Social Protection Adviser

Job Description

Location: Global

Department: Advocacy and Evidencing

Reports to (Line Manager): Head of Advocacy and Evidencing

Responsible for (Line managing): Advocacy Support Officer

Grade: E

Contract Type: Open-ended contract

About the Department

The Global Impact Team drives HelpAge International’s mission to advance the wellbeing, dignity, and rights of older people, by championing locally led action and global solidarity.

• At the heart of our work is a thriving, resilient HelpAge Network—a powerful collective of national civil society actors driving change that is rooted in the priorities and experiences of older people.
• We lead the delivery of HelpAge’s strategic approach to support, convene, and influence, across humanitarian and development contexts, to achieve lasting and inclusive impact.

Our goal is to ensure that:

• Older people have inclusive, improved access to secure and adequate income
• Older people have safe and secure access to humanitarian assistance
• Older people have improved access to inclusive health, care, and support services
• Age-inclusive laws, policies and systems guarantee older people’s rights across all sectors
• A thriving locally led HelpAge Network drives collective action to uphold older people’s rights, dignity, and wellbeing.

About the Job

The Social Protection Adviser will provide strategic leadership in advancing HelpAge’s social protection work, with a particular focus on social pensions, including through the co-creation and delivery of advocacy strategies in partnership with HelpAge teams and network members. The role will lead HelpAge’s work improving the coverage, adequacy and financing of social pensions. Acting as an enabler and connector, the postholder will support capacity strengthening, promote shared learning, and facilitate collective action grounded in power and rights analysis—amplifying the voice and leadership of older people and our members.

The role holder will work collaboratively with both internal stakeholders [Network Members, Platform Manager, Regional Network Coordinators, Head of Programmes and ROAR Programme Manager, Global Impact Advisor, Climate Change Advisor and Health Advisor, Fundraising Advisors] and external stakeholders [Global Coalitions on social protection, United Nations Agencies, Research institutions and think-tanks, World Bank and other regional development banks].

Key areas for impact/influence and responsibilities

To make an impact and influence, the role holder will: provide strategic leadership and coordination for HelpAge’s global advocacy strategy to improve coverage, adequacy and financing of social pensions globally; enable and support internal teams and network members to strengthen their technical capacity on social protection through collaborative approaches such as training, mentoring, and access to practical tools and resources; manage the Advocacy Officer and oversee development of the Pension Watch platform; coordinate the strategic generation and use of evidence related to social pensions, collaborating with network members, researchers, and allies; and facilitate shared learning, visibility, and influence for network members and older people in key social protection forums.

Below are the specific responsibilities for this role:

• Leadership role (core):
• Provide strategic leadership for the development and delivery of HelpAge’s global advocacy strategy on pensions, ensuring strong engagement of teams and network members throughout its design and implementation.
• Engage in relevant external advocacy spaces and social protection networks, using stakeholder and power-mapping to build and maintain strategic relationships with relevant UN agencies, selected member states, like-minded INGOs, and social protection experts.
• Lead the development and promotion of the Pension Watch platform and supervise the Advocacy Officer (line-management and delegation).
• Promote the meaningful participation and leadership of older people, particularly those facing discrimination and exclusion, in social protection forums.
• Represent HelpAge and its network externally, and support and enable members to take the lead in strategic advocacy spaces to amplify their voice and influence.
• Provide technical support to staff and network members to strengthen quality, rights-based programming and advocacy initiatives on social protection, through tailored guidance, training, tools, and ongoing accompaniment— working in close collaboration with Regional Network Coordinators.
• Support network member-led advocacy efforts on social pensions and social protection issues, ensuring that approaches are grounded in local contexts, shaped by network member priorities, and aligned with HelpAge’s overall approach to social protection.
• Supportive and collaborative work (strategically selective):
• Facilitate the generation, synthesis, and use of evidence on social pensions by coordinating research initiatives, managing relationships with research partners, and drawing on practice and insights from across the HelpAge network.
• Produce and contribute to high-quality advocacy outputs, including policy briefs, reports, and tools, in collaboration with internal teams and network members.
• Work with the communications team to ensure timely messaging, updates, and public statements on social protection issues, aligned with advocacy goals and external developments.
• Monitor global trends and conduct horizon scanning in the social protection space to identify emerging risks, opportunities, and areas for engagement.
• Strengthen Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) related to social protection advocacy and programming outcomes, and promote the effective use of relevant data, evidence, and learning across the organisation and its network.

Skills and experience required

• Essential
• Proven specialist expertise in social protection, particularly in social pensions, with the ability to provide thought leadership, policy guidance, and technical support.
• Deep knowledge of the global social protection landscape, including key policy debates, financing, data sources, and trends.
• Substantial experience working at national and regional levels, including supporting and positioning civil society actors and national advocates.
• Strong understanding of global frameworks and institutions relevant to social protection (e.g., ILO, UN, World Bank), with a track record of representing organisations in high-level international forums.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or commission research and translate findings into effective advocacy, policy influence, and learning tools.
• Experience in advocacy strategy development, stakeholder engagement, and influencing decision-makers at the national and global level.
• Familiarity with rights-based, inclusive, and intersectional approaches to social protection, particularly relating to ageing, gender, and disability.
• Understanding of and commitment to the principles of Partner-Led Programming and Locally-Led Development.
• Experience supporting locally led social protection advocacy and strengthening the leadership of HelpAge Network members or national organisations
• Skills and Competencies
• Strategic thinker with the ability to see the big picture, set direction, and make informed choices to maximise influence and impact.
• Skilled convenor and facilitator, capable of supporting network members to lead collaborative advocacy, research, and learning processes.
• Strong interpersonal, cross-cultural, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work respectfully and effectively in diverse teams and contexts.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the production of high-quality policy briefs, reports, tools, and presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and mentor staff, lead platforms (e.g., Pension Watch), and coordinate multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Confidence and clarity in public speaking, including high-level representation in global advocacy spaces.
• Qualifications: Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Social Policy, Public Policy, Economics, Development Studies, or related discipline.
• Other Requirements
• Strong commitment to advancing social justice and the rights and wellbeing of older people.
• Ability and willingness to undertake international travel, including at short notice.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written); working knowledge of a second language such as French, Spanish, Arabic, is desirable.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively, learn from others, and support inclusive, partner-led approaches.
• Desirable
• Knowledge of population ageing, ageism, and the intersection of social protection with climate change and social inclusion.
• Familiarity with sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data (SADD) and robust MEAL standards.
• Experience in programme design and delivery related to income security or social protection systems.
• Strong facilitation and training skills, especially in technical capacity strengthening and participatory advocacy processes.

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to review the details of the Job Description and submit their Cover Letter and CV only to Jobs@helpage.org while stating to role in the subject email not later than Sunday, 31 August 2025.

Deadline for Applications: August 31, 2025

“While we try our best to keep our information updated, the closing date of the actual job source may be changed by the recruiter without prior notice. With this, please make sure to check the official job link when submitting your application. Thank you.”

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