Lead, Business Operations

Save the Children; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 98,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid workplace

4 weeks annual vacation

5 paid personal days

10 paid sick leave days

Employer pension contributions

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Save the Children Canada is seeking a Lead, Business Operations to drive organizational effectiveness and oversee Award Management. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead the Business Operations Team and partner with Finance, External Engagement, and other divisions.

The role focuses on strategic planning, performance dashboards, risk management, and change management across teams. Hybrid Toronto-based, with occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of management experience in international development, NGO/INGO, or other not-for-profit sectors.
• Strong financial management and analysis skills with intermediate to advanced Excel expertise.
• Experience leading change management across teams and driving organizational performance.

Responsibilities

• Identify opportunities for improved operational efficiency and effectiveness, including through the use of technology.
• Develop and implement standardized business processes and operating procedures across teams.
• Develop and monitor organizational performance indicators and dashboards.
• Support organizational planning, including annual planning, ensuring alignment with SCI and/or other Member Offices.
• Oversee Awards Management including donor compliance and financial management.

Skills

Financial management

Change management

Strategic planning

Leadership

Data analysis

Education

Post secondary education in a relevant field or equivalent experience

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Salary Range: $98,594.73 To $116,449.57 Annually

Save the Children believes every child has the right to a future. In Canada and around the world, we do whatever it takes – every day and in times of crisis – to support children to fulfill their rights to a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. With over 100 years of experience, Save the Children is the world’s first and leading independent children’s organization – transforming lives and the future we share.

Save the Children Canada is a hybrid workplace based in Toronto Ontario Canada. This recruitment is open to all applicants residing in Ontario.

THE IMPACT YOU WILL MAKE

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Lead, Business Operations (LBO) provides day‑to‑day leadership to the Business Operations Team, including close collaboration with Finance and External Engagement departments. The LBO is also responsible for driving organizational effectiveness by supporting the development and execution of organization‑wide business strategies that strengthen operational performance and overall impact, including overseeing Award Management. The role provides strategic analysis, leadership, performance monitoring, and change management support to advance organizational objectives.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Business Operations and Performance

• Identifyopportunities for improved operational efficiency and effectiveness, includingthrough the use oftechnology.
• Work across teams and departments toidentify,designand implement standardized business processes and operating procedures.
• Develop andmonitororganizational performance indicators and dashboards.
• Support organizational planning, including annual planning, ensuring alignment with SCI and/or other Member Offices as relevant.
• Serve as the organizational Safeguarding focal point for reporting and training.
• Analyze operational data toidentifytrends, risks, and opportunities for the organization.
• Other organizationaloperational dutiesasassigned including oversight offacilities,businesstravel,andofficeadministrationoversight andescalations.
• Accountable foroverseeingaward management including compliance to global standards, portfoliofinancial management, award contracting,operatingproceduresand donor compliance.Track and develop team budgets, workplansand contribute to operating plans.
• Build andmaintainrelationships with Global Affairs Canada and Save the Children International(SCI) and SC Members.
• Accountable for ensuring data quality inAwards Management Systems (AMS)and other financial systems, ensuring regular updates aremaintainedbyAwardManagers.
• Workacross teams and departments to ensuretimelydeliveryor donor compliance requirements,maintainingcurrent revenue, upholdingorganizationcredibility,andsecuring future funding.
• Conduct quarterly reviews to analyzeawardissues, budget variances, developing risk mitigation strategies,and supporting issue resolution.
• Provide both guidance and support on riskmanagement, partnershipbuilding(including with institutional and non-institutional donors, and contractnegotiations.

Strategic Planning and Execution

• Support the development and implementation of annual and strategic planning, including the developmentand monitoringof performance dashboards.
• Monitor progress against strategicobjectivesand recommend corrective action whererequired.
• Prepare strategic analyses, presentations, and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Contribute to the implementation of the Revenue Strategy including cost share obligations.

People Management

• Leadassignedteam/departmentproviding strategic direction, coaching,change managementand performance management while ensuring alignment with organizational values and policies.
• Set clear team and individual performance expectations for productivity, quality, and success; providing direction and support as needed.
• Collaborate with leaders across the organization through active participation in SCC’s Leadership Team.
• Oversee budget management, recruitment,change managementand career development while ensuring compliance, fostering arespectful,values-driven culture, andmaintaininga safeandinclusive workplace
• Ensureregular andtransparent communication on strategy and policies, upholdSCC’s Code of Conduct,Policies,Leadership Charter,Reconciliation, Equity, Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion (READI),HealthandSafety standards, integrates Child Safeguarding practices, modelscompetencies, andprofessional and ethical behavior.

Qualifications include (but are not limited to):

• Post secondary education inarelevant field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5-7 yearsof management experienceinInternational Development, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO/INGO), or other not-for-profit sectors isrequired.People management experiencein a unionized environment ispreferred
• Demonstrated project management experience including projectfinancial management. Strongfinancial managementand analysis skills, with intermediate to advanced levelexpertisein MS Excel.Ability to work within tight deadlines and time pressures.
• Experience leading change management, including knowledge of related tools and processes and the ability to plan, execute, andmonitorchange management across teams.
• Strategic-minded, and keen tothink outside the boxto secure innovative and exciting partnerships that deliver real benefits for children and families.
• Experience development and leading cross-organization initiatives, including strategy monitoring is strongly preferred
• Experience with child rights programming in areas of Health, Education, Child Protection, Gender Equality, and/orLivelihoodsis strongly preferred
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills for building strong working relationships across cultural and organizational settings, both internally and externally.Frenchisan asset.
• Strong analytical andproblem-solving skills to create new processes, withdemonstratedchange managementexpertiseto lead successful implementation
• Apply judgment and make sound decisions that are accountable, justifiable, and in adherence to organizational policies.
• Ability to occasionally travel locally,nationallyand internationally (less than 10%) asrequired.

WHAT WE OFFER

The salary range for this position is non-union pay band 8 between$98,594.73 - $116,449.57 CAD depending on skills and experience. In addition to this, our employees will have the following package of additional benefits:

• Comprehensive benefits package for you and your dependents available three months after employment start date. Coordinated benefits for your partner paid by Save the Children Canada.
• Hybrid workplace including opportunities to work remotely and flexible work hours to support employee wellbeing and work life balance.
• 4 weeks of annual paid vacation.
• In addition to annual leave, we offer an end of year office closure December 25- January 1 (SAVE Days) so we can all recharge simultaneously.
• 5 paid personal days.
• 10 paid sick leave days.
• Parental leave top-up.
• Employer contributions to group pension plan. Access to help save for a first home through the pension provider.
• Learning and development opportunities and specialized training including professional development time.
• Confidential Employee Assistance Program services available to you and your dependents from your first day of employment.
• Organization-wide membership access to Headspace.

It is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure all children are protected from deliberate or unintentional acts that lead to the risk of, or actual, harm caused by our employees. Each employee shall be aware that there may be additional vulnerabilities facing children associated with their age, socio-economic background, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, identity, sexual orientation or identity, and is committed to ensuring this does not form barriers to effective safeguarding.

Each employee is committed to fostering and sustaining a safe environment through proactive, accessible, and effective approaches that seek to prevent and respond to any harm to the children including but not limited to sexual exploitation and abuse. SCC and all its employees will take all reasonable steps to make itself safe, both as an organisation and in the conduct of all aspects of its day‑to‑day operations of emergency, humanitarian, developmental, policy, campaigning and administrative work.

SCC supports and acts in compliance with the Human Rights Code. SCC is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act(‘AODA’).Providing an accessible and barrier-free environment is a shared effort, and as an organization, SCC is committed to working with the necessary parties to make accessibility for all a reality.If you require an accommodation during any stage of the recruitment or employment process, please notify People & Culture [e-mail]

Please Note: This job opportunity is to fill an existing vacancy.

This recruitment process may involve the use of AI-enabled or automated tools within ADP Workforce Now to help manage job postings and application workflows. These tools may assist with tasks such as organizing applicant information, identifying potential matches based on job-related qualifications, or supporting communication and scheduling.

All hiring decisions are made by our People & Culture team and hiring managers. No automated tool makes final decisions about your candidacy. If at any point you have questions about how your information is used, please contact our team at [e-mail]