Senior Officer, Donor Compliance

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Officer, Donor Compliance to join our global team.

Team and Role Purpose

To provide expert guidance and leadership in donor compliance management, ensuring that all processes and standards are continuously improved and adhered to, in order to strengthen the organisation’s ability to meet donor expectations and mitigate risks. This team supports Business Partners and high-risk country offices, delivers training and capacity building, and leads global analyses and new overarching donor contractual negotiations (donors, members) to maintain the highest levels of compliance. The team also leads globally applicable donor compliance processes such as donor-led due diligence, compliance reviews and incident reporting. By doing so, the team contributes to the overall effectiveness and integrity of the organisation’s global donor management efforts.

Role Purpose

The Senior Compliance Officer supports the operational delivery of donor compliance oversight across the portfolio, ensuring effective monitoring, risk management, and donor compliance capacity building. The role provides technical support to country offices and functions, enabling strong donor and SCI compliance performance while providing operational support to the Head of Donor Compliance in delivering donor expectations and organization strategic priorities. another point on flexibility in emergency response or managing crises.

Job Title: Senior Officer, Donor Compliance

Reports To: Head, Donor Compliance

Work Pattern: On-site/Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available

Location: Any approved SCI office location within 3 hrs of UTC. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers

Required Time Zone: Any

Contract Length: Fixed Term Contract (until 31st May 2028)

Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment. 

Language Requirements: English + working languages balanced across the team a plus (Arabic, Spanish, French)

International Travel: up to 10% 

Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

Compliance Monitoring and Assurance

• Implement donor compliance controls across awards, including structured spot checks and file reviews including regular compliance reviews of country offices, awards, and partner portfolios
• Track, document and follow up on compliance issues and corrective actions
• Support preparation of donor compliance certifications and internal assurance reporting 
• Generate regular compliance reports (monthly, quarterly) for internal stakeholders

• Support improvements in systems and processes to enhance compliance monitoring and reporting

   

Incident Reporting and donor reporting 

• Support the Head, Donor Compliance and the SCI Led Awards team with incident reporting processes, draft reports 
• Produce internal management reporting data on overall progress with reporting incidents to donors for the SCI Led portfolio, for review, direction, and approval by the Head

Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Support and deliver donor compliance training to country offices and other global teams
• Maintain and update training materials, guidance notes, and tools
• Support onboarding of staff on donor compliance processes and accountabilities
• Maintain AMDC OneNet content related to the Donor Compliance standard, supporting guidance, tools, training materials

Continuous Improvement

• Support the implementation of new tools, processes, and organisational initiatives related to compliance
• Contribute to strengthening donor compliance processes 
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality in compliance management

Emergency/Humanitarian Response

• Be flexible to provide rapid and pragmatic donor compliance support to SCI emergency responses, to enable timely program delivery, without compromising SCI accountability standards and set processes for humanitarian contexts.

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Demonstrated experience in donor compliance, grants, or award management within an NGO or similar environment and solid understanding of institutional donor rules and requirements (e.g., FCDO, EU, USG and others).
2. Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with capacity to interpret complex data and donor regulations 
3. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, enabling effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
4. Highly organised and detail-oriented, with strong time management skills and a commitment to accuracy in reporting and documentation.
5. Experience in compliance monitoring, risk management, audit processes, and quality assurance frameworks.
6. Proven ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional and multicultural teams, fostering a positive working environment.
7. Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to perform effectively under pressure and respond to changing priorities.
8. Commitment to continuous learning and professional development, with practical experience supporting programme coordination, budget monitoring, and financial reporting.
9. Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and experienced in using grants management and compliance tracking systems

Desirable

• Experience delivering training/capacity building. 
• Experience in humanitarian or emergency programme contexts
• Experience in partnership and sub-award management
• Knowledge of SCI systems and processes such Awards Management System (AMS) and Agresso
• Additional languages (French, Arabic, Spanish)

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

Qualifications:

• Relevant certifications and trainings in institutional donor requirements for some of the key. e.g. USG, EU, FCDO etc. 
• Proven ability to manage and coordinate multiple tasks and responsibilities effectively.
• Strong knowledge of grant management and donor compliance requirements.
• Understanding of the financial management, budgeting, and reporting principles relevant to award management.

Desirable

Education:

• A degree in International Relations, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field is highly desirable.
• Professional certifications in project management or grant management are a plus.

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found at SCI Careers. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who are successfully shortlisted should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our Recruitment Process

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse.  All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-Harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.