Head of Child Protection in Crisis Vacancy-Job Ref: EJDKSTC/2005/2024810

Head of Child Protection in Crisis Vacancy-Job Ref: EJDKSTC/2005/2024810

Copenhagen (Denmark)

We live in turbulent times. Wars, climate-related disasters and global political uncertainty have moved closer to our everyday lives and occupy more of our consciousness, in the media landscape in general and on social media. Politically, there is a great focus on equipping and ensuring national preparedness in Denmark. The new reality is causing concern among many children and young people.

At the same time, we know from our many years of work in the world’s hotspots that it is absolutely crucial that a society is equipped for the task and has the right plans and the right knowledge in place. With support from Østifterne, Save the Children has conducted a mapping of the Danish crisis response with a focus on children, and it points to a number of challenges that we would like to tackle – perhaps together with you?

We are looking for a colleague who has the desire and ability to lead the development of a new national program area in Save the Children with the protection of children in crises and emergency preparedness as the focal point.

Save the Children has worked with children in crises since our founding and has established many emergency responses over the years, including nationally. But it is new that we are establishing an actual program area with that focus in Denmark. We are therefore putting the finishing touches on the development of what we internally call a program strategy. This means that we have an overall plan for what Save the Children can do to better protect children in crises. Now we have to get started.

You will be the head of a (at first very small) both strategic and operational team, which must ensure the development and implementation of a number of initiatives here and now, as well as identify additional needs and financing.

WHAT YOU BRING

We are looking for a colleague who can contribute in a qualified manner with as many of the following competencies and experiences as possible:

Strong knowledge of the emergency response area in Denmark and its structure at a strategic and operational level
Strategic acumen and experience in influencing the national agenda and political initiatives at both state and municipal levels, including a good network among political and public actors in Denmark
Documented experience with personnel management – and you must be good at it
Solid experience with project management, strategic management and program building.

Knowledge of civil society organizations, research institutions and experience in collaborating with other actors on a case
Strong collaboration skills as well as a good eye for internal and external communication, networking and partnership dialogue
Strategic vision, a keen eye for new opportunities and the ability to translate them into concrete changes in new or existing initiatives and partnerships
Knowledge about psychosocial preparedness and what helps people through a crisis
Child expertise and knowledge of municipal administration and legislation in the area of ​​children, with particular insight into the most vulnerable children, both strategically and practically
You are structured, orderly and quality-conscious, and you are a super sharp communicator of complex issues and dilemma-filled themes – both in writing and orally.

You value a changing everyday life, where your skills as a leader and advisor within the emergency and child care field come into play for many target groups and in many contexts.

You must thrive in a fast-paced organization with many different areas of collaboration. At Save the Children, you are never alone in things, and there is sparring and good colleagues around you. At the same time, you must thrive in juggling being the strategic leader of a program and the leader of people and budgets at the same time.

WHAT WE OFFER

Save the Children works both in Denmark and around the world to give children and young people a better life. We save, protect and empower children, and we fight for the world to respect and protect the rights of all children. That is why we are proud to say that we are always on the side of the children.

You will have a unique opportunity to develop and shape Save the Children’s efforts to ensure better protection of children in crises in Denmark, and you will have skilled, kind and committed colleagues around you who are passionate about our success together.

The National Department currently consists of a director, four program sections (Combating Disappointment, Combating Deprivation, Protection from Digital Infringements, Protection from Abuse) and two cross-functional sister teams (Team Analysis and Team Development). We are approximately 100 colleagues in the department.

With the establishment of Protection of Children in Crisis, the ambition is to build a fifth national program section. You will thus be part of a strong management team in the National Department with four competent management colleagues and reporting to the National Director. You will have a broad and independent collaboration area with the rest of the organization as well as external partners and stakeholders.

We have a strong and generous culture of collaboration and a positive work environment, supported by employees and managers with high professionalism and the desire to make a difference in children’s lives. The well-being is very good, and employee surveys highlight a strong, collegial and professional community. We have an open and humorous tone between us, and we care about each other.

As part of the international Save the Children movement, Save the Children can work across national borders, just as we have a large and relevant network across sectors in Denmark through our national program work. Our colleagues in Save the Children Finland and Save the Children Sweden, for example, are further along in securing children’s place in crisis preparedness, and there are prospects for both European and, in particular, Nordic cooperation in this area.

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