Application Guide
How to Apply for Transformative Partnerships Expert
at Save the Children
🏢 About Save the Children
Save the Children is a global leader in child rights and humanitarian action, operating in over 120 countries. Working here means joining a mission-driven organization that combines grassroots impact with strategic partnerships to drive systemic change for children. The Italy office offers a unique opportunity to bridge corporate innovation with social impact in a dynamic, multi-stakeholder environment.
About This Role
As Transformative Partnerships Expert, you will architect high-impact collaborations between Save the Children Italy and corporate partners, focusing on supply chain innovations and multi-stakeholder initiatives. Your work directly translates business resources into measurable outcomes for children, from emergency response to long-term education programs. This role is pivotal in scaling our impact through strategic, shared-value partnerships.
💡 A Day in the Life
Your day might start with a call with a potential corporate partner in Milan to discuss a shared value proposal, followed by a virtual meeting with the global partnerships team to align on strategy. After lunch, you'd draft a concept note for a new initiative involving a logistics company and a university, then review impact data from an ongoing partnership. The afternoon could include a webinar on ESG trends or a check-in with the programs team to ensure partnership activities are on track.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Save the Children Is Looking For
- A partnership builder with 4-6 years of experience in corporate-NGO collaborations, ideally with a track record of securing multi-year, high-value deals in sectors like logistics, retail, or supply chain.
- Deep knowledge of ESG frameworks, shared value, and sustainability reporting—able to articulate how partnerships advance both business goals and child-focused outcomes.
- Fluent in Italian and English with exceptional cross-cultural communication skills, comfortable navigating corporate boardrooms and field offices alike.
- Strategic yet hands-on: you can draft concept notes, lead proposal development, and manage complex stakeholder relationships with academia, corporates, and internal teams.
📝 Tips for Applying to Save the Children
Tailor your CV to highlight partnership metrics: include deal size, duration, and social impact KPIs (e.g., children reached, funds leveraged).
In your cover letter, name-drop specific Save the Children Italy initiatives (e.g., their work on child protection in migration or education in emergencies) and propose a partnership idea.
Showcase your understanding of supply chain partnerships: mention experience with logistics companies, retailers, or manufacturers in a humanitarian context.
Demonstrate language proficiency: if applying in English, ensure flawless fluency; if in Italian, use formal business language.
Research Save the Children's global partnership frameworks (e.g., their 'Partnerships for Children' model) and reference them in your application.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience in building cross-sector partnerships that delivered measurable social impact, with concrete examples (e.g., a corporate partnership that improved child nutrition or education).', 'Your familiarity with the Italian corporate landscape and ability to engage companies on shared value and ESG.', "A clear connection between your skills and Save the Children's mission: emphasize your passion for child rights and your strategic approach to partnership development.", 'Your ability to work in a multi-stakeholder environment, including with academia and public institutions, as highlighted in the job description.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Review Save the Children Italy's latest annual report and partnership page to understand their current corporate collaborators and impact areas.
- → Study their global 'Transformative Partnerships' strategy (often available in their global website) to align your proposal with their priorities.
- → Look into relevant Italian corporate sustainability trends, especially in logistics (e.g., Poste Italiane, FedEx) and retail (e.g., Coop, Esselunga) that could be potential partners.
- → Familiarize yourself with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and how Save the Children references them.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application without mentioning Save the Children or Italy specifically—this signals lack of interest.
- Focusing only on fundraising rather than strategic partnership building; this role is about shared value, not just donations.
- Ignoring the supply chain focus: if you lack experience in logistics or multi-stakeholder initiatives, address it directly with a learning plan.
📅 Application Timeline
⏰ Deadline: May 24, 2026
We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Save the Children!