We’re looking for a passionate, relationship‑builder who can strengthen and connect a vibrant network of local CSOs, champion child rights, and support community‑driven leadership. In this pivotal role, you’ll nurture strategic partnerships, facilitate practice exchange, and advance research, advocacy, and campaigns that reflect the priorities of Māori, Pasifika, and other diverse communities. If you’re a collaborative professional with experience in child rights and programme strategy — and a commitment to amplifying local voices — we’d love to hear from you.
Location: Flexible, home based, New Zealand
Contract type: Fixed Term for 18 months
Working hours: 0.6 FTE (21 hours per week)
Grade: B
Reporting to: Director of Impact
Responsible for: No
Introduction:
The regional programme in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands enables Family for Every Child (Family) to deliver a positive impact for children and families in the region that is driven and led by local knowledge and leadership of local civil society organisations (CSOs). While the regional programme is unique to the rest of the global alliance work, it intends to facilitate international collaboration through connecting and networking among and between the local CSOs and other stakeholders in the region; as well as globally through wider members of the alliance. It is driven by the mission of enabling and facilitating collective and stronger voices to influence changes, both regionally and globally, through diverse local contextual solutions and knowledge. The regional programme is also an impact driven complementary to our individual giving programme in New Zealand.
Job Purpose:
Programme Advisor is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the regional programme in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands that delivers demonstrable impact for children. The role of the Programme Advisor will be to connect and build strategic relationships among local CSOs (including Family members) to enable a movement of local CSOs connected within the region as well as with the wider global alliance. The Programme Advisor will enable and support the local leadership of CSOs in driving and delivering the impact through the key pathways of practice exchange, research and advocacy & campaigns. The Programme Advisor will convene and maintain the momentum of this network by forwarding the regional programmes aligned to Family’s thematic priorities, and wider strategy and goals of the alliance, while ensuring that the programme is grounded in local contexts and priorities. The network will be inclusive of diverse communities, especially Māori and Pasifika.
Scope and Limits of Authority:
The post holder is expected to organise their own day-to-day activities according to the overall priorities and timescales set, and to exercise sound judgment in many critical decision-making areas.
Purchase delegation of £5,000; invoice approval delegation of £10,000
Contributing to budget planning and reporting on expenditure, specifically relating to the New Zealand & Pacific programme
Delegation to sign grant agreements up to £5,000
Contracting and managing consultants and interpreters
Key Responsibilities
New Zealand & Pacific Programme:
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Operational and Financial Management
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Cross Team and Cross Secretariat Responsibilities:
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The Key Responsibilities above set out the priorities for this role which will shift and develop to respond to the evolving nature of Family for Every Child.
Family for Every Child is evolving and with an ever increasing membership the role of the Secretariat has to adapt and respond to the changing needs of the members and its strategy. This has an impact on each and every role within the Secretariat, therefore flexibility is key and the ability to respond to change, shift responsibilities and work collaboratively underlies the approach all staff need to take.
Person Specification & Behaviours:
Education, qualifications, knowledge and experience
Essential
Educated to UK Degree level (international Level 6) or equivalent qualification ideally in international development, social sciences, civil society, social policy, social work, international relations or psychology)
A strong understanding of the New Zealand and Māaori and Pasifika child rights and child protection sector, and knowledge of key child's rights issues across the region
Experience in network building and facilitating democratic leadership in a network context.
Commitment to the value of local civil society organisations (CSO’s) and practitioners in effecting change
Established relationship with local communities, CSOs and networks
Experience of helping facilitate participation within a member-led network or alliance, preferably of civil society organisations
An understanding of the international development sector, and knowledge of key issues in child protection and child rights, in different regions
Experience of working remotely or with remote-working colleagues and of working as part of an international team/secretariat
Desirable
Experience of working within a network organisation or movement
Experience of working with Google Apps
Skills and personal attributes
Role specific skills
Ability to think and work strategically in seeing the ‘big picture’ whilst simultaneously understanding how operational tasks contribute towards this
Ability to work across different actors, cultural contexts, technical areas
Demonstrable skill in working with external partners and bringing several stakeholders together for a common goal
Active listener, engaging people in a solution focused dialogue
Strong facilitation skills and understanding of group dynamics and network dynamics
Diplomacy and ability to challenge when needed with constructive feedback
Ability to be assertive in holding colleagues to account for their agreed areas of responsibility and actions, including those in senior positions
Ability to analyse complex data and present this in an accessible and brief way
Ability to work independently and across multiple portfolios and subject areas at the same time
Respectful, empathetic and supportive approach to work with local CSOs, which seeks to identify and build on strengths, and acknowledges the day to day challenges faced by such local organisaitons
The following skills and personal attributes are expected of all staff:
Flexible and adaptable; willing to contribute to other streams of work and across teams
Bringing a results focused, open and collaborative way of working to all you do to include agility, flexibility and a ‘can do’ mentality, supporting colleagues to thrive in a remote working environment.
Highly skilled communicator, in different formats, and capable of working across languages and cultures (using translation and interpretation support as relevant)
Flexibility to work outside typical working hours and across time zones
Highly organised and self-motivated, able to manage and deliver on multiple concurrent tasks
Competent IT proficiency across a range of packages, able to learn quickly and troubleshoot problems independently
Ability to use initiative and work without close supervision, working both as part of a team and as an individual
Excellent command of English (oral and written)
Travel (**desirable but not a must for this role)
Safeguarding Statement:
Family for Every Child has zero-tolerance for abuse and exploitation of all people. Successful candidates and post-holders are expected to understand and comply with the Safeguarding policy and other related policies (e.g. Safeguarding checks and recruitment of ex-offenders policy) . If a role is assessed as having a medium or high safeguarding risk, a safeguarding self-declaration form and a criminal background check will be requested from individuals holding the position.
If this sounds like your kind of role, we’d love to hear from you! Send your CV over to hr@familyforeverychild.org
Please note: As this role is time‑sensitive, we’ll begin reviewing applications and arranging interviews as soon as strong candidates apply. We’re often fortunate to receive a large number of applications, and while we truly appreciate the care and effort that goes into each one, we may not be able to respond to everyone individually. If you don’t hear from us, please know that we are grateful for your interest and encourage you to consider future opportunities with us.
We believe all children deserve love, safety and support from people who care. We work with local leaders and communities, leaning on learnings from around the world to create systems, laws and policies that protect all children.
Family For Every Child is backed by a dedicated Board of Trustees and a small but mighty team who keep our members connected and supporters in the loop!
In Aotearoa New Zealand, we have the privilege of partnering and working with incredibly knowledgable, connected and experienced organisations who work to improve the lives of whānau and tamariki.
Through our membership structure, we are able to connect local leaders and organisations with a shared purpose to work together, share experiences and lift each other up to have a bigger impact in the lives of vulnerable children and families. Over the years, this collective work has focused around these issues:
Keeping children in safe families and out of state care – we work to support kinship care.
Preventing sexual violence against all children, in particular boys and young men.
Helping migrant children find safe communities and reintegrate into families who care for them.
Providing immediate aid to children and families in disasters and emergency situations.