Job Description
Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Manager, Transformation Project Management – Data Governance to join our global team.
Team and Role Purpose
Across all sectors, AI, Data, and Digital capabilities are now essential enablers that help organisations make better decisions, improve quality, and operate more efficiently. In the development and humanitarian sectors—where every dollar directly contributes to improving children’s lives—this becomes even more critical.
Our organisation relies on a wide range of systems, tools, and processes that create, store, and share data. We also have pockets of expertise and improvement initiatives across teams. However, to fully unlock the value of our information and ensure it is used responsibly, we need a unified approach.
Data Governance provides this foundation. It ensures our data is accurate, reliable, timely, consistent, and usable, and that leaders across the organisation understand how enterprise data can be used—and their responsibilities as data stewards. Strong Data Governance is also a central pillar of our Data and Analytics function, ensuring that data is gathered, stored, processed, and shared in a consistent and trusted way across the SCA architecture.
By embedding robust data governance practices, we enable better insights, stronger accountability, and more effective decisions—ultimately helping us deliver greater impact for children.
Role Purpose
The Project Manager for the Data Governance initiative will play a key role in establishing the foundational structures, processes, and behaviours required to manage data effectively in our organisation. Building on the baseline assessment completed in 2025/2026, the initiative will focus on putting in place the essential building blocks of effective data governance, including the definition of data domains, identification and onboarding of data owners and data stewards, upskilling of individuals engaged in data governance and putting in place specific controls linked to our prioritised areas to enable delivery and maintenance of quality data. The immediate priorities for the team will be focused on our finance and HR controls and will act as a key enabler to the delivery of our FMS SaaS project.
The Project Manager will be part of a wider project team that includes the Head, Data Governance, two Data Governance Analysts and a Global Change Manager. In this role, the Project Manager will be accountable for ensuring adherence to the Project Lifecycle including setup and maintenance of the plan, facilitating key governance forums, completing required status updates, coordinating key engagements with stakeholders, delivering core Project Management deliverables, partnering with wider projects to effectively manage dependencies and beyond. It will be essential that the role holder has solid project management experience including working at a global level, and is comfortable driving transformation in a space where they will need to use influence as opposed to having direct line accountability given the broad remit of the initiative and the need to drive change across multiple functions.
- Job Title: Manager, Transformation Project Management – Data Governance
- Reports To: Director, Transformation Development
- Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
- Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location.
- Required Time Zone: Any
- Contract Length: Fixed Term Contract (12 months Maternity cover)
- Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment.
- Language Requirements: English
- International Travel: up to 10%
- Budget Responsibility: Management of the project budget in support of the overseeing Director
- Remit: Global
Principal Accountabilities
- Drive the delivery of the project using the Project Management toolkit that has been developed within SCI
- Prepare and conduct project definition workshops, to confirm and document project scope and approach, ensuring this reflects the critical business objectives and timing defined by the Head, FMS Transition
- Establish and manage ambitious but achievable plans for each workstream and for the overall project, taking into consideration business deadlines, dependencies, resources, and costs
- Identify opportunities for consolidating activities across workstreams for economies of scale or simplified implementation
- Drive the project to a regular beat: monitor workstream activity, manage adherence to plan and resolve obstacles to delivery. Workstream leads will typically be business SME coaches and supporters.
- Put the project controls in place (plan, resources, risks/issue management, finances, dependencies, scope management) and use them to drive delivery, proactively identifying and managing project risks and issues and driving actions to mitigate or resolve.
- Provide regular status reports that support effective decision making with the project, at the Management Review Group (MRG) or equivalent and across the portfolio of projects, with clear escalation and decision making.
- Set up and maintain the repository of documentation for each stage of project lifecycle, ensuring all documentation has a clear purpose in driving the project forward.
- Implement best practices and procedures in project management within the project and contribute to continuous improvement of the project management toolkit.
- Work with the Global Change Manager assigned to the project to ensure all change activities are incorporated into the plan and that there is a communications plan that includes channels to stakeholders in geographically disperse locations.
Experience and Skills
Essential
- Extensive experience and knowledge of data governance in a complex global organisation
- Demonstrable experience and in-depth knowledge of programme and project management practices and standards
- A proven ability to deliver projects on time / on budget, using project management processes and tools including risk management, benefits management, financial management and quality assurance
- Proven experience of using and leading change management activities including change impact assessment, stakeholder management, managing resistance, building change capacity, designing and defining roles and responsibilities
- A proven ability to apply analytical and problem solving skills, and to work collaboratively to deliver effective solutions to project related issues
- Developed organisational awareness and ability to understand any sensitivities within a complex multi‑stakeholder structure; and think creatively and strategically to overcome obstacles to cooperation and progress
- Team leadership abilities with the ability to motivate and mobilise individuals outside their reporting line
- Business requirements collection, and process/workflow analysis skills
- Excellent communication skills (written & oral English), including the ability to communicate and influence at all levels of the organisation
- Cultural awareness and experience of delivering solutions internationally
Desirable
- Able to demonstrate instances of initiative that have delivered organisational benefits
- Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Trello) and office suites (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
- Non‑profit sector knowledge/experience
- Proficiency in a second core language of Save the Children (French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic)
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
- Understanding of a structured Project methodology (e.g. PRINCE2) or accredited Project Management training (APM or PMI)
Desirable
- Non‑profit sector knowledge/experience (especially international development projects)
- Second language – French, Spanish or Arabic
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.
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