Senior Lead, AI, Digital and Data Capacity Development

Save the Children International; United States; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Save the Children International is seeking a Senior Lead for AI, Digital and Data Capacity Development to guide cross‑functional adoption of AI and data strategies across a global organisation. The role drives governance, training, and cultural change while partnering with country leaders.

The position requires senior leadership experience, strong stakeholder engagement, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, with flexible working options and international travel up to 20%.

Qualifications

• Must have hands-on AI knowledge and ability to explain AI limits to diverse colleagues.
• Experience setting and owning organisation-wide strategy at a senior level across multiple functions.
• Proven ability to influence ELT/SLT and Country Director leaders globally.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for AI, Data and Digital adoption across Save the Children.
• Act as senior accountable lead for enterprise-wide AI strategy delivery.
• Own multi-year strategy, roadmap, and prioritisation for AI and data capability development.
• Lead AI training programmes and drive culture change aligned with diversity and inclusion.
• Build senior relationships and partnerships to advance strategic initiatives.
• Oversee evaluation and continuous improvement of training and capacity-building.

Skills

Applied AI knowledge

AI risk understanding

Senior leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Data proficiency

User-centric design

Non-profit sector knowledge

Second language

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for aSenior Lead, AI, Digital and Data Capacity Development to join our global team.

Team and Role Purpose

Across all sectors, AI, Data and Digital are critical enablers that help organisations deliver better quality work, based on sound decision making and driving efficiency. This is as important if not more critical in the development sector where every $ counts towards supporting the needs of children. There are many systems and tools across the organisation that are used to generate, store and communicate data and information as well as pockets of capabilities and process that is focused on driving continuous improvement. Alongside this and based on this rich data landscape, Digital Programming or ICT4D (information and communication technology for development) is the application of technology for the delivery of programmes for children. Technology can range from bespoke for a specific purpose, or a standard off the shelf digital tool or application. It may be deployed in the field as part of a program delivery (front office) or form part of the program development cycle (back office). Similarly, it could also focus on an enabling technology required to allow further digital developments e.g. connectivity, infrastructure changes etc. Bringing these together and maximising benefit from evolving AI technologies to support programme delivery, data and analytics, operational delivery etc. in a single unit, drives quality delivery and ensures a fully joined up approach.

To ensure we focus our resource and capabilities in the best way to maximise value, a fit for purpose strategy based on our overarching global strategy is key, enabling us to accelerate on priority areas and balance scale with local needs.

A key component of AI, Digital, and Data is ensuring all our people are able to maximise value from these tools in their ongoing work. This will be achieved through a focus on capacity strengthening through formal and informal channels, led by the AI, Data and Digital team. Central to this role is driving a clear vision for the broad adoption of AI across general productivity — setting the strategic direction and governance framework for how the organisation identifies high-value general productivity approaches and selects the Digital and AI solutions that accelerate its work, and securing the cross-functional engagement needed to deliver them at scale. As part of this, the role holder will lead global engagement across SCI functions and country leadership to drive adoption of AI across those teams, chairing senior leadership forums and holding SLT, ELT, and Country Director-level staff accountable for their teams’ use of Digital, Data, and AI. At a Save the Children movement level, the role holder will hold accountability for convening and chairing key cross-entity forums that build alignment and collaboration on the use of Digital, Data, and AI, bringing together leaders from ~15 member entities and driving consensus on joint, movement-wide decisions.

To enhance the use of data and AI in making decisions, building capacity of staff to analyse data, use analytical tools, and apply AI effectively will be essential to our culture change. This role will drive that capacity‑building, oversee the development and rollout of AI training and culture change initiatives, embed organisation-wide standards for the responsible and ethical use of AI, and help shape the strategy for the business intelligence tools and processes that serve end users across the organisation.

• Job Title: Senior Lead, AI, Digital and Data Capacity Development
• Reports To: Director, AI, Data and Digital
• Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
• Required Time Zone: Any
• 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.
• International Travel: up to 20%
• Number of people managed in total: Dotted line management of 5 staff seconded from other functions; Manager of a team: Yes; Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): No
• Budget Responsibility: Manages AI training spend as part of AI/Digital/Data budget
• Remit: Global

Principal Accountabilities

• Set strategic direction for how Save the Children will capture value through driving use of AI, Digital, and Data cross-functionally. As a key part of this, drive and oversee execution of the vision for AI in General Productivity across the organisation.
• Act as the organisation's senior accountable lead for AI capability, accountable to the Executive Leadership Team for the delivery and measurable impact of the enterprise-wide AI adoption strategy
• Own the multi-year strategy, roadmap, and prioritisation for Digital, Data, and AI general capability development across Save the Children, making the trade‑off and resource‑allocation decisions required to maximise organisational value.
• Lead the development and implementation of data, analytics, and AI training programmes to enhance organisational capacity, overseeing the design and rollout of initiatives that build AI fluency and drive culture change across the organisation, ensuring all initiatives align with SCI's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Drive key communities, including the SCI AI Ethics & Risk Working Group.
• Foster an environment that promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual learning among all participants
• Drive uptake of organisational policies related to data, analytics, and AI — including guidelines for the responsible and ethical use of AI — ensuring they reflect SCI's values of ambition, accountability, and integrity
• Support engagement with users to gather insights and represent their needs in the design and development of cross‑functional data products and tools, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility
• Oversee the evaluation and continuous improvement of training and capacity‑building efforts, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of the organisation and its diverse members
• Build and steward senior‑level relationships and strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to drive strategic initiatives and advocate for the importance of data, analytics, and AI in achieving SCI's mission

Experience and Skills

• Applied AI knowledge: current, hands‑on knowledge of generative AI tools (chat assistants, enterprise copilots, agents) and of how they work, sufficient to explain their limits to non‑specialists, judge the quality of AI output, and be credible on AI with senior technical and non‑technical colleagues.
• Understanding of AI technical and non‑technical risks
• Senior leadership and strategic planning: Proven experience setting and owning organisation‑wide strategy at a senior leadership level, with accountability for delivery across multiple functions and geographies
• Senior stakeholder influencing: Demonstrated ability to influence and secure commitment from executive‑level (ELT/SLT) and Country Director‑level leaders across a global, federated organisation
• Setting a vision: Ability to set ambitious and strategic goals for AI and data training initiatives, ensuring alignment with the organisation's values and mission.
• Change Management: Proficient in driving organisational change and fostering an environment receptive to continuous improvement
• Data Proficiency: Knowledge of data analysis, visualisation, and interpretation techniques to drive evidence‑based decision‑making.
• User‑Centric Design: Proficient in gathering and incorporating user insights to design inclusive and accessible data products and tools
• Stakeholder Engagement: Proven track record of effectively identifying and engaging key stakeholders, maintaining strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders to advance strategic initiatives
• Non‑profit sector knowledge/experience (especially international development projects)
• Second language – French, Spanish or Arabic

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent work experience.

Working at Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world's leading organisation for children, employing ~25,000 staff. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Through our work in 116 countries, we put the most deprived and marginalised children first.

We know that great people make a great organisation, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

The work here is challenging but is also immensely rewarding. At Save the Children, you will be in good company, working with talented, like‑minded individuals who are determined to ensure that all children survive, learn, and are protected. Your contribution will help ensure children's voices are heard at the highest levels, and that we achieve our global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, and reach every last child.

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.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.