Portfolio Manager (EU DEVCO/ECHO)

Save the Children Finland (Pelastakaa Lapset – Rädda Barnen) is a Finnish NGO founded in 1922. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfill their potential. We work to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Across all of our work, we pursue several core values: accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity and integrity.

The goal of Save the Children Finland’s (SCF) international programme is to contribute to the realization of the rights of a child in its targeted operational areas, and the world at large. This contribution will be made through the implementation of thematic programmes that are based on the detection of local rights violations as identified by child rights situation analyses, extensive in-house experience gained from the management of previous programmes in similar fields of work, and the piloting of new, innovative ideas.  The focus areas of the SCF International Programme are Child Sensitive Social Protection, Child Protection and Food Security as well as progressively increased attention to emergency response and disaster-risk reduction.

This post is within Save the Children Finland Head Office in Helsinki.

Portfolio Manager ensures the implementation of fundraising strategies to finance SCF’s Global Programme contributing to Save the Children’s development and humanitarian work at country level.

The post will be line managed by Helsinki HQ with intensive travelling in program countries. The Portfolio Manager will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the implementation of SCF’s fundraising strategy, focused on EU DEVCO and ECHO accounts. By supporting our Country Offices to build strong relationships with key EU delegations, and supporting the production of high-quality proposals, she/ he will ensure that SCF capitalizes on all available funding opportunities from the donor.

She/he will coordinate proposal development for IP programme funding opportunities. The position requires innovative thinking and creativity to package our programme strategies in ways that attract the right donor support and grow our portfolio effectively.  She/he will be responsible for portfolio management of assigned SCF Programme countries.

Technical knowledge on interventions to improve household food secfulurity is an asset.

Fixed-term position until end of Dec 2021.

Key responsibilities:

• Follows-up country situation, develops a good understanding of assigned country programme/s and the country context, and ensures the country(ies) portfolio remains coherent and aligned with the country strategy and SCF Programme strategy.
• Serves as the key SCF focal point on day-to-day programmatic matters and communication with the Country Offices in the assigned countries and provides accurate, relevant and timely information for portfolio prioritization and decision making of SCF IP. Builds strong and effective relationships with key staff and counterparts in the country office/s.
• End-to-end responsibility from opportunity assessment to close of any awards in the assigned portfolio countries. This includes monitoring of, and addressing deviations from budget, project plan, and results framework, in accordance with SCI policies, SCF regulations and donor requirements. PM assumes a complementary role in identifying new funding opportunities
• Performs Quality Assurance/Quality Control on COs’ funding proposals, reports, modification requests, and other significant correspondence with donors.
• Coordinates proposal development between SCF and SCI COs and, with support from EU Partnership Manager, is responsible for ensuring that new proposals including budgets are in line with donor rules and regulations (compliance) and meet SCI and SCF quality standards and finalizes the proposals for submission to donor.
• Provides technical support on the design of SCF programming in food security in humanitarian and recovery context,
  • Ensures project evaluations and audits are done on time and meet donor requirements, and maintains liaison with other SCF staff as per identified needs and coordinates with donor
• Ensures proper prioritization and escalation of risks from portfolio to Partnership Manager and SCF management
• Provides support in regard to assigned countries to SCF fundraising and communications teams as required
• Ensures AMS system processes and documentation are timely updated for SCF opportunities and awards in the assigned countries 

In liaison with the EU Partnership Manager: 

Contributes to the development of SC Finland EU account strategies

• Supports assigned portfolio COs in developing DEVCO/ECHO engagement strategies.
• Supports  building strong relationships with EU delegations and ECHO in assigned countries

Qualifications and experience:

• Masters level university degree and a good understanding of issues related to global development e.g. in relation to Food Security
• More than 7 years of experience in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development and/or humanitarian programmes
• Proven skills in proposal development and reporting across major institutional donors, especially of EU DEVCO and ECHO
• Proven track record in working with international cooperation and civil society
• Deep knowledge and experience of award management
• Good analytical and problem solving skills with a strong attention to detail
• Networking – credibility to lobby, influence and represent Save the Children Finland at all levels
• Fluency in written and spoken English and computer literate
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles
• Knowledge of work with child rights and human rights
• Knowledge on household economic analysis (HEA) is an asset

Deadline for applications 24th October 2020. More information gives Anne Haaranen on Wed 14th Oct between 12:00 and 14:00, +35840 823 9463.

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