Governance and Accountability Advisor (f/m)

Location: International Office, Innsbruck or Vienna/Austria

SOS Children’s Villages International is the umbrella organisation for the global federation of SOS Children’s Villages. As a non-governmental social development organisation we help children without parental care and families in difficult living conditions through services in care, education, health and emergency relief, and we advocate for children’s rights. We work in 135 countries and territories, reaching over one million children, young people, families and caregivers each year.

Mission

Support and coordinate efforts to strengthen governance in member associations, with a focus on board development and on transitioning GSC-run operations into autonomous SOS Children’s Villages International (CVI) members. Furthermore the position maintains the basic legal information of CVI members, manages the confirmation of statutes amendments and the admission of new members to the federation. The governance & accountability advisor drives  the organisation’s accountability reporting as well as the development of an accountability framework.

Tasks and responsibilities

Governance

• Support national governance strengthening: coordinate learning and exchange of governance practitioners (CVI Representative focus); maintain & further develop tools & frameworks (board development focus)

• Support the transition of operations run by the General Secretariat to national legal entities

• Support the development and strengthening of federation governance; this includes maintenance and development support of the federation legal framework (CVI statutes, rules of procedure).

SOS CVI membership maintenance

• Manage CVI membership application process

• Maintain overview of legal status of SOS national operations and prepare relevant reports / information

• Manage CEO confirmation of Member Associations’ statutes and statute amendments; develop and maintain framework (model statutes and minimum requirements for CEO confirmation of statutes)

Accountability

• Drive accountability reporting (Accountability Now)

• Compile and provide recommendations for management on how to improve the organisation´s accountability situation

• Drive the development of an accountability framework for the organisation, integrating existing approaches (Accountability Now reporting, RBM, Management Dashboard / Steering, planning, policy)

• Manage Accountable Now membership, influencing its development and positioning SOS Children’s Villages as strong partner in the accountability community (e.g. global accountability standards etc.)

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in International Relations, International Law, Political Science, Non-profit Management, Business Management or other related area

•  5 – 7 years of experience working with Corporate Governance and Civil Society Organisation (INGO) accountability including some experience in reporting on standards

• Good legal understanding and/or background to manage and advice on relevant governance topics

• Experience working in an international federated set-up

• Understanding of the child rights framework and Civil Society Organisations’ programme delivery

• Networking abilities, interpersonal skills and intercultural understanding

• Computer literate and ability to work flexibly in virtual settings

• Very good written and oral English; French and/or Spanish are an asset

• Applicants must hold a valid Austrian working permit or be eligible to work within the EU

We offer

• The opportunity for substantial learning in the areas of governance and accountability. This is ensured through active participation in projects and access to significant internal knowledge, through exchange with peer organisations, and also through targeted training opportunities

• A minimum annual gross salary of EUR 39,000.-; the actual annual salary depends on qualifications and professional experience

If you are interested in this position, please click on APPLY, visit our website and send us your application by 27 November 2017 at the latest.