The Child Rights and Business Global Hub (CRB Global Hub) is a unit within Save the Children Sweden´s (SCS) Fundraising and Partnerships Department (FoP) that supports SCS and the wider Save the Children movement (SCI/SCA) in integrating a child rights and business lens in advocacy, programs, thematic development, and strategic partnerships with business.

The CRB Global Hub aims to leverage the Children´s Rights and Business Principles (CRBPs), jointly developed by Save the Children, UNICEF and UN Global Compact, and Save the Children´s experience working with the private sector to position Save the Children as a key global partner in the sustainability/ ESG space.

The CRB Global Hub aims to further Save the Children’s 2030 Ambition and strategic goals, including the SCI/SCA and SCS strategy 2025-2027. This is done through the provision of advice and technical support to advance child rights within global supply chains and ensuring positive impact for children and local communities. The CRB Global Hub also advocates for and promotes the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Child Rights and Business Principles (CRBPs), jointly developed by UNICEF, UN Global Compact and Save the Children 10-years ago, to secure child rights gains in relevant law reforms and corporate multi-stakeholder initiatives.

The Child Rights and Corporate Sustainability Advisor will provide strategic advice and support to the Save the Children movement on advocacy and policy and other legal reforms in the field of Corporate Sustainability with a focus on influencing the EU Corporate Sustainability reforms (i.e. transposition and next steps of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)) and other relevant sustainability/ ESG rules at national, regional and global level.

The role will also support in strategic engagement and pre-positioning towards the private sector and institutional partners (i.e. INTPA, Global Gateway, etc.) on Corporate Sustainability reforms and Sustainability/ ESG rules in close collaboration with relevant teams in SC Sweden, SC Europe and SCI/SCA.

The role provides strategic advice and policy support to SC Sweden, SC Europe and SCI/SCA teams in developing advocacy and policy strategies to advance children´s rights in Corporate Sustainability reforms. Focus will be on national, regional and global level reforms relating to the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and other Sustainability/ ESG rules with an impact on children´s rights. The role will also include external engagement, as relevant, with governments, EU and UN agencies (i.e. UN Global Compact), the private sector, corporate sectoral initiatives, multi-stakeholder platforms and initiatives involving the private sector, in collaboration with SCI/SCA teams and civil society partners, including children.

The role will support strategic engagement and positioning Save the Children in the sustainability/ ESG space with expertise on the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and other relevant Sustainable/ ESG rules that impact children´s rights. This involves developing thought leadership strategies, webinars, events and briefs on child rights and CSRD, CSDDD and other sustainability/ ESG rules. The role will also support in strategic engagement, pre-positioning and Integrated Influencing on child rights and Corporate Sustainability/ ESG towards corporate and institutional partners in close collaboration with relevant teams in SC Sweden, SC Europe and SCI/SCA.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• • Be updated on current political and legal reforms, processes, trends and topics in relation to Save the Children interventions, with a particular focus on national, regional and global level legal reforms related to corporate sustainability reporting and human rights due diligence, including expertise in EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSRD), EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and other relevant Sustainability/ ESG rules that affect children´s rights.
  • Lead advocacy and policy development of SC Sweden, SC Europe and SCI/SCA advocacy and policy positions and strategies towards the private sector with the aim to embed a child rights and business lens in relevant legal and policy instruments, frameworks and initiatives on EU Corporate Sustainability and other Sustainability/ ESG rules at national, regional and global level.
  • Provide advice and strategic support to SCI/SCA corporate partnerships teams in positioning Save the Children in a strategic manner and engaging with the private sector and institutional partners on CSRD, CSDDD and other relevant sustainability/ ESG rules.
  • Engage with relevant internal SCI/SCA working groups and external actors, including with governments, UN agencies, corporate sectoral initiatives, multi-stakeholder platforms and initiatives on Corporate Sustainability legal reforms and other relevant Sustainability/ ESG rules.
  • Engage with civil society, including child-led groups and children, in collaboration with SC movement and in compliance with child-safeguarding and child participation policies.
  • Ensure lessons learnt from SCI/SCA advocacy, policy and strategic partnerships with the private sector are documented, analyzed, shared and used to enhance the development of thought leadership and strategic engagement.
  • Formulate goals, expected results and impact as well as indicators for the relevant area that are measurable and possible to be followed-up.
  • Conduct capacity assessments and develop capacity-building tools and materials, as needed.
  • Take part in any other priority task relevant to the role indicated from the line manager.

Does this sound like you?

This role requires:

• University education in a relevant field or equivalent experience (i.e. Law, Child Rights, Human Rights, Corporate Sustainability, Sustainability, Business & Human Rights, or relevant)
• At least 7 years of qualified international experience working with child rights, human rights, corporate sustainability, sustainability/ ESG issues at EU level.
• Excellent understanding of legal, policy and strategic issues related to EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), OECD Guidelines, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), human rights due diligence, sustainability/ESG, business and human rights and/ or Children´s Rights and Business Principles (CRBPs).
• Ability to develop advocacy and policy positions, messages, advocate and influence governments, the private sector, the European Union (EU) institutions, the United Nations (UN), multi-stakeholder initiatives and other stakeholders.
• Ability to provide thought leadership and strategic advice on private sector engagement on CSRD, CSDDD, human rights due diligence, sustainability/ ESG rules.
• Strong writing and analytical skills on corporate sustainability laws, sustainability/ESG, business & human rights, equality and child rights issues in both development contexts.
• Good representation skills and ability to lead and facilitate workshops, discussions and strategy development.
• Fluency and excellent ability to communicate verbally and in writing in English.
• Experience influencing EU institutions and reforms.

Merit:

• Postgraduate education in a relevant field or equivalent experience (ie: European Law, International Human Rights Law, Responsible Business Conduct, Business & Human Rights, ESG, or relevant).
• Specialist competence and in-depth practical experience in applying EU level corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence rules, sustainability/ ESG experience from the private sector
• Fluency in Swedish, professional language skills in French and/or Spanish.

Practical experience from applying EU level corporate sustainability rules from the private sector.

Personal competences

We think you…

• make sense of complex information and have the ability to see long-term solutions.
• present thoughtful arguments, is trustworthy and have the ability to influence others
• take initiative in social contexts and have the ability to build trusting relationships.
• have the ability to work to the objectives of the business, prioritising actions that will have the greatest impact and taking responsibility for achieving the objectives.

On a personal level you’ll share our values. HERE is a summary of our terms and conditions.

Sound interesting?

This is a full-time permanent role where you will be working out of our office in Alvik, Stockholm, with possibility for hybrid work from home in Sweden. Please contact the hiring manager Davinia Ovett Bondi at [email protected] should you have any questions about this role. We look forward to receiving your application no later than 25th of February, 2025. As our recruitment screening process is anonymized we kindly ask you not to include any personal details while answering any screening questions. We only use CV’s on our recruitment process and do not request personal letters.

At Save the Children we are committed to the safeguarding and protection of both children and adults in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with children are recruited to work for us. This post is subject to vetting checks including a criminal records disclosure. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our important policies such as the Child safeguarding policy, Policy protection from Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation (PSEA) and our ethical guidelines, more information about our policies and our guidelines can be found HERE.

At Save the Children, we seek a workforce that is as diverse as our society and reflects the communities we work in. We believe diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture and core values, we demonstrate this commitment through all our employment practices.