Head, Strategic Sourcing & Procurement (E1)

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

The Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement serves as the senior leader responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive procurement strategy that strengthens Save the Children US's operational excellence, financial stewardship, and mission impact. This role oversees Procurement which encompasses strategic sourcing and category management, supplier and vendor relationship management, and end-to-end purchasing and contract lifecycle processes (($50M to $70M in contracts and supplies) by embedding a strategic and data-informed approach across the organization, the Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement enables the agency to achieve long-term value, mitigate risk, and ensure resources are used effectively in support of children and families worldwide.

As the head of the function, this leader sets the vision for a unified sourcing and procurement framework, aligning the agency to a common set of principles, policies, and standards. The role partners closely with program, operations, finance, legal, technology, and global colleagues to ensure procurement practices are efficient, transparent, ethical, and fully compliant with donor regulations and organizational requirements. They champion continuous improvement, implement best-in-class procurement tools and approaches, and lead a high-performing team committed to service, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer serves as a strategic advisor to senior leadership across all areas of the Agency including, Finance, Legal, Programs, Technology, and Operations. The Head of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement is an influential strategic partner, providing insights that inform business decisions, create sustainable savings, strengthen supplier ecosystems, and support the organization's long-term priorities. This role is ideal for a visionary leader who can drive transformation while ensuring the fundamentals of procurement operate with consistency, accountability, and integrity.

Location

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

Remote - United States

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Governance, Policy & Compliance

• Oversee procurement governance frameworks to ensure consistent application of policies, internal controls, and ethical standards.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, federal acquisition guidelines (as applicable), global policies, and organizational standards.
• Maintain and evolve agency-wide procurement policies, templates, and tools to ensure clarity, usability, and accountability.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and internal audit to proactively manage risk and strengthen contract and vendor oversight.
• Embed environmental, social, and ethical sourcing considerations into procurement strategy and supplier relationships.

Sourcing Strategy & Vendor Management

• Lead sourcing strategies for key categories to drive value, competition, innovation, and sustainability. Key spend categories include programmatic goods and services, fundraising and marketing, IT and digital services, facilities, professional services, and insurance.
• Conduct market analyses, supplier evaluations, and cost-benefit assessments to inform leadership decisions.
• Build strong supplier relationships that support programmatic agility, resilience, and long-term value.
• Oversee competitive bid processes, contract negotiations, and supplier performance management.
• Manage vendor accountability in delivery of SLA's/KPI's

Procurement Operations & Team Leadership

• Manage centralized procurement operations, ensuring timely, quality, and cost-effective purchasing activities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing sourcing and procurement team with a culture of customer service, integrity, accountability, and excellence.
• Enhance systems, workflows, and technology platforms to support a scalable and efficient procurement lifecycle.
• Monitor and report procurement metrics, savings, risk indicators, and strategic performance outcomes.
• Advance procurement digitization, data analytics, and responsible use of automation and AI to improve efficiency, transparency, and decision-making.

Cross-Agency Partnership & Change Management

• Drive broad organizational alignment and adoption of standardized procurement practices.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to ensure procurement strategies meet program needs and achieve operational goals.
• Lead communication and change-management efforts that educate stakeholders and reinforce a culture of responsible stewardship.
• Serve as a connector across departments to ensure procurement supports strategic initiatives, innovations, and donor requirements

Required qualifications for the role

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, or related field preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, or related fields, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing procurement strategy within complex, multi-stakeholder organizations; Experience in complex nonprofit, public-sector, or private-sector environments
• Deep understanding of procurement best practices, supplier management, contracting, and competitive sourcing processes.
• Strong knowledge of compliance requirements related to donor funding, federal acquisition regulations, and global procurement policies.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, drive organization-wide alignment, and influence senior leaders.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and change-leadership skills.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to leverage data to guide decision-making and unlock enterprise value.
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English

Preferred qualifications for the role

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, or related field preferred.

Compensation

Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• Geo 1 - NY Metro, DC, and other locations with labor costs significantly above national average: Target Salary for this position is $205,700-$229,900 base salary

• Geo 2 - Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $187,000-$209,000 base salary
• Geo 3 - Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $168,300 - $188,100 base salary

The salary ranges listed above are for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary ranges will be based on the salary scales of the local employer of record. Actual base salary may vary based on, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available here).

About Us

We are looking to build an inclusive team at Save the Children. We offer a range of outstanding benefits to support this goal:

• Flexible schedules and time off: Flexible schedules, generous PTO, 11 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays and hybrid working opportunities
• Health: Competitive health care, dental and vision coverage for you and your family
• Family: A variety of paid leaves: caregiver, parental/adoption, critical child illness and fertility benefits
• Employee Rewards Program: Annual merit increases and/or additional incentives for eligible employees
• Retirement: A retirement savings plan with employer contributions (after one year)
• Wellness: 15 safety and wellness days annually (if hired on or after July 1, safety and wellness days prorated to 8 days), mental health benefits and support through Calm and company-hosted events
• Employee Assistance Program: free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services
• Learning & Growth: Access to internal and external learning & development opportunities and mentorships

Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in you.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to applicantsupport@savechildren.org.