Head, SCUS Global Projects

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Head SCUS Global Projectsto join our global team.

Team and Job Purpose

Save the Children is a global organisation with ambitious goals in a constantly evolving environment. To achieve our strategic objectives and deliver high-impact outcomes for and with children we must continuously improve and innovate across all areas of our work. The Transformation Development team plays a central role in enabling this progress by identifying shaping and supporting the most impactful opportunities for change across our movement.

Development and Project Delivery

Despite our broad transformation portfolio there are always new opportunities to enhance how we operate. A core responsibility of the Transformation Development team is to identify and prioritise initiatives that offer the greatest strategic value.

To do this effectively we first build a clear view of the pipeline of potential opportunities. We then conduct feasibility assessments that evaluate the strategic fit benefits case costs and wider organisational implications of each initiative. These assessments enable informed decision-making about which projects to progress. Once prioritised and funded the team leads the setup and resourcing of these projects to ensure they are well-positioned to deliver the intended outcomes and leads the delivery through to go-live preparation. At this point the projects are handed over to our Transformation Deployment team for implementation locally and ultimately project closeout and review.

Interventions

Given the scale and complexity of our transformation portfolio challenges and dependencies frequently arise that can hinder progress. These include roadblocks that if left unresolved lead to costly delays and strain existing resources. The current management structures often lack the capacity to address these issues at pace and without a dedicated transformation resource bench we are frequently forced to rely on external consultantsan expensive and time-consuming solution.

The Transformation Development team leads targeted interventions to address these challenges. By resolving critical dependencies and removing delivery obstacles we help ensure that transformation initiatives continue to move forward efficiently and effectively maintaining momentum and maximising impact.

In 2026 we will take on accountability for delivering SCUS Global Projects. This will include setting up PMO oversight including budgeting resource management planning reporting risks and issues addition this will require the team to complete a portfolio assessment to understand the current state and conduct feasibilities for any planned or potential new initiatives. Once confirmed the team will setup and run projects on behalf of SCUS with SCUS leading on prioritisation and decision making with support of data provided by this team.

Role Purpose

The Head SCUS Global Projects is a key role within the Transformation Development Leadership Team. The priority of this role will be to partner with wider Members of the TDIT Management team to assess the current and potential future portfolio of projects in SCUS work with SCUS colleagues to prioritise the portfolio and determine resource needs budgets and associated plans using budget and resource as input to ensure the proposal is feasible.

Following the assessment of the portfolio this role will oversee the shaping of new global transformation initiatives via feasibilities specifically for the SCUS portfolio including steering the work of a TDI Manager to ensure the delivery of the above scope as well as managing a complex set of initiatives and ensuring the effective recruitment of Project and Change Resource across the TDIT department. The added complexity here will be to ensure that resource scoping will need to meet the needs of the SCUS projects based on the setup within SCUS and the needs of the projects considering key considerations such as location time zone and skills needed given the projects will be SCUS focused. Once projects are established the role holder will need to steer delivery of projects through assess and select start up design and development before partnering with the Transformation Deployment and SCUS teams to ensure effective transition to deployment activities led from that department.

Governance will need to be setup in line with our existing TDIT ways of working but will also need to take into the account alignment with SCUS needs and existing governance forums including in the IT space where SCUS have their own dedicated team BTS.

In addition to the above the Head Transformation Development SCUS Portfolio Management has a responsibility to input into the approach to Project Management Change Management and Continuous Improvement including input into the core methodologies and associated capability development across the movement with a specific focus on how these can be operationalised to enable the delivery of SCUS projects.

Initially this role will focus on the FMS SaaS global project for SCUS. Overtime we expect the Global Projects to extend to other priorities including HCM and CRM and this will be confirmed over time as the roadmap is prioritised and defined by SCUS Leadership.

Job Title:Head SCUS Global Projects

Reports To:Senior Director Transformation Development & Deputy CTO

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available

Contract Length: Permanent

Grade:M4

Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in please visit: SCI Careers

Time Zone(that the role holder mustbe available to work in):Any

Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment.

Language Requirements:English

International Travel Requirements: Yes up to 10 %

Budget Responsibility: Initial team budget is $0.75m; Annual project spend budget expected to be $2m-$5m

People Management Responsibility: Number of people managed in total: TBC but will grow over time based on scale of the portfolio

Manager of a team: Yes

Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): Yes

Principal Accountabilities

• Own a portfolio of key transformation projects for SCUS directly managing project resources and associated governance and assurance
• Manage the relationship with SCUS on all Global SCUS projects that the team is accountable for delivering including managing the relationship with critical SCUS counterparts
• Ensure that transformation projects successfully deliver including all Project and Change Management deliverables and move through project stage-gates including directly managing interventions in projects where significant risk exists and leveraging the Transformation Development and Interventions Managers to drive problem solving where needed and where capacity allows
• Coach support empower and line manage (including performance management) all direct reports within the team individually with a long-term cross-project view of coaching to develop the team as an organizational capability within the Transformation Delivery department
• Align with the Senior Director Transformation Development and the Director PMO to ensure a joined-up approach to the overarching delivery of projects across the portfolio and to focus on continued capability building and team working to drive better outcomes
• Provide expertise and guidance to senior stakeholders like the MRGs the Project Sponsors the members of the Transformation Steering Group
• Work with the transformation Project Teams and SCUS Functional Leads to ensure projects are supported by adequate Project and Change Management resources from the Transformation Delivery team making decisions on assignments after consultation with project teams and has effective governance in place. Ensure that transformation projects are successfully completed and that Project Management deliverables are progressed through project stage-gates. Work closely with Project Leaders in off-track projects to develop action plans to mitigate risk and regain green coordination with Project Leads manage execution of interventions within projects where significant outcome risks are identified. Escalate project risks to portfolio team and senior functional leadership if needed to secure additional resources or organizational support
• Provide ongoing input to the development of the SC Project Management Methodology and the SC Change Approach
• Liaise with the Portfolio Management & Reporting team to ensure project progress outcomes and decisions are communicated to the leadership

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Experience with the successful management and deployment of large transformation projects in complex organizational environments preferably including experience in less developed or high-risk environments
2. Experience of industry project and management standards and holding project teams accountable to those standards
3. Proven experience of managing global project teams with diverse skillsets
4. Demonstrable experience of acting as a business partner to functional areas e.g. Supply Chain Finance etc.
5. Experience of working in a fast-paced environment with high levels of change and quick turnaround times whilst delivering to the highest standards
6. People and team management experience including strong coaching skills as well as the ability to operate successfully in a matrix organisation
7. Ability to resolve complex project issues with a balance of pragmatism and rigour
8. Experience leading agile projects in a complex environment with both IT and non-IT scope
9. Cultural awareness and experience of delivering solutions internationally including experience working with US teams
10. Commitment to Save the Children values

Desirable

• Experience of field operations and the IT-related issues associated with working in remote and fragile environments
• An understanding of key trends in international and humanitarian development and how technology can and is being utilised to support these developments

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelors degree or equivalent work experience
• Understanding of a structured Project methodology (e.g. PRINCE2) or accredited Project Management training (APM or PMI)
• Understanding of an Agile approach to project delivery (or ability to quickly learn)

Desirable

• Relevant IT professional qualification (e.g. Certified Product Owner or Scrum Master)

Working at Save the ChildrenInternational

Save the Childrenis the worlds leading organisation for children employing save childrens lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their our work in 116 countries we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition creativity and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children you will be in good company working with talented like-minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive learn and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure childrens voices are heard at the highest levels and that we achieve our global strategy Ambition for Children 2030 and reach every last child.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse equitable and inclusive organisation and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival protection development and participation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of gender sexual orientation race colour ethnic origin nationality disability marital or civil partnership status gender reassignment pregnancy and maternity caring or parental responsibilities age or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

Application Information

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application. A full copy of the role profile can be found herevia the job listing. It is recommended that you save a copy of the role profile as it will no longer be available after the advert closes.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who are successfully shortlisted should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our recruitment process:

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitmentmay include an additional assessment or case study stage or a third stage interview
4. If successful you will receive a conditional offer of employment followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-harassment Health and Safety Safeguarding and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.