Vice President Program Operations

Smile Train; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401k match

PTO

Parental leave

Professional development stipend

Hybrid work

Job summary

Smile Train in New York, NY, is seeking a Vice President, Programs Operations to provide senior leadership within the Global Programs division. You will oversee program operations, budgets, forecasting, risk management, and partner management, while leading a team across research, speech, ENT, nutrition, and other areas.

You will align activities with priorities and drive data-driven performance across the organization.

Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in business, management, public administration, international development, or related discipline; or equivalent significant professional experience in business and operational management.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership and operational management experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of supervisory and people-management experience, including demonstrated success leading and developing professional staff.
• Significant experience in program operations, strategic planning, work planning, project execution, and organizational coordination.
• Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, and monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience developing and using data, dashboards, reporting, and performance-management tools to support executive decision-making.
• Demonstrated success working across departments, functions, and organizational levels.
• Excellent leadership, written and verbal communication, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across key global Programs initiatives, ensuring priorities, work plans, timelines, and deliverables remain aligned and on track.
• Oversee program budget planning, forecasting, monitoring, and timely and accurate financial submissions in partnership with Programs leadership and Finance.
• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a team of professionals across specialized program areas, including research, speech, ENT, nutrition, and other program functions.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability while supporting the professional growth and development of team members.
• Serve as a senior liaison between Programs and other headquarters functions, ensuring cross-functional requests, projects, and initiatives are appropriately coordinated and strategically aligned.
• Partner with regional leadership in the development and review of annual plans, budgets, regional work plans, and program priorities.
• Provide strategic and operational input regarding the feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and implementation requirements of proposed program initiatives.
• Proactively review and flag programmatic and operational risks across the portfolio, working under the supervision of the Chief Impact Officer to resolve issues before they escalated.
• Lead the development and utilization of dashboards, reporting tools, and performance measures that provide leadership with timely and actionable information.
• Ensure program data is appropriately collected, managed, analyzed, and used to strengthen decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Regularly communicate and debrief senior leadership regarding program performance, operational challenges, emerging risks, and strategic priorities.
• Anticipate operational challenges and lead the development of practical, organization-wide solutions.
• Strengthen collaboration and coordination across headquarters and regional teams within Smile Train’s global and multicultural environment.
• Contribute technical and programmatic expertise to fundraising proposals, grant-related activities, and other cross-functional initiatives as appropriate.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operational management

Financial management

Data dashboards

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Education

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

Reporting tools

Job description

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft-focused organization. Our vision is a world where everyone has access to safe, high-quality comprehensive cleft care and can live a full and healthy life. We train and support doctors and other medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. This sustainable model has allowed us to support more than 2 million cleft surgeries in 95+ countries since our founding in 1999, and we’re still just getting started. We are truly changing the world one smile at a time!

Make a Difference!

As Smile Train’s Vice President, Programs, you will serve as a senior leader within the Global Programs division, providing strategic and operational leadership to ensure global program priorities are effectively planned, coordinated, executed, and measured.

Reporting to Smile Train's Chief Impact Officer and working closely with Programs leadership, regional leaders, and colleagues across Smile Train, the Vice President, Program Operations will provide oversight of program operations, work plans, budgets, forecasting, risk management, partner management, and key organizational deliverables. The Vice President will lead and develop a team of professionals across specialized program areas while strengthening coordination, accountability, and operational excellence across the division.

A critical component of this role is connecting strategy with execution. The Vice President will ensure that program activities remain aligned with organizational priorities, that leadership has timely and accurate information to support decision-making, and that collaboration between Programs, regional teams, and other headquarters functions is coordinated and effective. The role will also champion the use of data, dashboards, and management tools to strengthen program performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across key global Programs initiatives, ensuring priorities, work plans, timelines, and deliverables remain aligned and on track.
• Oversee program budget planning, forecasting, monitoring, and timely and accurate financial submissions in partnership with Programs leadership and Finance.
• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a team of professionals across specialized program areas, including research, speech, ENT, nutrition, and other program functions.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability while supporting the professional growth and development of team members.
• Serve as a senior liaison between Programs and other headquarters functions, ensuring cross-functional requests, projects, and initiatives are appropriately coordinated and strategically aligned.
• Partner with regional leadership in the development and review of annual plans, budgets, regional work plans, and program priorities.
• Provide strategic and operational input regarding the feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and implementation requirements of proposed program initiatives.
• Proactively review and flag programmatic and operational risks across the portfolio, working under the supervision of the Chief Impact Officer to resolve issues before they escalated. Monitor partner activities and organizational commitments throughout the year, engage partners as needed to address emerging concerns, and drive timely problem-solving to ensure issues are identified and acted upon well before fiscal year-end.
• Lead the development and utilization of dashboards, reporting tools, and performance measures that provide leadership with timely and actionable information.
• Ensure program data is appropriately collected, managed, analyzed, and used to strengthen decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Regularly communicate and debrief senior leadership regarding program performance, operational challenges, emerging risks, and strategic priorities.
• Anticipate operational challenges and lead the development of practical, organization-wide solutions.
• Strengthen collaboration and coordination across headquarters and regional teams within Smile Train’s global and multicultural environment.
• Contribute technical and programmatic expertise to fundraising proposals, grant-related activities, and other cross-functional initiatives as appropriate.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an accomplished senior leader who combines strong strategic and operational judgment with demonstrated success leading people, programs, and complex initiatives. This individual brings a sophisticated understanding of business and program operations, strong financial acumen, and the ability to translate organizational strategy into effective execution.

The successful candidate will be a confident and collaborative leader who can operate effectively across departments, regions, cultures, and levels of seniority. They will have the credibility and interpersonal skills necessary to influence across the organization, build productive partnerships, and establish clear accountability for results.

This leader will be equally comfortable developing people, reviewing budgets and forecasts, analyzing performance data, navigating complex organizational issues, and advising senior and regional leadership. The ideal candidate will bring strong emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach to a fast-paced, global, mission-driven organization.

Required Education and Experience

• MBA or advanced degree in business, management, public administration, international development, or a related discipline; or equivalent significant professional experience in business and operational management.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership and operational management experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of supervisory and people-management experience, including demonstrated success leading and developing professional staff.
• Significant experience in program operations, strategic planning, work planning, project execution, and organizational coordination.
• Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, and monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience developing and using data, dashboards, reporting, and performance-management tools to support executive decision-making.
• Demonstrated success working across departments, functions, and organizational levels.
• Excellent leadership, written and verbal communication, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Leadership experience within a nonprofit, charity, NGO, international development, healthcare, or public health organization.
• Experience working within a global or multi-country organization and across multicultural teams.
• Experience navigating headquarters, regional, and field-based organizational structures.
• Experience within a large or complex organization involving multiple stakeholders and functional areas.
• International professional experience.
• Exposure to fundraising, proposal development, grant writing, or development of program budgets for funding proposals.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong strategic, financial, analytical, and operational capabilities.
• Ability to manage competing organizational priorities while maintaining focus on strategic objectives and critical deliverables.
• Strong judgment and the ability to identify, assess, and flag operational and programmatic risks early, including partner-related issues, and to work with senior leadership to resolve them in a timely manner
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across cultures, functions, personalities, and organizational levels.
• Executive presence and the ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to senior leadership.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven global organization.

Compensation

140,000 to 170,000

Why You’ll Love Working Here!

Smile Train Team Members Enjoy a Full Range of Innovative Benefits

• We’ve got you covered - Comprehensive health, pharmacy, dental, and vision coverage
• Plan for your future - 401k retirement plan with employer match
• Rest and recharge - generous PTO allotment, holidays, and sick time
• Family Matters - paid parental leave and family care benefits so you can focus on what matters most
• Learn and Grow - annual professional development stipend to keep your skills growing
• Work your way - Hybrid work flexibility out of our conveniently located Midtown Manhattan office

Travel

International and domestic travel may be required in discussion with the Chief Impact Officer and based on organizational and programmatic needs.

Accountability Expectations

• Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one’s own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train’s mission and objectives.
• Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
• Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role.
• Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Application Process

Smile Train is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates from all groups and communities to apply.