Advocacy Officer, Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) (Maternity Cover)

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Advocacy Officer, Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) (Maternity Cover) to join our global team.

Team and Role Purpose

Working at the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), the Advocacy Officer will conduct advocacy related to promoting the endorsement and implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.

The GCPEA Advocacy Officer reports to GCPEA Senior Advocacy and Policy Adviser and is responsible for developing and delivering advocacy messages, implementing GCPEA’s advocacy strategy, coordinating projects and activities, outreaching to States and partners, and producing high-quality policy and advocacy products such as letters to permanent missions and briefing papers. The Advocacy Officer supports GCPEA’s advocacy efforts to influence UN and intergovernmental agendas related to the Safe School Declaration and implementation activities at international, regional and national levels. The Advocacy Officer is integral part of GCPEA Secretariat and collaborates with GCPEA Steering Committee, as well as consultants working on relevant projects.

Job Title: Advocacy Officer, Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) (Maternity Cover)

Reports To: Senior Advocacy and Policy Adviser (GCPEA)

Work Pattern: Office based

Location: Geneva

Required Time Zone: CET

Contract Length: 6 Months Fixed Term Contract (Maternity Cover) June- November 2026

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: Yes

Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

• Coordination: Coordinate joint advocacy efforts, including specific activities, in close collaboration with GCPEA members and partners.
• Advocacy Support: Support outreach to and engagement with States, UN mechanisms and other relevant actors based on GCPEA’s 2026 Advocacy Strategy.
• Representation: Represent GCPEA externally with States and partners, and internally with GCPEA members and Steering Committee.
• Advocacy Materials: Develop advocacy products such as reports, briefing papers, presentations, letters, and talking points to support global, regional, and national advocacy efforts.
• Event Coordination: Organise events in partnership with States, GCPEA members and partners, including through provision of logistical support to ensure smooth event execution.
• Communications: Develop and support publishing of content for GCPEA’s communications channels, including website, Newsletter, social media, to increase visibility of GCPEA’s advocacy messages and activities.
• Administrative Support: Assist with administrative tasks, including organising advocacy meetings, drafting minutes, collecting and compiling information for internal use, developing coordination tools, coordinating translations and design, etc.
• Grant Management and Planning: Support grant management by assisting in monitoring and tracking progress and expenses, reporting to donors, and contribute to annual work planning, in close collaboration with GCPEA secretariat.

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Demonstrable, relevant experience of advocacy work in the humanitarian, human rights or development fields.
2. Good understanding of international humanitarian and human rights law and the multilateral system.
3. Strong ability to analyse policy, interpret research, and develop evidence-based advocacy messages.
4. Excellent writing and oral presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.
5. Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders, organising international events, and managing logistics.
6. Demonstrated capacity to manage a substantial, diverse workload, prioritising tasks effectively in a dynamic international context.
7. Proven ability to work professionally in multilingual, multicultural, and multifaceted settings, with minimal supervision and a willingness to learn new skills.
8. Strong sense of responsibility coupled with teamwork skills.
9. Fluency in English (spoken and written) required.
10. Commitment to GCPEA and Save the Children core values.
11. Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience updating websites and using social media for advocacy purposes.

Desirable

• Experience working on education in emergencies, protection of education, or multilateral education advocacy.
• Knowledge of the Safe Schools Declaration and other education protection frameworks.
• Working knowledge of French, Spanish, and/or Arabic desirable.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Advanced university degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in international relations, international law, development studies, education policy, or a closely related field.

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 process.