Job Title:       Portfolio Lead – Income Security    

Location:         Global (expected to work remotely with Global teams)

Start Date:          As soon as possible.

Department:     Global Impact

I am retained to accept applications for Portfolio Lead, by HelpAge International, to help their initiatives: HelpAge and Strategy 2030 – delivering real impact for older people. HelpAge works with partners and a diverse global network, supporting millions of older people to live safe, dignified and healthy lives. Through their partnership and collaborations, they work to ensure the inclusion of older people across society and strive to deliver a just and fair world for everyone,

Since the launch of their strategy in January 2020, the world has changed in profound ways. HelpAge explains the following: “We are still experiencing the impacts and consequences. Recognizing and anticipating these important and fundamental shifts, HelpAge International is evolving and transforming itself to be relevant, impactful and viable. As a result, we are reconfiguring our organizational design and resources in the following ways:

1. Driven by our commitment to the localization agenda, we are evolving the way we partner and deliver value at country and local level. In the coming 3 years, we will localize our country offices and programmes, and develop new and diverse forms of partnerships globally.

2. We seek to give primacy to local agents for change. To this end, we will replace all programmes delivered by HelpAge staff and resources on the ground with implementation by partners. This will apply across all our work - humanitarian and long-term development. Going forward, our value is framed around supporting, convening and thought leadership.

3. A key way of creating value and bringing impact is collaborating across boundaries and by bringing different perspectives, skills and talent together. We will deliver our work through agile teams and a global operating model, with regional roots, to focus on impact and maintain the relationships at the national level to help build collaborations and support others to set their own agendas.

How you can make a difference

At HelpAge International, we offer a unique and exceptional career experience to bring positive and lasting change in the lives of older persons. As countries prepare for and adapt to population ageing, you can make a difference at a critical juncture to how societies, economies and institutions adapt to this change. Guided by our commitment to our values of impact, learning, partnership, and inclusion (see values), you will work with talent like yourself and partner with other agents for change to bring systemic change and impact at scale. By acting as a supporter, convener and thought leader, together, we can make an impact that matters for older persons and their communities. HelpAge International offers you an inclusive, collaborative workplace and innovative environment.

This is a critical time for HelpAge International as we seek to transform the ways the organization works and brings value. We are looking for exceptional individuals who will explore new opportunities to create value, to find new avenues, unique ways and novel partnership and collaborations to reach our shared goals. We are looking for talent which thrives in collaborating with others (inside HelpAge International and beyond) and who can work in agile ways and across boundaries. We are seeking individuals, with an entrepreneurial mindset, who can work across diverse areas of our work, who can leverage both their unique expertise and deploy a wider range of experiences and competencies.

What you will do:

Department info

The Global Impact Department contributes to the 2030 Strategy as follows –

• To achieve positive impact on well-being, dignity and the voice of older people by inspiring a movement for change, through implementing the strategic approach of support, convene and thought leadership.
• Leading, advocating and partnering on initiatives that support and transform systems, challenge attitudes and social norms, and influence laws, policies and practice at national, regional and global level.

Team info:

The four focus areas for the teams are Inclusive Humanitarian Action, Healthy Ageing, A society for all ages and Income Security. Each of these teams work together and separately, with the following remit –

1. Responsible for thought leadership on the four focus areas of 2030 strategy and differing approaches and challenges at a regional and national level.
2. In cooperation with Transformation team, lay the groundwork for the emergence of global portfolios and shift to partner-led programming
3. Identify and develop new programmatic opportunities to deliver impact for older people in countries with partners.
4. In collaboration with the Business Development and Transformation Teams develop, test and iterate non-traditional opportunities that deliver impact for older people, increased reputation and diverse sustainable revenue stream for HelpAge
5. Identify, develop and deliver the technical expertise and advocacy opportunities to promote HelpAge’s thought leadership within and beyond the sector.
6. Participate in and create opportunities to convene relevant stakeholders in global campaigns to increase the focus on older people and issues related to ageing.
7. Through partner led programming building evidence &learning to develop initiatives and utilise platform to support drive for longer term sustainable change through influencing and advocacy at the national level.

Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities:

These outline the broad areas of responsibility in the role, but in collaboration with your colleagues you will be able to shape and design specific activities that are relevant at any point in time. We want you to work creatively to deliver impact and respond to relevant opportunities.

With your colleagues you will develop your team workplan to drive initiatives, develop ideas, as well as ensure there is space for cross-organisational working and short-term tasks. From this you will devise your individual workplan that will form the basis of your day-to-day activities and your performance reviews.

As Portfolio Lead – Income Security you will –

1. Develop and deliver an Income Security strategy in line with HelpAge’s 2030 strategy Improve income security - HelpAge International

2.       Build and shape a portfolio of diverse age-inclusive commercial and non-commercial initiatives and partnerships that can bring together multiple stakeholders to create and/or promote income security initiatives that increase older people’s independence and sense of purpose. 

3.       Build HelpAge’s reputation as the partner and collaborator of choice within the public, private and INGO sector for age-inclusive action. 

4.       Engage with external stakeholders and advocate policies at national and global level to promote income security of older people.

5.       Lead the work of the team to strengthen capacity and interventions across the HelpAge International network and partners to prepare and respond to the needs of older men and women. 

6.       Build HelpAge’s reputation as the partner and collaborator of choice within the public, private and INGO sector for age-inclusive action.

7.       Ensure that the team deliver Partner-led programmes with prompt quality support and assistance.

8.       Effectively manage the income security team and ongoing projects and develop new initiatives.”

Let's talk about you: (Qualifications Requirements)

You will be someone with:

• Degree or equivalent in experience in public policy, social protection, employment creation, financial service programming or policy making in development/humanitarian contexts or equivalent experience in commercial settings.
• Ability to conduct and deliver thorough analysis, research, report writing and dissemination of information to a broad range of audiences.
• Experience of policy development, dissemination, and advocacy.
• Demonstrable skills and/or experience in the International Development, Humanitarian sector.
• Demonstrable skills and/or experience in working with or influencing decision-makers, national governments or international institutions (e.g., UN agencies like ILO, FAO and donors like DFID/FCDO, BMZ, USAID, EU.)
• Demonstrable skills and/or experience in public presentation and speaking.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and dependably with colleagues and in a way that encourages experimentation, learning and agency.

Substantial knowledge of and/or experience in all aspects of Programme CycleManagement

• revious experience of managing a globally dispersed team.
• Experience in at least one project experience focused in areas of social protection, income security
• Experience in at least one of HelpAge’s regions of operation – LAC, Africa, Eurasia & Middle East, Asia Pacific.
• Applicants from the above regions that meet all qualifications, are encouraged to apply.
• Native or “Excellent” level fluency in English is required; fluency in other languages is highly desirable.
• Applicant will have read HelpAge’s 2030 strategy Improve income security - HelpAge International to better understand what HelpAge International and the type of work they will be involved in.

About Compensation and benefits:

Starting salary of £60,000 gross per annum if based in UK.  If based elsewhere, this figure will be adjusted to take into account the cost-of-living difference between the UK and that country.   In addition to annual leave and public holiday provision HelpAge also offers – 1) Wellbeing leave on the last Friday of each month between April and December each year and 2) 1 day leave on your birthday. Other information to be discussed during meetings with hiring agent.

At HelpAge International, we believe in the importance of empowering our people to be change makers and leaders at all levels. We expect our people to embrace and live our values, challenging themselves every day to identify issues that are most important to older persons and their communities, and to make an impact that matters. “

In addition, as an HelpAge employee you are expected to:

1. Work collaboratively, building mutual trust and respect, with external organisations and partners to achieve our strategic aims and objectives; being accountable for the work you do together
2. Adapt to new directions or opportunities arising within the organization and in your work area; being flexible in your role, constantly using the feedback to learn more and evolve further.
3. Lead behavioral and cultural change through embracing a supportive, collaborative and highly inclusive environment where everybody feels supported, respected and engaged
4. Extend HelpAge’s reach and impact, by creating and identifying new business development opportunities and building relationships with new partners.
5. Lead and promote a culture of including the voices of older people across our support, convening and thought leadership roles, in a way that is transformative, empowering and highly inclusive of those marginalized by gender, economic status, disability and other factors of discrimination.

Safeguarding

HelpAge International is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff and any others who we come into contact with.

Therefore, you will also be responsible for:

• Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programmes to anyone that encounters our work.
• Reporting all safeguarding incidents you see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism.
• Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices.
• Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and complying with HR vetting procedures.

Diversity and Inclusion   

HelpAge International is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all its employees and extending the culture of inclusion into our work. 

We believe that our workforce should reflect the wide diversity of the communities we serve, and that diverse voices should be elevated and intentionally integrated into our work. We embrace difference and diversity of identity, experience, and thought, and actively strive for inclusive behaviors across our organization and work regardless of gender, race, disability, age, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, marital status, pregnancy, social status, and political beliefs.  

How to Apply: Please send relevant English-only CV/resume that clear shows you meet qualifications requirements to linda.aines@internationalink.net with “Portfolio Lead” in the subject line. CV/resumes will be reviewed as they are received. Early application is encouraged.

Deadline for Application:  September 24, 2023, or until filled.

More about HelpAge: HelpAge International works with partners and a diverse global network of more than 150 organizations across 85 countries, supporting millions of older people to live safe, dignified and healthy lives. Through our partnership and collaborations, we work to ensure the inclusion of older people across society and strive to deliver a just and fair world for everyone, whatever their age. Our work is driven by our desire to deliver real impact for older people, to be inclusive, to work in partnership and to learn from our shared experience.

Our 2030 strategy Ageing in a Just World sets out how we will work together to shape the future we all share. By working together, we aim to help inspire a movement for change and through ensuring all our work promotes older people’s wellbeing, dignity and voice, we can transform the lives of older people now and in the future.