Save the Children believes every child has the right to a future. In Canada and around the world, we do whatever it takes – every day and in times of crisis – to support children to fulfill their rights to a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. With over 100 years of experience, Save the Children is the world’s first and leading independent children’s organization – transforming lives and the future we share.

THE IMPACT YOU WILL MAKE:

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides executive leadership in the development and execution of Save the Children Canada’s (SCC) strategy, business operations, and organizational transformation objectives including executive oversight of the Operations Team. The COO is a core member and instrumental team player on the executive team (ET) and serves as a duty officer to the President and CEO. This role provides strategic leadership across all operational functions, ensuring SCC’s systems, processes, and infrastructure support its vision and future sustainability. The COO leads organizational strategy, transformation, risk management, and business continuity. The role is also accountable for strategic oversight of IT, organizational policy systems, safeguarding, accreditation, facilities management, and travel escalation protocols. This role includes oversight and monitoring of organizational strategy, ensuring full alignment with SCC’s strategic impact areas and pathways for impact. This role leads the design and execution of SCC’s transformation projects and agenda. The COO plays a pivotal role in translating strategic vision into actionable priorities, driving cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring operational excellence across the organization. Acting as a critical bridge between the Executive Team (ET) and Leadership Team (LT), the COO guides organizational planning, monitors organizational performance and leads strategic reporting. This role also serves as the ET representative on the Board’s Strategy and Risk Committee (SARC) and represents SCC in assigned global forums.

Key Project Oversight Anticipated for 2026/2027: Organizational Revenue strategy, Transforming for Impact Change Initiative including an enhanced Operating Model, Strategic Planning, AI, Knowledge Management, Misc. Facilities and IT projects, Misc. Strategy & Risk Board Committee Priorities Projects.

Position Location: Must reside in Ontario and able to commute to the office location in Toronto at least one day per week. Relocation assistance may be available.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Business Operations 

• Oversees day-to-day organizational operations, providing oversight of the full suite of internal operational functions. The COO leads through complexity, champions cross-functional coordination, and ensures that SCC delivers objectives with integrity, efficiency, and equity. Champion efforts to increase operational efficiency of SCC.
• Facilitate the strategic visioning and long-term planning process. Oversee the conception and implementation of a comprehensive organization strategy and business continuity. Translate strategy into clear operating plans with KPIs, budgets, and timelines
• Advance and monitor the objectives of SCC in line with the organization’s strategic plan, adhering to and role modeling the values and integrating safeguarding practices
• Lead the execution of SCC’s strategic vision by aligning organizational priorities including a robust revenue strategy. This includes development of an evolving target operating model that promotes innovation and operational excellence. Leads cross functional strategic deliverables including operational revenue data, project budgets, and outputs related to diverse revenue streams.
• Oversee SCC’s strategic planning and implementation processes, including setting organizational priorities, ensuring performance and impact monitoring and developing cohesive strategies to achieve meaningful change for children that support SCC’s impact areas and aligned with the Global SCI/A strategy.
• Oversee SCC’s implementation of a robust risk framework to manage organizational risks and Board reporting that ensures organizational resilience and delivers strategic outcomes. Holds accountability for organizational risk, governance, and performance serving as a visible, inclusive, and influential voice in institutional planning and organizational stewardship.
• Represent SCC on the global strategy forums, the Member’s Child Safeguarding forum and other groups as needed within the COOs mandate

Organizational Transformation

• Drive SCC’s strategic agenda and investments to achieve our theory of transformation, ensuring strategic priorities are effectively identified, resourced, and implemented.
• Lead and deliver transformation initiatives and evolving strategic projects from SCC and SCI/A. Ensures robust oversight of key SCC business processes, portfolio reporting, risk mitigation, dependencies, compliance and resourcing. Models and strengthens leadership culture to drive accountability at all levels.
• Champion organizational change initiatives that foster adaptability, resilience, and innovation in SCC’s ways of working. Ensure strong governance structures for cross-functional transformation initiatives, including project planning and reporting, risk identification, and seamless transitions to Business-As-Usual (BAU) operations.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for issues related to transformation initiatives, ensuring resolution, effective risk mitigation, and/or further escalation.
• Steer and execute operational engagement strategies to ensure that transformation projects are co-designed with subject matter experts and functional owners.
• Translate ET strategic decisions into actionable plans for implementation, provide direction and support to the ET and LT, and ensure change collaboration across all functions. Leads and implements all ET and CEO org-wide strategic communications.
• Lead continuous improvement of organizational processes, systems, and technologies to increase capacity and efficiency. Ensure interest holders are well-prepared for change initiatives and that their experiences are captured to inform continuous improvement efforts.

People Management 

• Lead assigned team/department providing strategic direction, coaching, and performance management while ensuring alignment with organizational values and policies.
• Set clear team and individual performance expectations for productivity, quality, and success; providing direction and support as needed.
• Oversee budget management, recruitment, change management and career development while ensuring compliance, fostering a respectful, values-driven culture, and maintaining a safe and inclusive workplace
• Ensure regular and transparent communication on strategy and policies, uphold SCC’s Code of Conduct, Policies, Leadership Charter, Reconciliation, Equity, Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion (READI),Health and Safety standards, integrates Child Safeguarding practices, models competencies, and professional and ethical behavior.

Qualifications include (but are not limited to):

• Post-secondary education in relevant field or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of 10+ years senior leadership experience in business operations management roles preferably in a not-for-profit setting. Familiarity with international humanitarian organizations or mission-driven global systems.
• Extensive experience project management, budget management and analysis skills (PowerBI) to drive strategic decision-making and organizational performance.
• Strong change leadership and risk management skills to support the implementation of organizational change and strategic initiatives
• Ability to engage at all levels of the organization including a federated model.
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Proven success partnering with Boards of Directors and executive leaders on governance, risk, and strategy. Experience managing and mentoring senior-level leaders
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and alignment across stakeholders; additional proficiency in additional languages is a strong asset in global collaboration. 
• Skilled in active listening, collaboration, and facilitation, combined with strong influencing and negotiation capabilities.
• Demonstrated sound judgment and decisive leadership in complex and high-pressure environments.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills to navigate ambiguity and deliver innovative, evidence-based solutions.
• Ability to occasionally travel locally, nationally and internationally (less than 10%) as required. 

 WHAT WE OFFER 

The salary range for this position is between $167,473.73 to $201,092.10 CAD depending on skills and experience. In addition to this, our employees will have the following package of additional benefits:

• Comprehensive benefits package for you and your dependents available three months after employment start date. Coordinated benefits for your partner paid by Save the Children Canada.
• Hybrid workplace including opportunities to work remotely and flexible work hours to support employee wellbeing and work life balance. 
• 5 weeks of annual paid vacation.
• In addition to annual leave, we offer an end of year office closure December 25 - January 1 (SAVE Days) so we can all recharge simultaneously.
• 5 paid personal days.
• 3 paid float day.
• 10 paid sick leave days.
• Parental leave top-up.
• Employer contributions to group pension plan. Access to help save for a first home through the pension provider.
• Learning and development opportunities and specialized training including professional development time.
• Confidential Employee Assistance Program services available to you and your dependents from your first day of employment.
• Organization-wide membership access to Headspace.

HOW TO APPLY?

If you are interested in this position, please visit the career page at https://www.savethechildren.ca/ and submit your resume and cover letter by 5:00 pm EST April 3, 2026. Internal candidates, please apply via ADP by 5:00 pm EST March 10, 2026 . Applications will be reviewed on ongoing basis. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Please note that AI is used in some components of the recruitment process.

It is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure all children are protected from deliberate or unintentional acts that lead to the risk of, or actual, harm caused by our employees. Each employee shall be aware that there may be additional vulnerabilities facing children associated with their age, socio-economic background, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, identity, sexual orientation or identity, and is committed to ensuring this does not form barriers to effective safeguarding.

Each employee is committed to fostering and sustaining a safe environment through proactive, accessible, and effective approaches that seek to prevent and respond to any harm to the children including but not limited to sexual exploitation and abuse. SCC and all its employees will take all reasonable steps to make itself safe, both as an organisation and in the conduct of all aspects of its day-to-day operations of emergency, humanitarian, developmental, policy, campaigning and administrative work.

SCC supports and acts in compliance with the Human Rights Code. SCC is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (‘AODA’). Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort, and as an organization, SCC is committed to working with the necessary parties to make accessibility for all a reality. If you require an accommodation during any stage of the recruitment or employment process, please notify People & Culture at peopleandculture@savethechildren.ca

Please Note: This job opportunity is to fill an existing vacancy.

This recruitment process may involve the use of AI-enabled or automated tools within ADP Workforce Now to help manage job postings and application workflows. These tools may assist with tasks such as organizing applicant information, identifying potential matches based on job-related qualifications, or supporting communication and scheduling.

 All hiring decisions are made by our People & Culture team and hiring managers. No automated tool makes final decisions about your candidacy. If at any point you have questions about how your information is used, please contact our team at peopleandculture@savethechildren.ca