• Duration: Fixed Term – 6 months (January to June 2024)

• Salary: Circa £42,000 per annum

• Job Level: 4

• Hours: 35 hours per week. Other flexible arrangements will be considered.

• Disclosure Level: Basic. This role involves no direct or indirect work with children.

• Reports to: Soccer Aid for UNICEF Talent Lead.

• Location: Working from home and at 1 Westfield Avenue, London E20 1HZ.

At the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), we pull together to achieve the best possible results for children in danger around the world.  We believe in an inclusive workplace and in the power of fulfilled colleagues who share the same values and goals, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children. 

Our work is guided by the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recognise the universality of children’s rights.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Soccer Aid for UNICEF team sits within the Ambassador Relations team at UNICEF UK and is made up of the Soccer Aid for UNICEF Talent Lead, and two Managers. The team work very closely with the wider Talent team working on Soccer Aid – the team at Initial (Endemol) and the Football Legends Talent Manager at Soccer Aid Productions.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The role will coordinate and implement the Soccer Aid for UNICEF talent strategy - recruiting, developing, and managing celebrity support to scale up and maximise talent activities across all elements of the campaign.

Responsibilities include representing the team on cross-organisational groups, supporting the management of relevant talent to ensure effective deliverables for the campaign, and develop meaningful long-term relationships while liaising with senior internal and external stakeholders.

The Soccer Aid for UNICEF Talent Manager will lead on bespoke talent led projects and maximise opportunities from celebrity support via brand awareness, fundraising and advocacy. When capacity allows the role will also support the wider UNICEF UK Ambassador Relations team on specific projects or campaigns.

What we will expect you to achieve:

• Act as a relationship manager to Soccer Aid for UNICEF talent and their teams. Ensure all relationships are professionally managed in keeping with the Soccer Aid for UNICEF (and wider Ambassador Relations) strategy, promoting long term commitment to UNICEF and impactful support.

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with the wider Soccer Aid for UNICEF Productions team, Initial (Endemol) and ITV colleagues.

• Attend and contribute to talent recruitment meetings, research, and collaborate with stakeholders on recruiting new talent prioritising an inclusive and accessible playing squad. 

• Hold responsibility for prioritising risk mitigations and identification when recruiting new talent, and sustaining the strategy across all campaign activities, alerting the Soccer Aid for UNICEF Talent Lead and key stakeholders to any recognised risks generating from relationships and projects related to Soccer Aid for UNICEF. 

• Lead and collaborate on cross organisational projects related to Soccer Aid for UNICEF talent strategy for activities including but not limited to appeal films, media support, social media, booking talent for gameshows, the Appreciation Station and commercial partnerships.

• Attend content capture sessions, PR activities, and partner activations with talent and their teams, ensuring they are fully briefed.

• Attend Training Week and manage talent to the highest of care ensuring they attend all necessary activities and mitigate risk where necessary.

• Attend Match Day and manage certain elements that contribute to the event such as Appreciation Station or Friend and Family tickets.

• Work with the team in planning overseas field trips with talent for the appeal films and coordinating any studio based appeal film shoots. Help incorporate the highest level of outputs from trips for the wider Soccer Aid for UNICEF campaign.

• Work with the wider Ambassador Relations team and support (as and when capacity allows) on projects, campaigns or events delivering towards UNICEF UK’s organisational priorities.

• Work evenings or weekends if necessary. UNICEF UK operates a time off in lieu policy.

• Demonstrate and model a commitment to our shared values, behaviours and inclusive practices (known as Our Shared Commitment) in all aspects of your work.

BEHAVIOURS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

This section contains the essential behaviours, experience, knowledge and skills needed in order to be effective and successful in this role. All criteria in this section are essential.

Effective Behaviours

Supporter driven and mission aligned

• Is committed to children and their rights and motivated to work towards achieving a world that is fit for every child.

Collaboration

• Consults others and shares expertise, know-how and ideas with colleagues for best results.

• Values diversity, respecting and drawing on colleagues’ different perspectives, skills, experience, and knowledge.

Positive relationships

• Works closely and effectively with own team and wider Soccer Aid for UNICEF stakeholders building key relationships to deliver team and organisational objectives.

• Nurtures professional relationships with both colleagues and also talent and their teams to support the achievement of objectives.

• Reflects on own thoughts, feelings and actions and is aware of own impact on relationships.

Communication

• Shows an insight and awareness of the person they are seeking to influence and tailors information in terms of content, format and amount accordingly.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

• Manages conflicting priorities effectively, often at a fast pace, handling simultaneous projects and anticipating problems in advance as well as assessing and managing risk.

• Anticipates risks and puts plans in place to minimise their impact.

• Evaluates work, learns from results and adjusts strategies to provide the best results for children.

Resilience

• Motivates self and others to produce the very best output and persists in the face of obstacles. Achieves high output and is unafraid to push outside of his/her and others’ comfort zone.

• Remains positive and quickly recovers from set-backs, keeping problems in perspective.

• Takes a solution focused approach to problem solving to succeed in difficult circumstances.

Results focused

• Prioritises and sustains focus on work that will have the greatest impact on agreed aims.

• Reviews results and extracts learning to optimise future performance.

• Anticipates internal/external risks that could impact UNICEF UK’s work and adapts approach accordingly.

Creating and Innovating

• Contributes ideas, approaches and insights that enable innovation involving talent.

• Scans the external environment for trends, insights, ideas, and best practice that could benefit the Soccer Aid for UNICEF campaign in relation to talent.

Relevant experience

• Evidence of experience of working in a celebrity environment, significant talent booking and long-term relationship management and a strong understanding of risk management.

• Evidence of experience of project managing complex cross-organisational projects dealing with a number of stakeholders, preferably a broadcast / televised project.

Specific knowledge and skills

• Knowledge of, and experience of developing strategic relationships with people of influence within a complex organisational framework, anticipating challenges.

• Understanding of UK fundraising and campaigning landscape as well as overall management of talent led deliverables, managing requests from multiple teams towards delivering compelling media, fundraising and advocacy campaigns.

• A sound understanding of Microsoft Office Suite tools.

• Strong knowledge of media and social media.