Save the Children International
Advisor, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Funding & Communications
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Advisor, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Funding & Communications
Team and Role Purpose
Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for the role of Advisor, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, within the Funding & Communications team. The department sits at the heart of our movement, tasked with securing durable and high-quality funding needed for children now and in the future, while ensuring we have an impactful voice and global presence.
The Funding & Communications department is comprised of four core teams:
- Programme Funding
- Fundraising
- Communications
- Operations
The Operations team is responsible for prioritising, developing, and implementing cross-departmental strategies to align funding and communications ambitions globally. They provide the necessary support to ensure all departmental accountabilities are met, while fostering collaboration, impact, and organisational success by:
- Leading project and change management
- Coordination learning and knowledge-sharing
- Empowering cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals
Role Purpose
You will play a critical role in enabling the success of Funding & Communications. Your primary responsibility will be to provide strategic administrative and organisational support to the Executive Director, ensuring efficient execution of operations and strategic initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
This role encompasses comprehensive administrative and executive support, including:
- Diary management, meeting organisation, and travel coordination
- Confidential disclosure and day-to-date document handling
- Logistics planning, knowledge management, and internal stakeholder liaison
- Ensuring the Executive Director can focus on strategic priorities by managing administrative workload
You will also contribute to department-wide activities, such as:
- Supporting onboarding for new team members
- Facilitating connection-building within the Funding & Communications department
- Preparing documentation for key governance meetings
- Assisting with policy and reporting updates
Detailed Accountabilities
Core Executive Assistant Responsibilities (Priority)
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Diary and Meeting Management
- Schedule and organise meetings of multi-time zone complexity, ensuring all logistical requirements are met (e.g., agenda preparation, pre-reading, timely action tracking).
- Relay and prioritise communications across senior leadership consistently.
-
Travel Organisation
- Plan and execute complex travel itineraries including visa applications, flight, accommodation, expense documentation, and currency requirements.
- Ensure all travel arrangements adhere to safety policies and departmental protocols.
-
Email and Communication Support
- Manage the Executive Director’s inbox, prioritising correspondence, categorising topics, and responding or directing email content appropriately.
- Maintain confidential records and ensure information is shared securely.
-
Reporting and Action Tracking
- Track KPIs, follow-ups, and outstanding action items from meetings, emails, and stakeholder engagements.
- Anticipate deadlines and logistical needs to minimise urgency; support decision-making processes with structured outputs.
-
Expenses and Procurement
- Process expense reimbursements through the financial management system with full policy compliance.
- Review and clear invoices for procurements initiated directly by the Executive Director or centrally-funded projects.
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- Team Facilitation
- Maintain and update internal contact databases for departmental visibility and communication easiness.
- Collaborate with peer Executive Assistants to optimise group liaising and mutual goal alignment.
Additional Team Support Responsibilities
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Meeting Coordination
- Lead logistics for departmental and leadership meetings (e.g. monthly Global Programme Directors meetings), preparing agendas, capturing action points, and executing feedback integration.
-
Knowledge Sharing and Onboarding
- Contribute to collaboration platforms with shared documentation, monthly updates, and organisational chart tracking.
- Play a role in new staff orientation, ensuring a seamless transition of department-related tools, culture, and objectives.
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Initiative Support and Change Management
- Schedule and oversee various departmental engagement opportunities along with ad-hoc coordination.
- Provide administrative backstopping to projects or initiatives led by the Executive Director or Global Head of Operations.
Experience, Skills, & Qualifications
Essential Experience/Skills
-
Comprehensive Executive Assistant Experience
- Strong track record of diary management across multiple time zones, including handling complex international schedules and high-level stakeholder communications.
-
Travel Planning Proficiency
- Proven ability to execute and coordinate end-to-end multi-destination travel logistics with minimal lead-in time.
-
Inbox and Digital Workflow
- Expertise in processing, reviewing, and managing high-volume email correspondence, legitimately prioritising messages, and maintaining structured digital filing.
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Meeting and Event Coordination
- Experience drafting agendas, compiling pre-read materials, and facilitating governance-level discussions with industry-specific terminologies.
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Exceptional Organisation
- Proven ability to multitask amidst ambiguity, prioritise tasks under pressure, and execute timelines with superior precision.
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Conflict-Free Communication
- Consistently courteous and discreet through verbal and written channels; adept at building and maintaining trust with executive and cross-functional stakeholders.
-
Detail Orientation
- Unmatched ability to verify accuracy in logistics, documentation preparation, drafting, reviewing, and editing intricate professional correspondence.
-
Proactive Problem Solving
- Quick to identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot challenges independently, and offer empirical, actionable recommendations.
-
Document Authoring Skills
- Comfortable drafting polished reports, produces, or governance presentations designed for senior audylactic and actionable insights.
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Digital Literacy and Tool Adoption
- Proficient use of Microsoft 365 applications. Additional comfort across the suite of collaborative, travel booking, ERP, and organisational systems.
- Ability to innovate in workflow efficiency, embracing emerging technologies (e.g., AI tools).
Desired Skills & Attributes
- Learnability and Adaptability
- Willingness to lean into new areas such as project and change management, AI capabilities, and effective interdepartmental communication.
Qualifications
Essential
- Ability to quickly learn and use standard ERP financial systems, procurement ticketing, and travel systems.
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Desirable
- International organisational experience in multi-team or multi-country settings.
- Past role as Executive Assistant providing analytics-driven support to senior leadership.
About Working at Save the Children International
Mission and Impact
Save the Children is the world’s leading organisation for children, operating in 116 countries. Our global effort ensures survival, nurtures development, and advocates for protection and participation of the world’s most marginalised children. With over 25,000 passionate employees, we guide action through lifetime impact across socio-economic levels.
At this crucial hour, dedicated individuals like you ensure our commitment to injuring injustice against children’s rights succeeds through strategic interventions, ethical governance, and innovation.
Core Values
Our team thrives in an environment that fosters:
- Ambitious collaboration with integrity and urgency
- Diverse perspectives, reflective of the communities we serve
- Creative problem-solving guided by our strategic framework: Ambition for Children 2030
Your Role in Change
Your direct contribution spans: ✔ Leveraging bidirectional systemic insights from leadership ✔ Amplifying voices of children at critical institutional levels ✔ Shaping policies, technology, and partnerships critical for last-mile child inclusion
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunities
Commitment to Inclusivity
At Save the Children, DEI is an existential imperative. We vibrantly champion:
- Equitable opportunities for applicants across genders, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, immigration status, faith, and age.
- Assistive tools for job applicants to remove barriers (e.g., reasonable adjustments in recruitment).
Where appliable, we actively benchmark roles against community representation demographics.
Recruitment Process and Next Steps
How to Apply
- Submit your CV and cover letter by following the advertised portal.
- Before applying, save the full role profile available here.
Selection Timelines
- Apply early to access full consideration.
- Shortlisted candidates only will be contacted, generally within two weeks post-advert closure.
Stages of the Process
- CV/Cover Letter Review: Initial assessment based on technical expertise and cultural fit.
- Competency Interviews: Two rounds of structured skills-based interviews conducted by the hiring team.
- Holistic Assessments: Some candidates advance to case studies or final interview stages as relevant.
Child and Adult Safeguarding
All roles undergo rigorous background checks in line with our commitment to aligning this critical work with legislation and policies on:
Successful candidates will be required to conform to:
- Safeguarding Code of Conduct
- Health & Safety protocols
Notable reminder: Save the Children International will never charge fees or levies for any part of our recruitment process.
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