Senior Manager – Child Sponsorship

About Feed the Children:

Feed the Children exists to end childhood hunger. Dedicated to providing hope and resources for those without life’s essentials, we are committed to ensuring that our world’s most vulnerable populations, especially children, are cared for and empowered to reach their full potential. Through our child sponsorship programs, we aim to provide not only food but also education, healthcare, and opportunities for a better future.

Job Summary:

The Senior Manager of Child Sponsorship will lead and oversee the operations of our child sponsorship programs, ensuring high-quality service delivery and program effectiveness. This role will manage regional child sponsorship managers and work closely with other departments to achieve organizational goals. This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children’s lives worldwide while shaping the future of our sponsorship programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategically oversee child sponsorship operations across multiple regions, ensuring cohesive policy implementation, quality control, and integration with global operational standards.
• Lead and manage the team of regional child sponsorship managers, setting clear goals and expectations, providing support, and ensuring staff development.
• Oversee the operational systems, processes, and policies in support of the organization’s child sponsorship mission through quality control and regular program evaluations.
• Optimizing the Child Sponsorship process through analyzing sponsorship data to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, and provide insights to inform decision-making.
• Collaborate with senior management and cross-functional teams to enhance programmatic strategies, improve sponsor retention, and ensure effective communication between sponsors and sponsored children.
• Ensure compliance with both internal standards and external regulations pertaining to child sponsorship activities.
• Drive the development and implementation of sponsorship policies, procedures, and tools that enhance operational efficiency and data integrity across systems like Pangea.
• Lead efforts to optimize the child sponsorship manual and oversee its adaptation across varying regional contexts, ensuring that updates and changes are communicated effectively to all country teams.
• Foster relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, community leaders, and international partners, to enhance program outreach and impact.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and best practices among country coordinators and regional teams to foster innovation and continuous improvement in program delivery.
• Manage budgetary allocations for the child sponsorship program, ensuring resources are used efficiently to achieve program goals.
• Report on program progress and challenges, providing actionable insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Support the Regional Manager in building the capacity of field teams to implement sponsorship activities effectively.
• Through collaboration with the Regional Managers, organize training sessions, workshops, and meetings for staff and partners on sponsorship policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits of sponsorship activities to maintain quality standards and identify areas for improvement.
• Assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of child sponsorship programs in line with organizational objectives and standards.
• Work closely with HQ-based Child Sponsorship department on finalizing indicators & results reporting; ensure that project activities align to achieve these results

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Non-Profit Management, Business Administration, or related field. A Master’s degree in any of the disciplines will be preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in program management, preferably in an International NGO setting with a focus on child welfare, education, or international development.
• Proven track record of managing and leading teams in a dynamic and multicultural environment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of working collaboratively in a high-pressure environment.
• Proficient in MS Office and program management software; familiarity with CRM systems is a plus.