Chief Financial Officer (E3)

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

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Save the Children, US is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team and a trusted strategic partner to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board of Trustees. The CFO reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for setting the overall financial strategy and ensuring the organization's resources are effectively aligned to achieve its mission of improving the lives of children in the U.S. and around the world. With the Agencies annual revenue of $500M-$800M, this role provides financial leadership, vision, and innovation to support both long-term sustainability and near-term impact.

The CFO leads all aspects of financial management, including finance operations, planning, and reporting. They are accountable for maintaining strong internal controls, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and driving transparency and accountability across the organization. The role is central in guiding investment and funding strategies, safeguarding organizational assets, and enabling data-driven decision-making.

At this pivotal moment, the role is central to driving the rebound and reform across key areas and the broader sector. The successful candidate will navigate strategic alliances and explore potential mergers and acquisitions to strengthen positioning and impact. A sharp focus on cost effectiveness and financial discipline is essential, ensuring ratios remain aligned with organizational targets. Over the next three to five years, the role will lead transformative initiatives across enterprise systems, including Financial Management Systems (FMS), Human Capital Management (HCM), and others, modernizing infrastructure and enabling data-driven decision-making. As a strategic business partner, the role will collaborate closely with key functions to foster agility and innovation. A critical opportunity lies in accelerating the shift toward a Private First fundraising model, helping evolve the organization into a high-performing, donor-centric fundraising engine.

Overseeing a highly capable finance team of 60, the CFO fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement. They serve as a visible leader across the organization, engaging with program, fundraising, and operational teams to ensure financial stewardship supports strategic priorities. With a forward-looking perspective, the CFO helps shape organizational strategy, manage risk proactively, and strengthens Save the Children's ability to deliver lasting change for children and families.

Location

Hybrid - Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations

On site - Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations

Remote - United States

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Stewardship

• Serve as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, shaping organizational strategy and aligning financial priorities with mission objectives.

• Partner with the CEO, SLT and Board of Trustees to provide forward-looking financial insights and recommendations that support long-term growth and sustainability.

• Lead capital planning, investment strategies, and financial modeling to guide decision-making and resource allocation.

• Run a clear corporate business financial cycle, encompassing strategic planning, budgeting and reporting.

• As part of the Global Finance Leadership Team within the global movement, sets strategy and priorities for the finance function, overseas implementation of finance initiatives, overseas the global annual budgeting process, and ensures sound financial practices.

• Maintain a deep strategic partnership and formal reporting relationship with Save the Children International to ensure alignment, transparency, and coordinated financial management.

• Strategic partnership with key functions to support the organization's transition to a Private First fundraising approach, ensuring financial strategies enable growth in private giving and donor engagement.

• Provide executive leadership for organizational transformation efforts, including the successful implementation of a new Financial Management System (FMS) to modernize processes, strengthen controls, and enhance reporting capabilities.

Finance Operations & Compliance

• Oversee all aspects of financial management, including accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, grants management, and treasury functions.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, donor restrictions, and audit standards while maintaining strong internal controls.

• Drive continuous improvement in financial systems, processes, and reporting to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and transparency.

• Provide critical analytical perspectives and executive financial summaries and guidance that connect important strategic decisions, including strategic alliances, and other significant capital investments.

• Oversee accounting systems, processes and procedures to record, monitor and report on the organization's assets and liabilities in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and all regulatory requirements.

• Monitor and manage cost ratios and organizational efficiency, ensuring Save the Children US meets cost-effective targets and maintains strong financial stewardship in line with sector standards and donor expectations.

• Develop and maintain policies to safeguard organizational assets, funding, and reputation.

• Ensure the process and timely preparation of all financial statements and reporting, including regular financial statements to management, regulatory agencies and the Board.

• Serve as the primary interface with the external auditor and auditing partner; oversee the annual audit of the organization's financial statements by its external auditors on a timely basis.

Team Leadership & Organizational Engagement

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a large and diverse finance team, fostering professional growth and building future leadership capacity.

• Partner across functions to promote a culture of accountability, stewardship, and collaboration in financial management.

• Train, develop, coach, lead, and supervise staff, clearly communicating organization, division and department priorities, and how their work contributes to our mission and supports Save the Children values

Required qualifications for the role

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related field; Master's degree or CPA preferred.

• 8+ years of senior financial leadership experience, preferably in large NGOs, international development, or complex non-profit organizations.

• Strong understanding of funder requirements, grant compliance, and international accounting standards.

• Demonstrated experience in financial strategy, risk management, and operational leadership.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to convey financial information to non-financial stakeholders.

• Experience managing multi-site or global operations preferred.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and vision with a mission-driven mindset.

• Strong ethical standards and commitment to transparency and accountability.

• Collaborative leadership and ability to influence at the executive and board level.

• Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic, complex environment.

• Commitment to a culture of belonging and inclusion

Preferred qualificationsfor the role

• Experience in a global nonprofit, international NGO, or mission-driven organization strongly preferred.

• A CPA, MBA, or equivalent is highly desirable.

Compensation

Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• Target Salary for this position is $ 375,000 - $ 425,000 base salary

The salary range listed above is for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary range 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.