Head, SCUS Portfolio Management Office (PMO)

Head, SCUS Portfolio Management Office (PMO) – Save the Children International

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Head, SCUS Portfolio Management Office (PMO) to 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 Portfolio Management and Reporting (PMO) team oversees and supports the delivery of the entire portfolio of Transformation initiatives. The team ensures a clear understanding of interdependencies between projects, manages resourcing, governance frameworks, and controls to facilitate decision-making. It maintains project management standards, guidance, and tooling to ensure consistency and quality across initiatives. At the project level, the team monitors progress and provides assurance that projects adhere to established methodologies. At the portfolio level, the PMO conducts portfolio-level analysis to identify dependencies, assess risks, and evaluate the health and trajectory of the Transformation roadmap and plans.

SCUS is part of the Global Save the Children movement and implements transformation projects within the Global Transformation scope, as well as change related to the needs of the US Member. To drive consistency and efficiency, SCUS will outsource portfolio oversight and management and the delivery of global transformation initiatives to SCI. SCUS will remain accountable for governance and decision making and will provide critical SME and delivery input.

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available

Grade: M4

Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For locations, please visit the SCI Careers site.

Time Zone: Any (role holder must be available to work in any time zone)

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: Yes, up to 10%

Budget Responsibility: Indirectly supports budget of approximately $10-15m+

People Management Responsibility: Number of people managed in total: 4 (TBC). Manager of a team: Yes. Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): No

Experience and Skills

• Responsibility for managing a complex portfolio of transformation initiatives at a national level, including holding projects to account for delivering and ensuring escalations relating to projects are effectively managed through to resolution.
• Experience working with and leading engagements with global stakeholders across different levels and contexts, acting as a business partner to functional areas (e.g., Supply Chain, Finance), and engaging with complex governance bodies.
• Experience overseeing budgets and adapting to changes where required.
• Experience with industry project management standards and holding project management teams accountable to those standards.
• Ability to oversee and provide hands-on support to resolve complex project issues with pragmatism and rigour.
• Experience setting up governance bodies to oversee projects with senior stakeholder representation at SLT or equivalent level.
• Experience delivering interventions to support issue resolution.
• Coaching skills to help build capabilities in Portfolio Management.
• Experience in fast-paced environments with high change and quick turnarounds, while delivering to high standards. Commitment to Save the Children values.
• Global-level portfolio management experience; experience in challenging geographies (Middle East, Africa, Asia) and non-profit sector familiarity.
• Proficiency in a second Save the Children core language (French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic).

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• Understanding of structured project methodology (e.g., PRINCE2) or accredited project management training (APM or PMI), including experience leading a project using such a methodology

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 fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we prioritise the most deprived and marginalised children.

We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career within a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work is challenging but immensely rewarding. You will be in good company, working with talented 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 support our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, to reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. We are committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation and 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, beliefs and religion. We actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply and will make reasonable adjustments for interview applicants where needed.

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 via 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 advert may close earlier than advertised depending on applicant volume. Apply at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Due to high volumes of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our recruitment process:

• Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
• Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
• Additional assessments or a third-stage interview may be included
• If successful, a conditional offer of employment will follow by contract subject to background checks

We require safeguarding and safety in our process. All employees are expected to comply with our Code of Conduct and policies relating to Anti-harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, DEI and Equal Opportunities.

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

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Product Management and Project Management

Industries

• Civic and Social Organizations, Non-profit Organizations, and Philanthropic Fundraising Services