Job Description

Our Client

Since its founding in 1938, ChildFund International (ChildFund) has reached more than 100 countries with about $4.5 billion in programs and services for children. The organization supports children’s holistic development through a life stage model, connecting them with the people and resources they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe. Core to its mission, ChildFund leverages the support of its sponsors and donors, talented global staff, and local partners to:

• help children living in poverty develop the capacity to improve their lives and the opportunity to bring lasting change to their communities


• promote societies that value, protect, and advance the well-being and rights of children, and


• enrich supporters’ lives through their support of the organization’s cause


• ChildFund is currently serving 13 million children and family members in 24 countries and has a global workforce of approximately 1,000 staff. ChildFund has an annual budget of $215 million, which is currently funded primarily through individual sponsorship, grants, and an endowment of roughly $50 million.

The organization has created a 10-year vision and is testing several proposals over the next two years to significantly increase scale and promote growth of the organization. They will reach more children by establishing partnerships, diversifying funding sources, and expanding programs and advocacy efforts. They will do this by strengthening their core and identifying pathways for increased impact.

Childfund is the largest member of the Childfund Alliance. ChildFund Alliance is a global network of 12 child-focused development organizations worldwide that helps nearly 23 million children and their families in 70 countries. The ChildFund Alliance is also in the early stages of developing a strategic plan which closely aligns with the vision for ChildFund International.

The Role

The President and Chief Executive Officer of ChildFund International will lead the organization to deliver on its mission to positively impact the lives of millions of children around the world. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO is responsible for the strategic, programmatic, and financial operations of the organization. They will apply experience, vision and innovation to accelerate the organization’s impressive record and significantly scale its impact, and lead ChildFund through the organization’s next phase of influence and resource development.

Building upon the recently developed 10-year vision for ChildFund, the CEO will significantly expand services and funding and amplify positive social impact to deprived, excluded and vulnerable children. They will leverage both existing successful approaches and build new approaches to multiply ChildFund’s impact and reach more children. The CEO will work collaboratively with a dedicated and talented staff to develop and execute a strategic plan and will inspire individuals, U.S. government, development organizations, foundations, and private corporations to support this ChildFund’s ambitious vision.

Primary responsibilities include:

Strategic Growth and Program Development

• Take ChildFund to the next level with respect to the number of children served; the quality, reach and impact of programs directly delivered and expanded through advocacy; and the outcomes achieved.


• Develop and lead the organization in its execution of a strategic plan for significant growth in a complex and dynamically changing international environment defined by external factors that impact children and families, such as migration, climate change, global health emergencies and economic and political upheaval.


• Nurture and grow existing successful programs and revenue models; eliminate those that are not successful; and pursue new and innovative approaches.


• Lead a digital transformation for ChildFund. Leverage technology to improve performance, to enhance the quality of services to children and donors, to raise funds, and to increase visibility.


• Put in place processes necessary to enable the timely use of evidence to support program design, delivering, and fundraising.


• Leverage data analytics to solve problems, to innovate and take informed risks, and to document the effectiveness of ChildFund’s programs and approaches.

Partnerships, Visibility and Networks

• Expand and evolve the core sponsorship model and develop new partnerships to enroll and engage sponsors in-person and online.


• Identify and develop new programmatic and revenue opportunities for ChildFund. Diversify ChildFund’s revenue by driving new partnerships with individual donors; government agencies; organizations engaged in international development; foundations; private corporations; and universities.


• Significantly increase the brand awareness, visibility, and influence of ChildFund in the international development sector.


• Serve as the spokesperson for ChildFund and develop others who can participate in and influence international child development strategies and initiatives.


• Provide strategic leadership within the ChildFund Alliance, as its largest member, to help it grow and expand its influence. Establish strong working relationships with other members to grow revenue and advocate for children’s rights.

Leadership and Management

• Build a strong talented and collaborative international team that values diversity and inclusiveness. Proactively address talent gaps and strengthen development and succession systems at all levels.


• Provide inspirational leadership at all levels of the organization.


• Lead, manage and communicate with staff and external partners the change agenda designed to achieve the strategic vision. Instill a culture of adaptation and learning to be more agile in the face of the dynamic global environment.


• Oversee operational performance against established annual goals and stretch targets. This includes creating financial stability and ensuring compliance with ethical and legal standards and policies.


• Establish an effective organizational structure, delegate, and create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement to optimize performance.


• Champion equity, diversity, and inclusion within ChildFund and externally.


• Cultivate a strong, collaborative and productive relationship with the Board of Directors. Engage the Board in discussion of a broad range of strategic, organizational, and operational topics.

Candidate Profile

ChildFund seeks an experienced and respected strategic leader with an enthusiastic commitment to the potential and history of ChildFund. They will have a growth orientation and be practiced and effective in implementing change. The successful candidate will be a diplomatic, energetic, collaborative, and visionary leader. The successful candidate will bring to the role a recognized degree of operational excellence, fundraising ability, intellectual breadth, digital savvy, convening power, and practical experience with the non-profit, government, and business sectors. They will have a demonstrated passion for and commitment to the mission, and the necessary global experience and mind-set so as to work effectively across 20+ countries and manage an organization with an extensive network of partners and programs.

In terms of the experience required for the position, we would highlight the following:

• Proven track record of transforming and significantly scaling the impact of an organization.


• Proven track record of fundraising and experience with a variety of fundraising techniques.


• Proven track record of identifying and developing deep pools of talent, establishing collaborative teams, and creating an environment that encourages innovation.


• Demonstrated ability to lead assessment of organizational health related to alignment of strategic direction, organizational structure, and operational performance.


• Business savvy and success in leading the strategy, finances, human resources, and operations of a large complex enterprise.


• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.


• International leadership experience is required and experience living or working in an international setting is preferred.


• Leadership in a large relevant nonprofit, corporate, government, or academic organization required.

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:

Setting Strategy

• The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization.


• Strategic thinker and problem solver who can think out of the box, disrupt existing approaches, and effect change.

• The discipline to constantly scan the dynamically changing external environment and to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.


• An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the sector.


• The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling, to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.

Funding Diversification

• Significant experience and/or capacity to diversify resources from the government, private sector, individuals, and foundations.


• Experience cultivating new and innovative revenue streams.


• Understanding of operational implications/opportunities of new funding sources and how to tool/enable the organization to operate with the right speed and flexibility while ensuring quality and compliance.

Relationships and Influence

• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.


• Strong communicator and spokesperson who can establish credibility and collaborative partnerships with external organizations that align with and support ChildFund’s international development mission.


• An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive.


• Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team.


• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole.

Leading Teams

• The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.


• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges, and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.


• Authentic, transparent, and collaborative leader who leads with integrity, builds trust, and inspires others.


• Dynamic, confident, and self-assured leader and influencer who is also a good listener and delegator.


• A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.

Executing for Results

• The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results.


• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations. Willingness to make tough decisions and changes to pursue opportunities to expand organizational impact.


• Willingness to take smart risks, seeking data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions.


• A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization.

Demonstrated Commitment

• Passion for the ChildFund mission and for supporting children to achieve their full potential by expanding their opportunities and addressing the obstacles and exploitation that they face throughout the world.

Additional qualifications for the role include:

• Education: Masters’ degree strongly preferred. Undergraduate degree required.


• Location: Residence in Richmond, VA, at the headquarters preferred; or commitment to work in Richmond about 50% of the time.


• Availability to travel internationally.

How to Apply

Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search. Prospective candidates are invited to send their CV and a cover letter to ChildFundCEOApplicants@russellreynolds.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.