporting.
• Strong knowledge of grant management and donor compliance requirements.

Education

• A degree in International Relations, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field is highly desirable.
• Professional certifications in project management or grant management are a plus.

Desirable

• Additional professional qualifications in financial accounting such as Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or similar
• Additional certifications or qualifications in humanitarian aid practices, such as a Humanitarian Aid Worker certification or similar.
• Training or certification in emergency response management.

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found at SCI Careers. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who are successfully shortlisted should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our Recruitment Process

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-Harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment