JOB TITLE: Director Impact & Influencing
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Syria Response Office, Impact & Influencing Department
LOCATION: Amman, Jordan or any other country in the Middle East
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.
ROLE PURPOSE:
Lead the Delivery of Save the Children’s Impact Agenda in Syria
- Drive the implementation of Save the Children’s impact agenda and integrated influencing and external engagement plans in Syria, working closely with relevant departments and the Syria Response.
- Ensure the Syria Influence & Impact (I&I) Team supports field offices to respond effectively to the urgent needs of children and drives impact across thematic and geographic priorities, working closely with the operations team to deliver high quality programming for children (and youth?).
- Champion Save the Children’s child rights-based programming and influencing approach, embedding this focus into all interventions from the design phase across Syria.
- Coordinate and ensure coherence within the I&I team in Syria through regular engagement, fostering alignment on key objectives and approaches.
- Develop[CS3] relationships and engage with external actors, including humanitarian actors, donor community, local and national actors and government/governing entities to ensure child rights is at the centre of the collective agenda.
Support[CS4] New Business Development and Strategic Opportunities
- Working with resource mobilization team in the Syria Response Office, global team and SC Members, identify and support new business development opportunities that align with the Syria country strategy and regional strategic framework.
- Collaborate with the Senior Management Teams (SMT) and Save the Children Members to promote a culture of impact, learning, and continuous improvement tailored to the context of Syria and the region.
Strategic Leadership for Country-Specific Objectives
- Lead the development and execution of a compelling and ambitious strategic framework for Syria Response, supporting the Response Office in achieving its Whole of Syria strategy and annual implementation plans.
- Through strategic leadership and collaboration, ensure the alignment of Syria’s country strategies with Save the Children’s global objectives, maximizing the impact of the organization’s efforts to improve the well-being and development of children in Syria.
This role is central to Save the Children’s commitment to creating substantial, lasting impact for and with children in Syria, driving a focused approach to child rights and sustainable change in one of the region’s most challenging environments.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
- Reports to: Director Syria Response Office
- Staff directly reporting to this post: 5 direct reports; WoS Nutrition Cluster Coordinator, WoS Education Cluster Coordinator, Head of MEAL, Head of PAC, Head of Program Quality & Technical Expertise
ORGANIZATION’S PROFILE:
Save the Children is an international independent non-governmental, non- profit, organisation founded in 1919. We work in over 120 countries worldwide. We are the world’s leading independent organisation for Children. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Lead the Delivery of Save the Children’s Impact Agenda in Syria
- Lead the implementation of Save the Children’s impact agenda and integrated influencing and external engagement plans in Syria, working closely with relevant departments and the SRO Response Director.
- Champion Save the Children’s child rights-based programming and influencing approach, including child participation, ensuring these principles are embedded from the design phase of all interventions in Syria. Guide the Impact & Influencing (&I) team to support Syria Response Office (SRO) in meeting the needs of children and driving impact across thematic and geographic priorities to deliver high quality programming.
- Coordinate and ensure coherence across the I&I team in Syria through regular engagement and support, fostering alignment on key objectives. Collaborate closely with SRO Response Director, Senior Management Team (SMT), and Save the Children Members to promote a culture of impact and learning for continuous improvement.
Strategic Country Portfolio Support and Oversight
- Engage with the Syria country team to understand program portfolios and identify strategic support needs, including program model development, experience and capacity sharing, strategic partnerships, donor engagement, evidence generation, and strategy development. Collaborate with member organizations and the New Business Development (NBD) team to grow and strengthen the program portfolio in alignment with Save the Children’s Theory of Change.
- Develop[CS5] and drive a robust innovation and learning agenda to promote new ways of working, innovation in transitional programming in the Syrian context and strategic partnerships.
Strategic Framework and Country Strategy
- Lead the development and execution of an ambitious, compelling strategic framework for Syria, supporting the Response Office in creating, implementing, and monitoring its country-strategy and annual plans.
- Work as a key partner to the Syria Response Director to advance the Save the Children Impact agenda and Theory of Change, contextualizing the global strategy to address Syria’s unique needs.
Representation and Partnerships
- Represent Save the Children in high-profile, strategic influencing events and conferences within Syria and where relevant in the region, including engagements with donors, senior government stakeholders, and multilateral institutions.
- Collaborate with the Response Director and NBD team to manage relationships with key donors and partners in Syria, identifying priorities and influence opportunities, and demonstrating impact.
- Foster strategic partnerships within Syria, particularly in alignment with localization goals, and lead strategic engagement with emerging partners to drive the I&I agenda.
Promote Integration and Amplify Impact
- Promote, role model, and support interdependencies between and integration of programs, policy, advocacy, and campaigns. Champion cross-thematic, early recovery and Nexus programming to maximize the impact for and with children in Syria.
Contextual Analysis and Thought Leadership
- Lead on country-specific contextual analysis in Syria, assessing socio-political, funding, humanitarian, security, and policy environments to identify trends, risks, synergies, and opportunities for informed decision-making at SRO or global level.
- Provide insights on organizational positioning by highlighting sector trends and emerging areas of concern or opportunity within Syria, offering contextually nuanced thought leadership to the Response Director, SMT, and global teams to advance strategic plans and impact agendas.
Workforce Planning and Professional Development
- Support strategic workforce planning and professional development of SRO's ACCM, PDQ, MEAL, and Technical Experts, building a high-performing, skilled team aligned with the organization's goals and prepared to lead impactful interventions within the Syrian context.
As a Member of the Extended Senior Management Team
- Demonstrate behaviours aligned with Save the Children’s Mission, Vision, and Values, fostering these principles across the office and ensuring they are embraced by all staff.
- Support the development of an organizational culture that promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team environment of learning, creativity, and innovation, and empowers staff to deliver outstanding results for children.
- Strengthen the linkages between Advocacy and Programmes to ensure that advocacy efforts are evidence-based and program-driven, while enhancing programs through effective advocacy.
- Uphold and exemplify Save the Children’s commitment to child safeguarding in alignment with the Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy.
- Adhere to and promote Save the Children’s policies on child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities, and other relevant policies and procedures.
Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development
- Ensure all team members understand their roles and are equipped to perform effectively.
- Manage the policy and advocacy team, setting clear expectations, providing leadership and technical support as needed, and regularly evaluating direct reports.
- Integrate staff development strategies and performance management into team-building activities, incorporating coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities.
- Recognize and reward exceptional performance, while documenting areas of underperformance and implementing appropriate improvement plans.
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our 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 others to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically
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
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Extensive experience, 10+ years, leading country-specific and multi-country programs in humanitarian and development sectors, with a strong ability to analyse Syria’s socio-political, funding, and policy contexts to guide strategic actions.
- Proven experience representing organizations at high-profile forums, influencing policy, and advocating for child rights, participation, and protection.
- Skilled in applying child rights and gender-transformative approaches across policy, advocacy, and programming to achieve sustainable, large-scale change for and with children.
- Proven track record in managing diverse, multidisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration and inclusion.
- Expertise in building strategic partnerships with donors, government stakeholders, and local organizations, supporting a localization agenda aligned with Save the Children’s goals.
- Strong experience in risk identification and management within complex operational contexts, like Syria. Skilled in coordinating with Communication, Media, and Humanitarian teams to support Save the Children’s “speaking out” agenda in high-risk contexts.
- Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with experience in recruiting and developing diverse talent that reflects the communities served by Save the Children in Syria.
- Technical Leadership: Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing high-quality, evidence-based programming and influence strategies at the country level, grounded in Save the Children’s Theory of Change.
- Visionary Leadership: Inspiring and motivating teams through a compelling vision and strong communication skills. Leads by example, embodying Save the Children’s values and fostering a culture of inclusion, integrity, and excellence.
- Excellent writing and presentation skills in English and Arabic
- Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, in the event of emergencies
- Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children's aims, values and principles