Director, Climate and Child Poverty

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Director, Climate & Child Poverty to join our global team. 
The role leads the implementation of Save the Children’s Safety Nets and Resilient Families (SNRF) Goal and Climate agenda, ensuring alignment with the global strategy, theory of change, and child rights-based programming. This includes integrating Climate Justice and Urban priorities across all thematic areas while empowering the movement to design and deliver high-quality, evidence-based programming and influencing. By connecting country offices with global thought leadership and strategic partnerships, the role advances impactful breakthroughs and strategic goals. As a strategic technical leader, the Director drives Save the Children’s vision and commitment to Climate Justice, safety nets, resilience, and urban priorities, fostering inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration across thematic portfolios while anticipating trends and amplifying effective practices.

Job Title: Director, Climate & Child Poverty 

Reports To: Chief Impact and Influence Officer

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available  

Contract Length: Permanent

Grade: M5

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: Hiring Locations

Time-zone: 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.

International Travel Requirements: up to 20%

People Management Responsibility: manager of multiple teams; 6 direct reports

Principal Accountabilities 

This role integrates climate, child poverty and urban, to create a holistic and cohesive approach to sustainable development working across all the thematic areas.  The interconnected nature of these areas allows for strategic benefits and synergies, driving impactful and sustainable solutions for children and communities in our Breakthrough areas. Key accountabilities: 

• Strategic leadership: Ultimately accountable for delivery on the strategic direction of our Climate, Urban and  ‘Safety Nets and Resilient Families’ Goal, as well as contributions to other strategic goals and enablers. Ensure the development, delivery, and demonstration of ambitious goal plans. Overall accountability for the development as well as the delivery of Save the Children’s global thematic portfolio results framework in line with our Theory of Change
• Climate Justice: Lead Save the Children’s Climate Justice vision, strategy, positioning and influencing to: 1) amplify what’s working and relevant across the sector to drive impact at scale; 2) anticipate future trends and forward-thinking solutions; 3) deepen quality and commitment to increase investment and impact in this area across the movement.
• Collaboration & Integration: Drive integration of climate justice, urban, safety net and resilient families approaches into breakthroughs and strategic goals. Align efforts to share learnings, develop joint initiatives, and ensure that support to countries is consistent and integrated. Regularly collaborate with colleagues on evidence and learning, policy, advocacy and campaigns, fundraising, humanitarian etc. to ensure gender transformative agenda is embedded across all thematic areas starting from the design stage.
• Thought leadership: Based on a deep understanding of Save the Children’s programs portfolio across countries, keep abreast of and inform sectoral thinking and innovation on cross climate justice, urban and child poverty. In collaboration with the Breakthrough Directors, lead and inspire the movement to set and maintain technical standards, to innovate and to demonstrate technical excellence through evidence-based, child-rights programming. Bring the best of Save the Children’s expertise, thinking, and evidence to generate impact in the world.
• Service mindset: Understand and respond to country office technical needs on cross cutting issues, driving programme and influencing integration to achieve country strategies: Coordinate with Breakthrough Directors to provide comprehensive and integrated technical support that addresses the multi-faceted needs of COs. Ensure that country offices (and where appropriate, Members) have access to technical expertise needed to deliver on their strategies, meet surge needs, and tees up Save the Children for funding opportunities over time.
• Country portfolio strategic support / oversight: engage with country teams to understand their climate, child poverty, urban portfolio, and identify opportunities and needs to provide strategic support (programs models packaging, experience and capacity sharing, strategic partnerships, donor engagement, evidence generation and use…) in line with country strategies. Work closely with our Member organisations and new business development team to monitor, grow, and strengthen our programs portfolio in line with Save the Children’s Theory of Change.
• Evidence and learning: Work closely with the Evidence & Learning function and CO teams to design and support effective strategies for the generation of evidence, the filling of evidence gaps, and the uptake and utilization of the latest evidence in program design and influencing. Ensure that the latest climate, child poverty and urban-related research and data are incorporated into strategies and initiatives.  Align with our locally led commitment by developing and improving methods to involve communities, partners, children and young people networks and organisations  in monitoring, research, evaluation, and the design and delivery of program activities & lifting local voices and perspectives.
• Representation & partnerships: Serve as primary representative for our Climate, Child Poverty and Urban work internally and externally, able to represent the portfolio, programming, influencing, resourcing, and priorities. Nurture strategic partnerships, particularly in line with our commitment to localisation. 
• All contexts Approach: Goal/Thematic Portfolio Directors hold overall accountability for and represent on technical work across all contexts (in close collaboration with the Humanitarian Director, the Director of Humanitarian Program Quality, and thematic Heads in relation to work in humanitarian responses). It's crucial to ensure a seamless connection between development and humanitarian work in line with our impact agenda.
• Manage a high performing team of experts and leaders to inspire a shared vision and an empowering workplace culture to drive results. This includes talent management, strategic workforce planning for staff in these areas across the movement.

 Experience and Skills

Essential

• Technical leadership: demonstrated expertise in leading the development and implementation of high-quality programming and influencing working with diverse stakeholders with a locally led approach grounded in evidence and research and thought leadership practices. 
• Child Rights and gender transformative integrated approach: experience leading integrated approaches across policy, advocacy and programs at country, regional and global level to drive lasting change at scale for and with children especially in the areas of climate justice, child poverty and urban. 
• Cultural Leadership: Leads by example, embodying the organization’s values and fostering a culture of inclusion, integrity, respect, empathy and excellence.
• Visionary Leadership: Demonstrates the ability to articulate a compelling vision for the future, inspiring and motivating teams to achieve ambitious goals. Exceptional communication skills with the ability to inspire and engage employees at all levels, fostering a sense of purpose and commitment.
• Positive Influence and inclusive workplace: Creates a positive and inclusive work environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, and high performance.
• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and evaluate strategic plans and initiatives.
• Financial Acumen & Resource Mobilisation: extensive experience in attracting quality funding to resource impact at scale including financial management and budgeting processes
• Significant Experience: Extensive experience in senior leadership roles overseeing strategy, planning, and reporting, particularly in global or multinational contexts.
• Substantial Experience: Demonstrated track record of effective business partnering, showing considerable ability to progress strategic initiatives and departmental priorities.
• Extensive Experience: Substantial experience in thought leadership and strategic advisory capacity to executive-level stakeholders.

Desirable

• Influence – Proven track record in influencing outcomes without direct authority through collaboration & challenge
• Self-awareness – Commitment to giving and receiving feedback, continuous learning and self-growth
• Advisory Skills: Expertise in strategic advisory roles, providing thought leadership to senior leadership teams (SLT, SMT) and governing boards. 
• Foundational Experience: Experience in managing the delivery of strategic plans within nonprofit, humanitarian, or development organizations.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Postgraduate Degree in Environmental Science, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, International Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Strong Academic Background: Solid understanding of climate science, child poverty, gender issues,
• Professional Accreditations: Membership or affiliation with relevant professional bodies or associations related to climate change, sustainable development, or international development.

Desirable

Additional certifications or training in sectors like gender and child rights studies would be advantageous.

Working at Save the Children International 

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfill their potential. Through 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 children's 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 here via the job listing: 10488. 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. 

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 recruitment may 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 abuse. All 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.