Lead, Transformation Portfolio & Resource Management – SCUS

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Lead, Transformation Portfolio & Resource Management – SCUS to join our global team.

Team and Job Purpose

The Transformation Portfolio Management and Reporting (PMO) team plays a critical role in overseeing and supporting the successful delivery of the entire portfolio of Transformation initiatives. This includes ensuring a clear understanding of how projects interconnect including, managing resourcing, managing governance frameworks, and implementing controls that facilitate effective decision-making. The team manages key portfolio-level governance forums, as well as owns and maintains project management standards, guidance, and tooling, ensuring consistency and quality across all initiatives. At the project level, team monitors the progress of ongoing Transformation projects and provides assurance that they adhere to established project management methodologies. At the portfolio level, the PMO conducts portfolio-level analysis to identify dependencies, assess risks, and evaluate and support the overall health and trajectory of the Transformation plan.

The SCUS Member is part of the Global Save the Children movement and implements transformation projects within their organisation that are part of the Global Transformation scope as well as change related to the specific needs of the US Member. To drive consistency and efficiency, SCUS have decided to outsource their portfolio oversight and management and the delivery of global transformation initiatives that need to be implemented in SCUS to SCI. This will ensure aligned approaches and economies of scale through bringing this work together. SCUS will remain accountable for governance and decision making and will provide critical SME and delivery input as well as ensuring they provide change management capabilities locally. 

Role purpose

The Lead, Transformation Portfolio & Resource Management – SCUS is a key member of the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) team, looking at  a set of initiatives focused on our core systems and processes are robust and efficient, enabling us to focus on where we can deliver the greatest value and supporting all our programming across Development and Humanitarian and in delivery through Partners. This role will also manage key PMO-owned governance forums across the portfolio. 

Alongside core PMO support for projects, this role will take the lead in defining and implementing a standard resourcing processes supported by required tooling across the SCUS portfolio. The role will guide teams from the business as well as projects including project managers and IT leads with the planning and allocating of IT, BA and select SME resources needed to deliver on requirements; determine the portfolio’s demand for resources and ensure its capacity to meet staffing needs of projects; support the assignment of resources to a project’s tasks; participate in the hiring process; ensure alignment between resource forecasts and budget; and work closely with Finance Business Partners in regular financial control of forecasted demand costs; pressure test resource estimates and engage Project, IT and Business Leadership to effectively manage required communications and where necessary difficult messages where work cannot be completed within the proposed timelines.

This will be a critical role to ensure we effectively manage resource and anticipate resourcing issues ahead of these becoming a reality and disrupting or delaying initiatives from progressing. This is also critical to ensure that resources are allocated to the highest priority work where demand exceeds capacity.

Job Title: Lead, Transformation Portfolio & Resource Management – SCUS

Reports To: Head, Portfolio Management, SCUS Transformation

Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available 

Contract Length: Permanent

Grade: P5

Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers

Time Zone (that the role holder must be available to work in): Any

Right to Work: The successful candidate must possess the unrestricted right to work in their current or preferred location for the duration of employment. 

Language Requirements: English

Principal Accountabilities

Portfolio Management

• Drive effective portfolio delivery by holding initiative teams accountable for delivery against plans in accordance with Save the Children methodologies, removing blockers and engaging senior stakeholders when escalation or support is required
• Support portfolio‑level planning and controls, including interdependency management, ensuring dependencies are captured, monitored and acted upon
• Monitor delivery performance and reporting (resourcing, benefits, budgets, risks/issues), escalating concerns and providing hands‑on delivery support to Project Managers as needed
• Lead PMO governance and reporting, preparing and facilitating key forums and maintaining portfolio/project dashboards, including implementing continuous improvements
• Build PM capability by training and coaching Project Managers/Leads on the Delivery Lifecycle, PMO controls, tooling, and best practice; identify opportunities to improve tools and processes
• Continuously improve portfolio management practices, enhancing PMO policies, processes, and reporting standards

Resource Management 

• Define, maintain, and run the resource management process, ensuring effective allocation, utilisation tracking, and conflict resolution across the portfolio
• Maintain a single source of truth for SCUS Transformation and  IT resource demand, producing reporting for IT, Finance, project teams and governance forums, and ensuring forecast completeness and accuracy for financial cycles
• Lead capacity and horizon planning (3‑, 6‑, and 12‑month views) to assess capability to deliver across the portfolio and recommend resource adjustments
• Monitor workloads and utilisation, proactively managing resource conflicts, addressing shortages (reallocation, additional staffing, third‑party options) and escalating risks to senior management
• Own and improve resourcing processes and collateral, including utilisation reports, guidance, templates, and continuous improvement of ways of working
• Provide PM support and drive behavioural change on effective resource management. Collaborate closely with Finance on budget alignment, monthly reviews and forecast accuracy. This role will include a dotted reporting line into Finance for budget-related activity

Experience and Skills

Essential

1. Strong understanding of project and portfolio planning, including associated resourcing, budgeting impacts, and forecasting requirements
2. Proven ability to engage and influence stakeholders, ensuring clear documentation of outcomes, timely action-taking and mobilisation of individuals outside direct reporting lines
3. Demonstrated capability to work across multiple teams and departments to track progress, manage escalations, remove blockers and resolve issues swiftly while upholding standards and procedures
4. Experience in maintaining and continuously improving process maps, guidance and training materials for project management and resourcing processes, ensuring they remain current and effective
5. Significant experience delivering comprehensive reporting and dashboards, including trend and data analysis, and communicating insights clearly to Finance and senior stakeholders to inform decision-making
6. Skilled at holding colleagues accountable to defined processes while providing appropriate support and ensuring adherence to organisational standards
7. Strong analytical, critical thinking and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to dive into complex resourcing details and provide outcome‑focused guidance to senior leaders
8. Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks effectively, working proactively and autonomously to identify solutions and manage competing demands
9. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written, verbal, negotiation and presentation), with diplomacy and the confidence to stand one’s ground when needed
10. Cultural awareness and experience delivering solutions in an international context, combined with self‑motivation and independent working capability

Desirable

• Commitment to the mission, vision and values of Save the Children
• Non-profit sector knowledge/experience
• Knowledge of IT skillsets
• Second language from one of Save the Children’s core languages (French, Spanish and Arabic)

Education and Qualifications 

Essential

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent work experience

Desirable

• Understanding of or Training on a structured Project methodology e.g. PRINCE2 or similar resource management course is desirable 

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 put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like-minded 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 that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

DEI is core to our vision, values and global strategy. Save the Children is committed to creating a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation, and one which will support us in our vision to ensure every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation.

We are committed 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, or beliefs and religion. We are committed to diversifying our staff to better represent the communities we serve and actively welcome underrepresented groups to apply.

Reasonable adjustments will be made should any candidate invited to interview require this.

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 here 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 job advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Candidates who are successfully shortlisted should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks of the advert deadline.

Our recruitment process:

1. Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews with the hiring team
3. Some recruitment may include an additional assessment or case study stage, or a third stage interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, followed by your contract subject to passing background checks

We need to keep children and adults safe so our selection process includes rigorous background checks and reflects our commitment to the protection of children and adults from abuse. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our Code of Conduct and all policies and procedures relating to Anti-harassment, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, and DEI and Equal Opportunities.

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