Save the Children
For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places – over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you’re creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share.
The Role
As the Head, U.S. Programs you will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of Save the Children’s U.S.-based programs, ensuring they are high-quality, evidence-based, community-driven, and aligned with the organization’s global impact strategy. You will oversee the division’s senior management team and is accountable for the overall U.S. Programs budget, ensuring effective resource allocation, financial stewardship, and compliance. The role requires close collaboration with technical experts, research and evidence teams, and cross-functional partners to ensure programs are scalable, sustainable, and rooted in equity and inclusion.
Location
Hybrid – Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations, or
Remote – United States
What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)
Strategic Leadership & Program Impact
- Lead the execution of Save the Children’s U.S. program strategy, ensuring alignment with the global Ambition for Children 2030 and the broader goals of the Impact & Evidence Division.
- Translate strategic priorities into actionable plans that drive measurable improvements in child well-being, and during emergencies.
- Ensure that all U.S. Programs are grounded in evidence, responsive to community needs, and adaptable to changing contexts.
- Collaborate with the CIO and other divisional leaders to ensure integration of U.S. Programs into a unified global impact framework, including shared learning and innovation across geographies.
- Provide strategic oversight and engagement for Save the Children’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs, recognizing their distinct regulatory, operational, and community-based nature. Serve as a key liaison to the Head Start Board, actively participating in board meetings and ensuring alignment between Head Start governance and broader U.S. Programs strategy.
Operational Management
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of U.S. Programs, including program implementation, technical support, and performance monitoring
- Provide direct supervision and leadership to the U.S. Programs senior management team, ensuring clarity of roles, accountability, and alignment with divisional goals.
- Manage the overall U.S. Programs budget, including planning, forecasting, and monitoring of expenditures to ensure financial health and compliance with donor and organizational requirements.
- Ensure operational systems and processes are efficient, scalable, and support high-quality program delivery.
- Partner with internal teams (e.g., Finance, Legal, People & Culture, Safety & Security) to ensure operational readiness and risk mitigation.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Build and lead a high-performing, mission-driven team that reflects Save the Children’s values of equity, inclusion, and collaboration.
- Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and shared accountability across all levels of the U.S. Programs team.
- Support professional development, succession planning, and performance management for senior leaders and staff.
- Ensure staff safety and well-being, particularly for those working in field-based and emergency response roles.
Partnerships & Collaboration
- Collaborate with the Marketing & Growth Division to align fundraising strategies with programmatic priorities and ensure sustainability of U.S. Programs.
- Represent U.S. Programs in internal and external forums, including with donors, partners, coalitions, and government agencies, to elevate Save the Children’s voice and influence.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with local communities, peer organizations, and public sector stakeholders to expand reach and impact.
- Work closely with the Policy & Advocacy team to ensure that programmatic insights inform policy change and public investment in children.
Planning, Reporting & Learning
- Lead annual and multi-year planning processes for U.S. Programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and resource availability.
- Oversee the use of monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems to track program outcomes, surface insights, and drive continuous improvement.
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting to internal stakeholders, donors, and partners.
- Contribute to the generation and dissemination of evidence, case studies, and thought leadership that inform the broader field of child well-being.
Required qualifications for the role
- Minimum of a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, plus at least 15 years of relevant experience
- Experience in a leadership role within the Save the Children movement, with a strong understanding of the Federation’s operating model, values, and global strategy.
- Demonstrated success leading multi-sectoral programs in both development and humanitarian contexts, ideally with a focus on child well-being.
- Familiarity with federated governance structures and experience navigating complex global organizations.
- Proven ability to lead cross-cultural teams and collaborate across geographies and functions.
- Proven success in managing complex, multi-source budgets and ensuring compliance with U.S. government and private donor regulations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead high-performing teams and drive organizational change.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills.
- Experience with data systems, digital tools, and evidence-based program design.
- Commitment to social justice, child rights, and community-led development.
- Willingness and ability to travel domestically up to 30%.
Preferred qualifications for the role
- Experience working in or with rural U.S. communities, particularly in areas related to early childhood development, education, or emergency response.
- Advanced degree in public administration, international development, social work, education, public health, or a related field.
- Experience representing an organization at high levels with government agencies, donors, coalitions, and media.
- Proficiency in Spanish or another language relevant to U.S. program communities is a plus.
Compensation
Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:
- Geo 1 - NY Metro, DC, and other locations with labor costs significantly above national average: Target Salary for this position is $188,700 – $210,900 base salary
- Geo 2 - Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $171,700 – $191,900 base salary
- Geo 3 - Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $154,700 – $172,900 base salary
The salary ranges listed above are for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary ranges will be based on the salary scales of the local employer of record. Actual base salary may vary based on, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available here).
About Us
We are looking to build an inclusive team at Save the Children. We offer a range of outstanding benefits to support this goal:
- Flexible schedules and time off: Flexible schedules, generous PTO, 11 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays and hybrid working opportunities
- Health: Competitive health care, dental and vision coverage for you and your family
- Family: A variety of paid leaves: caregiver, parental/adoption, critical child illness and fertility benefits
- Employee Rewards Program: Annual merit increases and/or additional incentives for eligible employees
- Retirement: A retirement savings plan with employer contributions (after one year)
- Wellness: 15 safety and wellness days annually (if hired on or after July 1, safety and wellness days prorated to 8 days), mental health benefits and support through Calm and company-hosted events
- Employee Assistance Program: free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services
- Learning & Growth: Access to internal and external learning & development opportunities and mentorships
Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in you.
Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.
Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.
If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to [email protected].
Originally posted on Himalayas
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