Chief Executive Officer / FSC Lead

Please make sure to apply via OxfordHR only: Chief Executive Officer - SOS Children Villages International - Oxford HR

Founded in 1949, SOS Children’s Villages International is the world’s largest non-governmental organization focused on supporting children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it. Child neglect, abuse and abandonment is everywhere. Families are at risk of separation. Locally led, SOS Children’s Villages International (CVI) works in more than 130 countries and territories to strengthen families who are under pressure so they can stay together. When this is not in a child or young person’s best interests, SOS CVI provides quality care according to their unique needs. Together with partners, donors, communities, children, young people and families, SOS CVI enables children to grow up with the bonds they need to develop and become their strongest selves. The organisation speaks up for each child’s rights and advocates for change so all children can grow up in a supportive environment.  

SOS Children’s Villages International is structured as a decentralized federation of independent national member associations, working together towards reaching the federation’s strategic goals, and sharing resources and expertise. Each SOS Children's Villages association is committed to applying the federation's statutes, programme standards, and stringent safeguarding, financial and administrative practices. 

SOS Children's Villages International's General Secretariat, with offices in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America provides services to member associations, develops and monitors federation quality standards, and represents the federation in international communications and forums.  

The Umbrella Organization, SOS CVI  

SOS CVI operates global support functions for the Federation through two key units: the Federation Secretariat Unit (FSC) and the International Development Support Unit (IDS). Both units are funded via different funding streams: 

Federation Secretariat Unit (FSC)  

The FSC drives impact, fosters trust, and ensures alignment by providing standardized governance and organizational support to uphold and manage the Federation. Given the nature of its work, the FSC is fully funded by Membership Fees.  

International Development Support Unit (IDS)  

The IDS facilitates the development and sharing of evidence, innovation, and standards to help Members enhance the impact and scale of their national programs while strengthening their organizational capacity and self-sufficiency. It also delivers programs in CVI-managed countries and at the supranational level. As a result, IDS activities are primarily funded through project-based funding.  

The Executive Board of SOS CVI  

The CEO / FSC lead, and the CPO / IDS lead jointly constitute the Executive Board (EB) of SOS CVI and work together to deliver the responsibilities of CVI. The EB co-chairs the soon-to-be-formed International Management Team (“IMT”), which is a mix of top senior leaders convening for decision making purpose.  

The CEO / FSC lead is the spokesperson of the Executive Board. Their primary responsibility is to lead the FSC in achieving its mission and objectives, support the Governing bodies of CVI, strengthen the cohesion amongst members of the Federation, facilitate and encourage Members to contribute to the Federation’s ability to achieve their common purpose, facilitate development of the Federation’s strategic direction, identify risks and opportunities where applicable to the Federation as a whole and to represent the Federation in global spaces.  

The CEO / FSC lead needs to be an excellent communicator and collaborator; a person being able to use their soft power and influence in managing The Federation Secretariat Unit to ensure it is a well-functioning and effective secretariat in supporting the Federation and its members. The CEO / FSC lead has a key role in strengthening the cohesion amongst Members and between Members and CVI and in bringing them in alignment with common vision, mission and values. The CEO / FSC lead needs vision, courage and sensitivity to stand up for the mission and vision of SOS CVI and to unite Members, staff, partners and donors around it, as well as to represent SOS CVI externally.  

As the CEO / FSC lead and CPO / IDS lead are jointly the Executive Board of SOS CVI, it requires extremely good collegial and complementary leadership. Together they co-chair the soon-to-be-formed International Management Team (“IMT”) 

Skills, experience and a strong track record with managing organisational budgets, staff, members and external relations at this level would be a requirement for SOS CVI’s new CEO / FSC lead.

Location:            Vienna (Austria), with frequent travel to Member Countries. A work permit for Austria is preferred.   

Salary:                 In line with INGO standards 

Mission

The CEO and the CPO / IDS Lead jointly constitute the Executive Board of SOS Children’s Villages International (CVI). The CEO is the spokesperson of the Executive Board. The CEO’s primary responsibility is to lead the FSC in achieving its mission and objectives, support the Governing bodies of CVI, strengthen the cohesion amongst members of the Federation, facilitate and encourage Members to contribute to the Federation’s ability to achieve their common purpose, facilitate development of the Federation’s strategic direction, identify risks and opportunities where applicable to the Federation as a whole and to represent the Federation in global spaces.  

Following areas of work are proposed to be covered by the CEO/FSC lead (subject to change): 

• Executive Support, Transformation, PMO 
• Federation Development 
• Federation Engagement 
• Internal Audit (dotted line) 
• Safeguarding 
• People & Culture 
• Finance 
• Information & Communication Technology 

Tasks & Responsibilities 

Support the Governance of the Federation  

• Support effective Governance bodies and the related governance processes of the Federation.  

• Support the International Board / General Assembly and General Assembly Committees in the Member admittance, suspension and expulsion process.  

• Responsible for reporting, financial management, and providing strategic advice and support to the International Board and its committees. 

Facilitating Federation Alignment  

• Lead and facilitate processes which strengthen the cohesion amongst Members and Members and CVI and bring them in support of their common Vision, Mission & Values. 

• Enables effective communication and decision-making across the federation.    

• Facilitates co-creation between Members and CVI of shared Strategic Framework, Federation culture & behaviours.  

Mandatory Policies, Standards, Brand 

• Lead Federation’s work on and alignment to the Brand Values and identity.  

• Lead and facilitate process for development of Core Global Policies & Standards applicable to all Members.  

• Facilitate development, implementation and promotion of Safeguarding policies, tools and practice across the Federation.  

• Indirectly (dotted-line) manage the Internal Audit department and empower it to execute the multi-annual internal audit cycle for SOS CVI and its members, in accordance with the multi-annual Internal Audit plan approved by the International Board. 

• Support the performance of ad-hoc investigations in case of need, both by cautious anticipatory budgeting and increasing investigation capabilities and capacities within CVI.  

Global External Representation and Messaging  

• Externally represent CVI and the Federation and use its advocacy positions in global and regional spaces to influence global thinking and policy (e.g., UNCRC, EU, African Union, ...).  

• Lead development of Global Advocacy policy positions.  

• Coordinate development of global and messaging including crisis communications and annual report. 

Global Systems and Information  

• Provision of appropriate Federation wide technological platforms / systems which have been approved by Governance bodies as mandatory for all Members.  

• Collect and consolidate (very high level) performance metrics from MAs and report to GA.  

• Facilitate knowledge management and best practice across and between MAs in operational areas including People & Culture, Finance etc. 

People and Culture  

• Drive and promote organizational culture across the federation to support the achievement of our mission. 

Finance  

• Joint responsibility as Executive Board member for the financial results and global finance processes in the federation. 

•  Individual primary responsibility for the FSC budget.   

Risk  

• Identifies Federation wide opportunities and risks. Works with Governance Bodies and Member Associations to develop, and in some cases lead, mitigation strategies and responses.  

Internal support services  

• Manage the internal services for both FSC and IDS and operations of the FSC. 

Safeguarding responsibility   

• The CEO actively drives and supports efforts towards safeguarding principles, child rights and human rights-based approaches in the federation and serves as a role model to ensure values-based conduct in the organization.   

• Raise awareness of the holistic safeguarding policies and principles to prevent and protect programme participants, families, communities, staff and everyone who is partnering with SOS Children’s Villages International from all forms of harm, including abuse, abandonment, exploitation, harassment, violence and discrimination.   

• Embed safeguarding into all operations, strategy, and governance; promote transparency, ethics, and survivor-centered approaches. 

Requirements

Functional Competences 

• Authentic commitment to the Vision, Mission and Values of the SOS Federation in its work for children 

• Experience in an equivalent position (top level) within an international organization or federation, of comparable size and complexity: managing a 400 FTE size organization, over 40 million budget in a federation of over 137 member associations (with an overall turnover of over one billion) 

• Track record in the sector, ideally INGO background 

• Outstanding interpersonal skills, ability to collaborate, engage and build trust amongst stakeholders in a decentralized and complex global network. Ability to influence without direct authority, navigate complex federation dynamics and power structures with strong diplomacy to align diverse interests and foster cohesion across independent members. 

• Outstanding communication and presentation skills including with global media and global people of influence. Ability to act as a global ambassador and advocate for child rights, build strategic alliances, influence global policy, serve as a public spokesperson, and enhance the federation’s visibility and credibility externally.   

• Good understanding of child protection, care reform, and humanitarian work 

• Experience in dealing with high complexity  

• Expertise in federated governance, strategic risk management and compliance 

• Professional expertise in driving the vision, strategy development, prioritization and implementation of complex and innovative projects 

• Leadership skills to manage teams in diverse locations, foster cultural environment development and the ability to build team capacity. Establish efficient organizational structures and lead high-performing teams 

• Experience in managing a P&L of equivalent size, ensuring financial sustainability and cost-efficiency 

• Experience and interest in innovation and digital readiness: driving digital transformation, enabling data-informed decision-making and ethical use of technology. Fostering innovation, agility and continuous improvement. 

• Visionary and transformational leadership: proven experience in managing organizational transformation and change with authenticity, empathy and courage. Ability to drive strategic change initiatives, inspire long-term vision and direction, lead effectively through crises and ambiguity. 

• Strong decision-taking competency in fast-changing and uncertain environments, based on available evidence and risk-analysis. 

• Experience in establishing clear accountability mechanisms and performance metrics to drive results and transparency. 

• Proven ability to lead lean and efficient teams and effectively manage limited resources. 

Value-Based Core Competencies  

• Kindness 

• Continuous learning  

• Inclusiveness 

• Initiative 

• Result-orientation 

Values-based leadership Qualities 

• Integrity, empathy, humility, and authenticity 

• Visionary and strategic thinking 

• Resilience, patience, and adaptability 

• People-centred and inclusive leadership 

• Foster a culture of empowerment, continuous staff development, psychological safety, and a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) 

• Promote participatory leadership and constructively manage dissent 

• Create an atmosphere of collaboration and mutual trust 

• Motivate, inspire, develop and lead a high-performing, multicultural senior leadership team  

• Role model a values-based leadership to motivate and empower staff 

• Strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility 

• Foster a growth oriented, positive and encouraging environment while keeping employees and management accountable  

Education Qualification 

• Advanced academic degree 

• A minimum of 15 to 20 years progressive and relevant experience including working in a leadership position (at least 10 years at senior management level) in the international context and/or business environment 

Experience 

• A minimum of 15-20 years leadership experience in overseeing work in multiple geographic locations, in various functional areas or in the international development context  

• Multicultural work experience in a relevant leadership role  

• Experience in the non – profit and federation-like environment is a distinct advantage, including experience at the grass-root level  

Language Skills 

• Essential: English 

• Desirable: German, French, Spanish or Arabic (SOS CVI languages) 

How to Apply  

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, please apply via Oxford HR (not here!), click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page Chief Executive Officer - SOS Children Villages International - Oxford HR, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy)-Organisation e.g., Pat-Jones-CV-0625-SOSCVI or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter-0625-SOSCVI.

Timeline  

Closing Date:  18th Jul 2025 

First Stage Interviews by Oxford HR: 28th – 31st Jul 2025 

Interviews by SOS Children’s Villages International: 11th – 22nd Aug 2025 

Leadership Impact Assessment for Final Candidates: 25th Aug – 3rd Sept 2025 

Final round interviews by SOS Children’s Villages International:   starting from 8th September 

Selection Process 

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder. 

Equality Statement 

SOS Children’s Villages International applies zero-tolerance, neither on sexual exploitation, harassment, and abuse nor on fraud and corruption, amongst other safeguarding aspects. SOS Children’s Villages International also provides equal employment opportunities to all employees & qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class. SOS Children’s Villages International complies with all applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected. 

Queries  

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email to jreinartz@oxfordhr.com in the first instance.