Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety.
Position Summary
Essential Functions
- Leads Internally:
Leads KIND’s Program Design and Oversee Implementation Globally
- Actively participates in KIND’s strategic plan development and oversees management and implementation of the strategic plan within and across programs.
- Establishes a strategic vision and guiding program philosophy to identify and develop new programs, and carefully monitors the progress of those efforts.
- Oversees and provides direction on program design; the people, resources, and technology needed to achieve program objectives; and the evaluation and reporting of outcomes.
Leads High-Performing Program Team
- Collaborates across departments to develop and monitor effective programming that meets defined objectives and ensures the holistic and effective delivery of services to child clients.
- Supervises, nurtures, and supports a high-performing, outcome- and quality-focused global programs team, including filling new, vacant roles.
- Maintains a positive work environment that facilitates collaboration and information sharing and is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating diverse talent.
- Represents programmatic perspectives and needs with leadership of the organization, including its President and Board of Directors, in a spirit of collaboration and team problem-solving.
Leads Externally:
Supports and Enhances KIND’s Brand
- In close coordination with other senior leaders in the organization, shares in representing and promoting KIND’s mission globally in a manner that enhances the status of KIND and positively and thoughtfully influences decision-making bodies, intergovernmental agencies, civil society, and the private sector.
- Fosters innovation and creative problem-solving among global stakeholders when it comes to addressing the protection needs of unaccompanied and separated children.
Ensures the Financial Stability of KIND’s Programs
- Participates in designing and implementing a diversified fundraising strategy for KIND’s overall programmatic work globally in close collaboration with KIND’s Development team and alongside program functional and regional leadership.
- Ensures that KIND’s programmatic operations are well resourced in the short and long term.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Advanced graduate degree in law, social work, child development, international human rights and/or migration, or other relevant professional training or equivalent professional experience demonstrating expertise in matters relating to unaccompanied and separated children required.
- Must be fluent in English, and ideally, a second language spoken in the global regions we serve.
- Minimum of 15 years of experience leading programs advocating to protect the rights of children and/or the displaced.
- Position will require significant travel in the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
- Experience articulating and leading strategy and vision that engenders impact, inspires confidence, seizes opportunities, and confronts challenges.
- A smart, innovative, creative, and analytical thinker, yet pragmatic and operationally savvy, with a strong commitment to positively impacting the lives of displaced children.
- Comfortable in a changing organization and political climate, and able to excel by operating with a sense of urgency while remaining flexible, open-minded, and adaptable.
- Experience collaborating with NGOs, UN agencies, governments, and the private sector.
- Experience implementing projects/programs and managing key financial and operational aspects.
- Experience in project management, including familiarity with donor-funded project processes.
- Ability to mobilize resources from the public and private sectors; familiarity with key financiers and actors in the child-protection sector.
- Strong networking and positioning skills, including highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Strong strategic, analytic, and diplomatic negotiation skills.
- Ability to interact with senior leaders, Board members, and high-level external partners with confidence and professionalism.
- Ability to coach, lead, stimulate, and inspire professionals and skillfully build and manage teams within and across departments.
- Ability to perform responsibilities in a professional manner and handle assignments with a high degree of accuracy, reliability, timeliness, and confidentiality.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suites (such as Teams, Excel, etc.)
- Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate.
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles.
- Commitment to prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
- Be disciplined and nimble to ensure delivery on our core mission of access to justice and protection of children’s wellbeing and rights.
- Ability to multitask and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.