Save the Children seeks a Deputy Project Director (Operations) for the anticipated $10 million U.S. Department of State-funded Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership Program in Romania. The purpose of the CPC is to strengthen Romanian government and civil society efforts to prevent child trafficking in Romania; effectively investigate, prosecute, and convict perpetrators of child trafficking; proactively identify, protect, and provide comprehensive, trauma-informed care for child victims; and promote effective collaboration to combat child trafficking.
The Deputy Project Director (DPD) will support the Project Director to lead operational/financial management and compliance for a high-quality project focused on combating forced child labor and child sex trafficking in a coordinated, victim-centered, and proactive manner that addresses targeted risk factors, ensures comprehensive victim protection, and effectively investigates, prosecutes, and convicts child traffickers. The DPD will work in close collaboration with the Project Director and a team of Save the Children staff. The DPD will lead project staff and provide operational guidance, expertise and leadership.
Hiring is contingent upon successful award of the project and USAID approval of the candidate.
Romanian nationals are encouraged to apply.
What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties):
- Provide operational leadership, supporting high-quality implementation by ensuring smooth and compliant financial and administrative systems and processes.
- Support the Project Director with financial management and ensure that the program meets all Save the Children, donor and host country regulations and requirements related to funds usage, accountability, and operations within the country.
- Establish and maintain efficient financial and operational systems including internal audits, compliance, record keeping and risk management.
- Oversee accounting, finance, invoicing, and other related financial functions.
- Manage and monitor budget and financial tracking, delivering timely reports to relevant stakeholders, both internally and externally.
- Oversee and execute payroll processes for local personnel and manage all necessary deductions.
- Monitor program budget and advise senior management on burn rates and other programmatic considerations; provide complete and compliant required reporting; and maintain financial records for all program activities.
- Manage all procurements and ensure appropriate approvals are obtained from management.
- If applicable, actively supervise the monitoring of subgrantee budgets and spending to ensure adherence to set guidelines.
- Recruit, hire and manage operations, finance, HR and administrative staff.
- Prioritize team building and professional growth to ensure high-performance standards and effective collaboration.
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in accounting, business administration or related field preferred and 5 years of experience. Bachelor’s degree required. An additional 5 years of experience may substitute for a graduate degree.
- Minimum of five years of senior experience managing operations, administration, logistics and finance for a program of similar size and complexity.
- Demonstrated operational experience and expertise in some or all of the following: financial management, procurement, compliance, and human resources management.
- Experience managing U.S. Government-supported projects and activities (USAID, Department of State, Department of Labor).
- Experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff and teams.
- Excellent analytic, management, communication, and negotiation skills.
- Experience working in Romania strongly preferred.
- Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding, global policies, and to Save the Children values.
- English and Romanian fluency required.
Why you should join the Save the Children Team…
Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.
Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in YOU!
About Save the Children
No matter your role when you join Save the Children, each and every day you will challenge yourself to devote your skills, talent and expertise to changing the world for kids. It’s an ambitious goal, and a meaningful one no matter how you see yourself professionally: an accountant, a writer, a data analyst, a teacher, a driver, a designer, or any one of the hundreds of dozens of roles we’re looking to fill every day.
You see, Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.
We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.
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. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.
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.