Save the Children International exists to ensure children survive, learn and are protected. Across 90 countries, our people work together to create lasting change for children and communities facing crisis, inequality and injustice.

To help deliver this mission, we are seeking an exceptional individual to join as our new Chief People Officer (CPO).

The People Team exists to ensure Save the Children International has the talent, culture and organisational capability needed to maximise our impact for children. We do this by attracting and developing high-performing, diverse teams; fostering an inclusive, values-driven culture; strengthening leadership and organisational effectiveness; and ensuring fair, safe and supportive working environments across our global operations.

Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Chief People Officer will set and drive a global people agenda that enables the organisation to achieve its mission and long-term ambitions. This is a pivotal leadership role with responsibility for shaping organisational culture, leadership capability, workforce effectiveness and the future operating model of the global People function.

The CPO will lead a Global People Team of approximately 70 FTE and oversee HR functions supporting 12,000 employees across 50 country offices and 90 countries worldwide.

A key early priority for the role will be to lead the transformation of Global People Services - stabilising core operations, strengthening HR systems and workforce data, improving service delivery, and building a modern, employee-centred People Services model. Working closely with the Transformation and IT teams, the successful candidate will also help shape the organisation’s future workforce and capability model, ensuring Save the Children International is equipped to deliver its ambitious reform agenda.

Alongside operational transformation, the CPO will play a central role in strengthening leadership and talent pipelines, embedding a high-performing and values-led culture, and enhancing employee engagement, wellbeing and inclusion across the organisation. The postholder will act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board on people, culture and organisational effectiveness matters, while building strong partnerships across a complex global movement.

The successful candidate will bring significant senior HR or people leadership experience within a complex international organisation, together with a strong track record of leading large-scale HR transformation and organisational change. You will combine strategic vision with operational rigour and have demonstrable experience of rebuilding or modernising people operations, HR shared services and enterprise HRIS platforms, ideally Oracle.

An influential and collaborative leader, you will be comfortable operating across diverse cultures and stakeholder groups, with the credibility and resilience to lead in complex, high-pressure environments. Experience within federated, matrixed or international NGO environments would be advantageous, though candidates from the private sector with relevant global transformation expertise are also encouraged to apply.

We are seeking a leader who is resilient, grounded and values-led, with the emotional intelligence, integrity and judgement to navigate complexity with empathy and credibility. The successful candidate will bring a collaborative and inclusive leadership style, building trust and alignment across diverse cultures, teams and stakeholders, while balancing support and challenge to drive meaningful organisational impact. Politically astute and highly relationship-oriented, they will combine strategic vision with humanity, fostering a culture where people feel empowered, supported and inspired to deliver their best for children. Most importantly, the next Chief People Officer will demonstrate a deep commitment to Save the Children International’s mission, values and ambition to create lasting change for children around the world.

Save the Children International operates globally. The successful candidate will ideally be based in a location within +/-3 hours of UTC to support effective collaboration across teams. The role will require international travel. A competitive remuneration package will be offered, commensurate with experience.

If you want to help us create lasting, positive change for and with children, we would love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Save the Children International is partnering with executive search firm Perrett Laver to support this recruitment. All applications should be submitted via their website, and they’ll be your main point of contact for any queries throughout the process.

To apply, please submit a CV and short covering letter (no more than 2 pages), detailing your interest and how you fulfil the role description and personal specification above.

The deadline for applications is Monday 15th June 2026, 8:00am UTC.

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.

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.

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

Save the Children International

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