Lead Advisor, Board Strategy, Engagement and Relations (P5)

Save the Children

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world's hardest-to-reach places - over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you're creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share.

The Role

The Lead Advisor, Board Strategy, Engagement and Relations is a strategic leadership role responsible for cultivating and managing meaningful relationships with trustees to enhance their engagement, effectiveness, and alignment with Save the Children's mission. This individual will lead trustee recruitment, onboarding, communications, and engagement strategies, while serving as the primary liaison between the board and agency divisions. The role also supports board governance, travel, and special events, and acts as a thought partner to executive leadership.

Location

Hybrid - Fairfield, CT office

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

*not inclusive of all role responsibilities. May be subject to change

Trustee Recruitment & Onboarding

• Lead the trustee nomination and vetting process in collaboration with board leadership and SLT.
• Runs the Nominations and Governance committee of the Board, in partnership with the Committee Chair
• Identify prospective trustees aligned with the agency's mission, values, and diversity goals. Oversee the cultivation process for prospective trustees.
• Design and implement a comprehensive onboarding program, including orientation sessions and mentorship pairings that inform and educate trustees on history, mission and strategies of the Agency.

Trustee Engagement & Relationship Management

• Build strong, individualized relationships with trustees to understand their interests and networks.
• Develop personalized engagement strategies to align trustee contributions with agency priorities.
• Monitor, analyze and respond accordingly to trustee participation trends.
• Monitor board giving KPI's and year-end fundraising progress to ensure 100% board participation, coordinating closely with relationship managers responsible for individual solicitations.

Thought Leadership, Fundraising & External Positioning

• Develop a thought leadership strategy specific to trustee relations, aiming to leverage their contacts, networks and expertise to support Save the Children's mission
• Work closely with the Marketing and Growth division, particularly the media, communications, content and fundraising teams to ensure board is strategically leveraged

Communication & Stewardship

• Develop and execute a board communications strategy around the lifecycle of a board member.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for trustees, ensuring timely, transparent, and strategic communication.
• Develop and disseminate relevant materials such as newsletters, reports, videos, and fact sheets that keep trustees informed.
• Build and implement communication strategies that keep trustees informed on Agency initiatives, actions, accomplishments, and trends.

Cross-Agency Collaboration

• Act as the main liaison between trustees and internal departments (e.g., marketing, media, programs, advocacy).
• Coordinate trustee involvement in thought leadership activities, events, site visits, and programmatic activities.
• Facilitate ad hoc working groups and ensure alignment between board activities and agency initiatives.

Governance & Meeting Support

• Work closely with the CEO, Chief of Staff to the CEO and relevant SLT members to plan and execute board meetings, including agenda development, materials preparation, logistics, and follow-up. Ensure alignment between committee meetings and board meeting objectives.
• Support board leadership with strategic planning, committee structures, and succession planning.
• Partner with Save the Children's legal department on resolutions and consent agenda items.

Events & Travel Coordination

• Work closely with the team organizing logistics for trustee travel, site visits, retreats, and special events.
• Ensure a seamless and mission-aligned experience for all board-related activities.
• Create and manage budgets for events and travel.

Board Alumni

• Design and implement a board alumni program to maintain long-term relationships with former trustees.
• Develop tailored communications, events, and engagement opportunities that allow alumni to continue contributing to the agency's mission as advocates, advisors, and donors.

Data & Systems Management

• Leverage relationship management systems to track and share trustee interactions.
• Serve as the central point for board-related requests and tactical needs across the agency.
• In partnership with Legal, the SLT and relevant administrative staff, oversee the maintenance Board Effect for trustee resources and updates.

Required qualifications for the role

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, plus at least 10 years of relevant experience
• Strong experience in board relations and/or stakeholder engagement
• Proven ability to engage high-level stakeholders and manage complex projects
• Strategic thinker with a collaborative, mission-driven approach
• High emotional intelligence, discretion, and professionalism
• Exceptional organizational skills with keen attention to detail and the ability to multitask effectively
• Demonstrated experience in conference and event planning
• Travel management skills
• Ability to travel as needed for events and meetings approximately 20% of time
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.

Preferred qualifications for the role

• 10 years' experience working in nonprofit organizations with leadership experience

Compensation

Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• Geo 1 - NY Metro, DC, and other locations with labor costs significantly above national average: Target Salary for this position is $131,750 - $147,250 base salary
• Geo 2 - Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $119,850 - $133,950 base salary
• Geo 3 - Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $107,950 - $120,650 base salary

The salary ranges listed above are for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary ranges will be based on the salary scales of the local employer of record. Actual base salary may vary based on, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available here).

About Us

We are looking to build an inclusive team at Save the Children. We offer a range of outstanding benefits to support this goal:

• Flexible schedules and time off: Flexible schedules, generous PTO, 11 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays and hybrid working opportunities
• Health: Competitive health care, dental and vision coverage for you and your family
• Family: A variety of paid leaves: caregiver, parental/adoption, critical child illness and fertility benefits
• Employee Rewards Program: Annual merit increases and/or additional incentives for eligible employees
• Retirement: A retirement savings plan with employer contributions (after one year)
• Wellness: 15 safety and wellness days annually (if hired on or after July 1, safety and wellness days prorated to 8 days), mental health benefits and support through Calm and company-hosted events
• Employee Assistance Program: free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services
• Learning & Growth: Access to internal and external learning & development opportunities and mentorships

Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in you.

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.

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.

If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to applicantsupport@savechildren.org.