Director of Strategic Partnerships and Influence

TITLE: Director of Strategic Partnerships and Influence (SPI) TEAM/PROGRAMME: Programme Quality LOCATION: Juba, South Sudan GRADE: 2 CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Country Director
Member of: Senior Leadership Team (SLT)

Direct reports:

• Business Development Manager
• Advocacy & Policy Manager
• Media & Communications Manager
• Child Rights & Child Participation Specialist
• Localisation & Partnership Specialist

Budget responsibility: Oversight of relevant departmental and project budgets
Key relationships: PQI Director, Director of Programme Operations, MEAL Awards, Finance, HR, Regional Advocacy & Partnerships teams, Members, Donors, Government Ministries, UN agencies, national NGOs, private-sector partners, and child-led structures.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Director of Strategic Partnerships and Influence (SPI) provides visionary leadership for Save the Children South Sudan’s strategic external engagement, influencing and resource mobilisation agenda.

Reporting directly to the Country Director and serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director leads a high-impact portfolio that integrates:

• Strategic Partnerships & Business Development – strengthening donor relations, localisation partnerships, and resource mobilisation;
• Influence & Policy – driving child rights governance, advocacy, and systems change;
• Communications – ensuring strategic visibility, storytelling, and thought leadership; and
• Engagement – deepening collaboration with partners, civil society, government, and child participation mechanisms that amplify children’s voices in decision-making.

This role ensures that Save the Children South Sudan remains a trusted partner, credible voice, and driving force for children’s rights and wellbeing, delivering on our ambition to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

1. Strategic Leadership

• Provide overall strategic direction for Save the Children’s programme funding, advocacy, communications, localization and child rights governance portfolio, ensuring alignment with the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and the global 2030 ambition.
• Serve as principal advisor to the Country Director and SLT on external engagement, positioning, and partnerships.
• Champion localisation, child leadership, and equitable partnerships with national NGOs and community structures.
• Integrate evidence across strategic partnerships, policy, advocacy, child rights governance and communications activities to drive impact, scale and sustainability.

2. Strategic Partnerships & Resource Mobilisation

• Lead the development and delivery of a Partnerships & Resource Mobilisation Strategy to diversify and sustain funding and strengthen collaboration with institutional and private sector donors and other key funding-related alliances.
• Strategically guide and oversee all proposal development processes, ensuring effective collaboration across technical, awards, finance, operations, and MEAL teams.
• Guarantee that Save the Children South Sudan produces high-quality, competitive, and timely submissions and bids that meet donor standards and align with the Country Strategic Plan.
• Facilitate early positioning and intelligence gathering on upcoming opportunities, ensuring that the Country Office is proactively prepared to respond to key donor priorities.
• Maintain strong relationships with key donors, ensuring alignment with their priorities and SCI’s strategic themes.

3. Influence, Policy & Child Rights Governance

• Lead policy analysis, evidence generation, and advocacy to influence decision-making and accountability for children’s rights.
• Guide the design and implementation of the Country Office’s child rights governance and policy agenda, including engagement with parliament, ministries, and human rights institutions.
• Coordinate the development of position papers, briefs, and campaigns based on research and programme evidence.
• Champion the mainstreaming of a child-rights approach across all sectors and partnerships, ensuring inclusion, gender equity, and accountability.
• Serve as spokesperson on key child rights policy issues and represent Save the Children in high-level forums and coalitions.

4. Communications & Visibility

• Oversee development and implementation of a comprehensive Communications & Media Strategy that positions Save the Children as the leading voice for children in South Sudan.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality storytelling, branding, and digital engagement across all platforms and audiences.
• Build internal capacity for documentation, success stories, and public engagement that enhance donor and partner confidence.
• Lead crisis communications and media relations to manage reputational risk and strengthen public trust.

5. Engagement, Localisation & Child Participation

• Strengthen systems for meaningful child participation, ensuring children’s voices inform programmes, advocacy, and decision-making.
• Strengthen localisation and the shifting of power to locally-led delivery by nurturing long-term and equitable partnerships with national NGOs and community-based organisations through transparent, equitable frameworks.
• Institutionalise and support Children’s Advisory Boards and other participatory structures at national and field levels.
• Foster collaboration with youth networks, child-led initiatives, and civil society movements.
• Promote participatory accountability mechanisms linking communities, children, and decision-makers.
• Guide and manage the Localisation & Partnership Specialist to advance Save the Children’s localisation roadmap, promoting capacity sharing, joint advocacy, and co-creation with national actors.

6. Learning, Evidence & Influence

• Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure that evidence from programmes and evaluations is used to inform advocacy, communications, CRG, partnership, and resource mobilisation strategies.
• Promote a culture of reflection and adaptive learning within the SPI team and across departments.

7. People Management & Development

• Provide dynamic leadership, supervision, and professional development to the SPI team.
• Build a cohesive, high-performing team culture rooted in collaboration, creativity, and accountability.
• Ensure clear performance objectives, regular feedback, and annual appraisals for all direct reports.
• Promote staff wellbeing, inclusion, and compliance with SCI values and safeguarding standards.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• 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, with their team, colleagues, Members 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

• BA/BSC or MA degree in political science, international law, international development, communication or related fields with extensive experience in Policy and Child Rights Governance work.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Advanced degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Communications, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in at least two of the following: resource mobilisation, partnerships, localization, policy influence, advocacy, communications, or child rights governance.
• Proven track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams and achieving results in complex humanitarian or development settings.
• Strong understanding of child rights frameworks (UNCRC, ACRWC) and experience integrating child participation in policy and programming.
• Demonstrated experience engaging high-level donors, governments, and partners to influence policy and mobilise resources.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience representing organisations at senior levels.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Fluency in English (required).

Desirable

• Experience working in South Sudan or similar fragile contexts.
• Fluency in Arabic, Juba Arabic, or local languages.
• Experience within Save the Children or comparable INGO networks.

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. Adult Safeguarding: The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy, all employees are also expected to carry out their duties in accordance with SCI protection from sexual exploitation abuse. Health and Safety: The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At SCI, we uphold the principle of equal rights and opportunities for all our employees. In our commitment to fostering a more inclusive workplace and addressing gender gaps.