Executive Assistant to the Chief Programme Delivery and Impact Officer Full Time NEW

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for an Executive Assistantto the Chief Programme Delivery and Impact Officerto join our global team.

Team purpose

The Programme Delivery & Impact department drives the implementation of our strategy by ensuring that programme and advocacy delivery is done right first time – at scale, with impact and quality, on time, on budget and with compliance. We aim to strengthen and enable implementing offices’ ability to work in complex and hostile environments, be more locally-led, smarter in its sourcing, and with a smaller environmental footprint. The department leads comprehensively on the organisation’s humanitarian and crisis response strategy, including prioritisation, programme quality, operational delivery and interagency collaboration and influencing.

The Chief Programme Delivery and Impact Officer (CPDIO) leads the whole of the Programme Delivery and Impact team, with ultimate responsibility for programme implementation and quality across the international programming portfolio, delivered through 48 Country/Response Offices. The CPDIO has 11 direct reports, including the EA.

Role purpose

To provide comprehensive administrative and organisational support to the CPDIO, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in diary management, meeting preparation, and travel arrangements. The role exists to enable the CPDIO to focus on strategic initiatives by managing day-to-day operational tasks autonomously while maintaining a high level of confidentiality and professionalism. The ultimate priority for the role is to support the CPDIO and enable their success in the role. By coordinating logistics and facilitating smooth communication, this role contributes to the overall success of Save the Children’s mission and objectives.

• Job Title: Executive Assistantto the Chief Programme Delivery and Impact Officer
• Reports To: Chief Programme Delivery and Impact Officer
• Work Pattern: Hybrid or remote with flexible working options available; availability must include Monday to Thursday
• 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
• Required Time Zone: GMT +/-1
• Contract Length: Permanent
• 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
• Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

Core executive assistant responsibilities (priority):

• Manage complex diary schedules and organise meetings, ensuring all logistics are coordinated and preparation materials are available in advance.
• Plan and arrange comprehensive travel itineraries, including ticketing, accommodation, travel documents (incl. visas) and necessary currencies.
• Review and manage the CPDIO’s inbox, responding to or flagging emails as appropriate, and maintaining a well-organised email filing system
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism, sound judgement, and discretion at all times
• Track actions and follow-ups arising from meetings, correspondence, and key engagements, supporting timely progress and accountability where required.
• Anticipate priorities and administrative needs by identifying upcoming requirements, potential issues, and opportunities to support effective planning and decision-making
• Prepare and submit expense reimbursement requests for the CPDIO in the financial management system in accordance with organisational policy; and review expense reimbursement requests sent for the CPDIO’s approval to ensure they are in line with policy before requesting final approval
• Process invoices for procurements paid directly from the CPDIO budget, always ensuring compliance with procurement policy
• Maintain and update departmental mailing lists and contact lists in coordination with regional teams and global team coordinators
• Provide occasional administrative support to the Senior Directors, especially when they are acting as Officer-in-Charge for the CPDIO
• Ensure effective collaboration with peer EAs, including mutual support and efficient coordination of joint meetings
• Manage and efficiently direct ad hoc queries; and manage questions submitted via internal employee channels

Additional Team Support Responsibilities:

• Organise and manage departmental and leadership meetings, preparing agendas, pre-reads, and ensuring all relevant updates and feedback are incorporated. Includes the coordination of the Global Programme Directors monthly meeting
• Maintain the PD&I team’s gratitude & recognition process and ensure recognitions are shared with intended recipients
• Schedule and manage independently the fortnightly PD&I Connect sessions
• Manage the monthly Horizon newsletter
• Ad hoc administrative support to projects the CPDIO is directly responsible for

Essential

Experience and Skills

• Significant Experience in Diary Management: Proven track record of managing complex schedules and organising meetings at various levels of an organisation and across multiple time zones
• Proficient Experience in Travel Planning: Demonstrated ability to plan and arrange comprehensive travel itineraries across multiple regions
• Experience in Organising Meetings and Events: Competence in preparing agendas, collating pre reads, and incorporating relevant updates and feedback for departmental and leadership meetings
• Experience in Inbox Management: Ability to review, manage, and maintain a high-volume email inbox, flagging and responding to emails as appropriate
• Exceptional Organisational Skills: Ability to prioritise tasks effectively, manage multiple activities simultaneously, and ensure all logistics are coordinated seamlessly
• Strong Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, always exercising sensitivity, judgment and discretion. Approachable, a good listener, and able to build and maintain relationships with team members, partners, and other stakeholders
• Attention to Detail: Critical for maintaining departmental records, organising meetings, managing complex travel itineraries, and drafting, proofreading and editing documents
• Problem-Solving Abilities: Ability to anticipate issues, troubleshoot problems independently, and offer creative solutions
• Considerable Experience in Document Preparation: Skilled in drafting, editing, and proof-reading a variety of professional documents, including Board and SLT papers
• Digital Confidence: Microsoft 365 proficiency; comfortable across a range of digital and collaboration platforms; proactively adopts emerging tools and brings genuine AI curiosity to improving efficiency and productivity.

Essential

Education and Qualifications

• Comfortable with learning to use and navigate standard ERP system tools (financial management system, procurement system, online travel booking system, IT ticketing system etc.)

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 at SCI Careers . 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

• Application review by our recruiting team based on your CV and cover letter
• This recruitment will include a written assessment
• Two competency-based interviews with the hiring team
• 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.