Senior Director, Portfolio Management; M2

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, access to education, and a safe environment protected from harm. We work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places in over 100 countries, including the U.S. When you join Save the Children, you’re creating positive, irreversible change for children and for the future we all share.

Save the Children’s Impact & Evidence division strives to serve people who serve children by providing high‑quality, strategically aligned resources, insights, and support to drive measurable, transformative change. By testing bold ideas, proving what works, and scaling effective solutions, we improve children’s lives while ensuring we contribute more value than we consume and make space for others best positioned to lead.

As Senior Director, Portfolio Management, you will provide financial support for Save the Children’s international portfolio. You will ensure financial and operational processes run timely and efficiently, report to the Managing Director, Portfolio Management, and support budget holders, award management, and expense allocation for the portfolios served.

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

• Lead the development and implementation of the annual fiscal budget process for your region, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
• Partner with senior leadership to develop and analyze financial projections and forecasts for the division, identifying and addressing financial risks.
• Use financial data and historical spending to provide direction to portfolio managers in preparing financial projections, ensuring spending plans align with organizational objectives and risk tolerance.
• Coordinate with the Program Design team to keep cost models and equivalencies up to date.
• Conduct regular budget reviews to ensure proper and efficient use of resources and advise portfolio managers and budget holders on techniques for maximizing funds.
• Proactively identify funding gaps and provide strategic guidance to fundraising teams to align funding with our strategy.

• Lead budget development for complex grant proposals by partnering with program and country office staff to translate program needs into sound financial plans.
• Provide strategic guidance and support to direct reports on all aspects of the award management lifecycle with support from the Portfolio Management Advisor.
• Conduct regular reviews of award portfolios, including oversight of life‑of‑award meetings, to identify and mitigate potential risks and coordinate with award staff to develop spend plans that align with scope of work and donor conditions.
• Review and approve donor spending reports for direct reports to ensure data accuracy and compliance with donor and audit requirements.

• Lead the development of financial training materials and conduct regular trainings for finance and program staff on financial policies, procedures, and award compliance.
• Work with the Managing Director to update financial policies and procedures and implement best practices across the team.
• Manage needs assessments to identify staff training requirements, evaluate effectiveness, and make improvements.
• Develop and train internal and external stakeholders on various financial topics, including:
• Budget holder guidance
• Financial policies and procedures
• Donor compliance and reports
• Federal regulations (e.g., 2 CFR 200, EDGAR, and others)

• Provide strategic direction, coaching, and performance management for a team of advisors responsible for cost center and award management.
• Delegate tasks effectively, ensuring timely completion and high quality.
• Coach and mentor Portfolio Manager Advisors, fostering a positive, results‑oriented team environment.
• Work with Portfolio Management leadership to develop team goals and financial strategies.
• Act as a backstop for other Directors and backfill for your team during vacancies to ensure coverage.
• Meet with direct…