Managing Director, Safeguarding (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, Safeguarding, you’ll be integral to our work in helping vulnerable children achieve a brighter future. You will have overall responsibility for ensuring that Save the Children US (SCUS) and its affiliates (Save the Children Action Network and SCUS Head Start) have appropriate standards in place to meet their safeguarding obligations to children and adults served by agency programs.  You will lead the SCUS Safeguarding Team and coordinate with agency leadership and staff across all divisions to foster a culture of safeguarding children and adults and to ensure that essential standards for awareness & training, prevention, reporting, and responding are effectively implemented and continuously improved.  You will also serve as the primary point of contact for the Senior Leadership Team and Board on matters relating to child and adult safeguarding.

Location

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

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

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

Leadership and Development

• Lead the SCUS Safeguarding Team, which supports all of the activities outlined here, ensuring their work aligns the agency’s mission and priorities.
• Oversee the agency-wide Safeguarding Community of Practice group, which brings together the SCUS Safeguarding Team with Safeguarding Advisors and Safeguarding Focal Points from across SCUS divisions.
• Train, develop, and coach the SCUS Safeguarding Team, Safeguarding Advisors, and Safeguarding Focal Points to deepen their expertise in the pillars of Safeguarding.
• Represent SCUS and actively participate in global Save the Children forums regarding safeguarding.

Oversight & Governance

• Keep updated on industry best practices to ensure Agency systems are current and responsive to relevant risks.
• Ensure SCUS’ policies and procedures align with the Save the Children Global Child Safeguarding Protocol and contribute to the further development of Save the Children movement standards and practices related to safeguarding.
• Oversee the SCUS framework for addressing risks to the safeguarding of children and adults served by SCUS programs, in coordination with agency leadership and other divisions.
• Report child and adult safeguarding-related incidents, trends, and action plans to the Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees, as appropriate.
• Provide subject-matter expertise and leadership for organization-wide action plans to enhance child and adult safeguarding practice based upon internal and external audit findings or other assessments.

Awareness & Training

• Lead the Safeguarding Team in developing, evaluating, and updating online training materials on safeguarding for SCUS staff, representatives, and partners.
• Oversee the development and delivery of in-person safeguarding training for Head Start staff and other audiences, as requested.
• Identify and address other safeguarding training needs, as appropriate.
• Monitor training completion metrics and evaluate effectiveness of learning programs.

Prevention

• In collaboration with teams across the Agency, oversee the design and maintenance of tools for safeguarding risk assessments and support teams in their use.
• Establish and support the dissemination of agency-wide standards for safe program design and delivery. .
• Oversee the design and implementation of safe partnership requirements and procedures for all of SCUS’ different categories of partners.
• Support and strengthen procedures in place for vetting consultants, trustees, and program visitors.
• Establish and oversee the implementation of standards for engaging with children and families on safeguarding.

Reporting

• Oversee safe, confidential, and accessible reporting channels for staff, volunteers, and program participants to raise safeguarding concerns.
• Coordinate with all divisions to ensure awareness campaigns and guidance on reporting processes.
• Protect whistle