Managing Director, Humanitarian Policy (M3)

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 Managing Director of Humanitarian Policy, you will be integral to Save the Children’s efforts to protect children affected by conflict, natural disasters, famine, and other humanitarian crises globally. You will oversee Save the Children’s U.S. federal humanitarian policy portfolio, leading policy research and federal relations outreach and strategy, with a strong emphasis on bipartisan engagement to advance child-focused policies. Reporting to the Head of Policy, the Managing Director will lead a team responsible for executing specific advocacy strategies that produce measurable results in the legislative and executive branch arenas. This position will coordinate closely with others, including other teams within Save the Children US and globally with other offices within the Save the Children federation. This role will also engage closely with U.S. and international coalition partners, and other leaders in the humanitarian policy, advocacy, and programmatic community and coordinate with other teams in government relations as needed.

Location

Hybrid – Washington DC office location

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

*not inclusive of all role responsibilities. May be subject to change.

Develop and lead U.S. global policy and advocacy strategy on countries and issues where Save the Children is providing major humanitarian and recovery assistance (55%)

• Lead Save the Children’s humanitarian policy agenda on our full portfolio of issues, including conflict, natural disaster, famine, complex emergencies, civilian-military relations, and other humanitarian responses.
• Manage and prioritize federal humanitarian policy portfolio, leading agenda setting, development, and implementation of issue-specific advocacy strategies
• Lead policy development and strategic planning for ongoing and emerging humanitarian crises, leveraging the full range of U.S. government policymaking tools, including legislation, appropriations, executive actions, regulatory authorities, and internal agency policies.
• Advance Save the Children’s humanitarian priorities through strategic engagement with Congress, the Executive Branch, and multilateral institutions, with a strong emphasis on bipartisan outreach.
• Represent Save the Children in humanitarian policy coalitions, fostering bipartisan collaboration and leading or managing coalition efforts when appropriate.
• Monitor and develop subject-matter expertise on emerging humanitarian crises beyond the core portfolio, ensuring organizational readiness and strategic response.
• Brief Chief Policy Officer, Head of Policy, and senior colleagues on emerging developments, risks, and opportunities, and lead Save the Children’s outreach to policymakers on new and evolving humanitarian situations.
• Oversee the development of policy products, including reports, briefs, and external-facing materials, to support advocacy and public engagement.
• Identify and promote opportunities for bipartisan engagement with policymakers and stakeholders.
• Maintain regular communication and coordination with the Head of Policy on progress toward goals, challenges, and emerging priorities.
• Provide strategic leadership during critical legislative or administrative developments, responding rapidly to evolving policy environments.

Manage the Humanitarian Policy Team and serve on the Government Relations Senior Management Team. (20%)

• Supervise a team of policy and advocacy professionals focused on humanitarian issues.
• Hire, train, and manage humanitarian policy staff.
• Train, develop, coach, lead, and supervise humanitarian policy team staff, clearly communicating organization, division, and department priorities, and how their work contributes to our mission and supports Save the Children values.
• Oversee performance management, goal setting, and professional development, including mid-year and annual performance reviews.
• Participate in the Government Relations Senior Management Team and align strategies across policy areas and teams to achieve strategic and campaign goals.

Improve the reach and scope of Save the Children International’s (SCI) humanitarian advocacy through collaboration with wider SCI membership. (15%)

• Represent Save the Children US in global Save the Children humanitarian policy and advocacy teams.
• Prepare, contribute to, and review reports and other written materials related to humanitarian policy and advocacy, as well as key crises and conflicts.

• Develop relationships with peers in other Save the Children member, regional, and country offices, as well as Save the Children International and Save the Children representative offices for international organizations.

Monitoring, accountability, and administrative. (10%)

• Track progress toward objectives and grant deliverables, including contributing to reporting and administration.
• Assist with the completion of Save the Children quarterly and yearly reporting.
• Contribute to department strategy, annual work planning, budgeting, and fundraising.

Required qualifications for the role

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, plus at least 10 years of relevant experience.

• Proven experience in legislative/lobbying, government relations, or humanitarian policy advocacy, including on Capitol Hill or relevant federal agency.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the legislative process, including authorization and appropriations.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain bipartisan relationships and navigate politically diverse environments.
• Strong people and program management experience, including planning, prioritization and execution skills, along with demonstrated experience in managing multiple priorities and competing demands.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytic skills.
• Experience working in coalitions or cross-sector policy alliances.
• Proven ability to communicate and work with individuals and across teams at all levels in a collaborative, contributory manner while leveraging the strengths and buy-in of others.
• Ability to adapt to changing environments and develop creative solutions to strategic challenges.
• This position is based in Washington, DC and will require attendance of in-person meetings on Capitol Hill, with the Executive Branch, and with coalition partners.
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred qualifications for the role

• Experience working in and managing people in large, complex, global organizations.

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 $143,650 – $160,550 base salary
• Geo 2 – Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $130,900 – $146,300 base salary
• Geo 3 – Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $116,875 – $130,625 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 applicantsupport@savechildren.org.