Managing Director, Strategy and Program Development (M3)

Description

Summary

The Managing Director, Strategy and Program Development (MD-SPD) is responsible for strategic portfolio growth, facilitating strategy development and resource mobilization for the Department of Hunger and Livelihoods (DHL) and Save the Children United States (SCUS) climate programs, and for SCUS’ general positioning for US account-funded food security, livelihood, youth, and climate programs, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The MD-SPD will oversee strategic engagement with key stakeholders such as USAID, USDA, and private donors, while ensuring the successful implementation of DHL, climate, and youth funding strategies.

This position also focuses on developing external partnerships, driving proposal leadership, and enhancing business development processes within the organization.

Areas of Responsibility

• Strategic Engagement : Lead DHL engagement with key audiences such as USAID, USDA, and private donors. Collaborate with team leads and technical colleagues on thought leadership and learning.
• New Business Development (BD) : Work across DHL business lines and with other International Program (IP) departments to develop and implement DHL, climate, and youth funding strategies.

Position for and pursue key public and private funding opportunities. Analyze existing BD processes, benchmark with peers, and identify areas for improvement, scale and diversification.

Partnership Development : Develop external partnerships with Save the Children (SC) Members, Save the Children International (SCI), public and private sector donors, universities, policymakers, and other implementing partners.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Portfolio Growth & Resource Mobilization (50%) :

Lead and direct proposals for DHL as well as proposals relating to SCUS’s climate work more broadly. This will include serving as Proposal Director on several proposals per year and may also involve serving as lead writer, depending on the opportunity.

Identify and secure external expertise as needed, and budget allows, for critical opportunities.

• Maintain and grow the DHL and climate portfolio, focusing on new business planning, tracking and positioning for opportunities, and donor engagement, particularly for USDA Food for Progress and Feed the Future opportunities.
• Assess Business Line win rates, growth trajectories, and other metrics that indicate the performance and position of the team and its portfolio.

Lead corrective action as needed, working closely with DHL colleagues to identify technical and management gaps.

Strategy Development (20%) :

• In collaboration with technical and program colleagues within DHL and IP more broadly, develop and report on implementation of SCUS’s hunger, livelihoods, youth, and climate strategies.
• Maintain relationships with key donors, partners, and stakeholders to advance DHL and climate work.
• Work with SC COs, IP colleagues and others to position SC as a partner of choice in food security and livelihoods (FSL), youth, and climate programming.
• Support Head of DHL in overseeing relevant portions of the SCUS strategy process and related internal reporting and developing a DHL strategy to set objectives, direction, and key metrics for the department.

Strategic Communications & Thought Leadership (15%) :

• Develop DHL communication materials and coordinate with DHL program teams for donor and technical audience outreach.
• Collaborate with Head of DHL and technical colleagues to position SCUS as a thought leader in FSL, youth, and climate, including drafting technical articles, setting a learning agenda, and preparing for media opportunities.

Management, Leadership & Human Resources (15%) :

• Train, develop, coach, lead, and supervise staff, clearly communicating organization, division and department priorities, and how their work contributes to our mission, ensuring that the working environment continually fosters diversity, inclusion, and belonging supporting Save the Children values
• Manage senior advisors and participate in relevant senior management teams and working groups.
• Represent SCUS on the GCF account group and collaborate with the DHL SMT to support program and proposal development.
• Collaborate with PGP to develop and implement trainings for DHL NBD staff.
• Support with DHL administrative tasks such as time sheet approvals, Award Management System and Agresso approvals, and agreement signing, as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor Degree or equivalent experience, plus at least 10 years of relevant experience.
• Excellent strategic thinking, analytical, management, and organizational skills.
• Understanding of food security concepts and multi-sectoral programming.
• Familiarity with USAID and other donor programming priorities.
• Significant relevant work experience overseas.
• Solid writing, editing, training and grant writing experience.
• Strong communication, interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally up to 20%.
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering and maintaining an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on Resilience Food Security Activities, Food for Progress, and / or Feed the Future programs as well as youth and climate programs.
• Experience with USAID contracts is a desirable advantage.
• Advanced degree in related field.
• Fluency in French, Portuguese, or Spanish.

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 $131,750 $147,250 base salary
• Geo 2 - Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average : Target Salary for this position is $119,850 $133,950 base salary
• Geo 3 - Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average : Target Salary for this position is $107,950 $120,650 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 upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available ).

Employee may be eligible for an incentive program. Save the Children US also offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, a retirement savings plan with employer contribution, paid vacation leave, safety & wellness leave, family leave, parental / adoption leave, caregiver leave, and much more.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

We do whatever it takes for children every day and in times of crisis transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit at every opportunity to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond.

As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve.

We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

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.