Director of Programs

Location: Remote / Hybrid, based in the U.S. Northeast with ability for frequent travel

Reports To: President

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About Too Young to Wed

Too Young to Wed (TYTW) works to end child marriage and advance girls’ rights through education, advocacy, and empowerment programs in fragile contexts. We are driven by integrity, trust, and a commitment to transforming the lives of marginalized girls in the world's most challenging environments.

Position Summary

The Director of Programs provides visionary leadership, strategic management, and operational oversight for TYTW’s global initiatives. This role is responsible for ensuring high-impact program design, implementation, and evaluation while fostering trust, integrity, and competence within teams and the communities TYTW serves. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the Director of Programs plays a pivotal role in scaling the organization’s impact, building sustainable programs, and strengthening internal systems. While the President manages major donor partnerships, the Director of Programs collaborates closely with the Development team to align programmatic goals with fundraising efforts. TYTW is a trauma-informed care organization that prioritizes the safety and well-being of all program participants, with a strong commitment to child safeguarding. The Director of Programs is tasked with upholding the highest standards of child protection and integrating trauma-sensitive practices across all initiatives, advancing TYTW’s mission through innovation, partnerships, and results-driven management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Scaling

• Lead the design, development, and execution of TYTW’s global programs, emphasizing sustainable and scalable impact.
• Develop and implement a multi-year growth strategy to expand program reach and deepen organizational impact.
• Ensure all programs are contextually relevant, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and adhere to child safeguarding standards.
• Integrate trauma-informed care principles to protect and empower vulnerable children across all initiatives.
• Collaborate with the President and senior team as a thought partner, contributing to long-term strategic planning.

Program Operations & Management

• Oversee day-to-day management of programs, including work plans, budgets, and deliverables.
• Establish / Manage systems for monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL), and continuous improvement.
• Build scalable processes that align with TYTW’s mission while increasing program efficiency.

Trust & Community Engagement

• Build and nurture trust-based relationships with local teams, community leaders, and partner organizations.
• Center community voices in program design and decision-making to ensure relevance and impact.
• Develop and implement policies that prioritize the dignity, safety, and well-being of all program participants, with a focus on child safeguarding and trauma-informed practices.

Team Development & Capacity-Building

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, mission-driven program team.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Implement staff development plans and leadership succession planning.
• Collaborate with leadership to inform and shape the organization’s evolving wellness initiatives, ensuring they address the needs of global and field-based staff.

Partnership Development & Collaboration

• Support the President and Development team by providing programmatic input for donor engagement and proposal development.
• Represent TYTW at key advocacy events, conferences, and sector meetings.
• Collaborate with the Communications and Development teams to showcase program success stories.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Ensure all programs comply with international humanitarian standards, donor requirements, and local laws.
• Establish and enforce robust child safeguarding policies aligned with international standards to protect the safety of all children involved in TYTW’s programs.
• Lead risk assessments, crisis response planning, and program security management in fragile contexts.
• Promote ethical practices, transparency, and accountability across all program operations.

Qualifications

Required:

• Minimum 10-12 years of progressive experience in program leadership within international development or humanitarian organizations.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing or managing programs focused on child protection or child safeguarding.
• Proven success scaling multi-country programs in fragile or conflict-affected settings.
• Demonstrated track record in trust-based leadership, partnership development, and staff management.
• Expertise in program design, MEL, and adaptive management.
• Strong budget management and donor reporting experience.
• Ability to work effectively in multi-cultural and high-pressure environments.
• Willingness to travel internationally, including to remote or fragile contexts, up to 30% of the time.

Strongly Preferred:

• Experience in gender-based violence prevention, girls’ education.
• Familiarity with humanitarian standards, including SPHERE, Core Humanitarian Standard, or IASC guidelines.
• Master’s degree in International Development, Public Administration, Social Work, or a related field, or equivalent professional training.

Competencies & Core Values:

• Leadership & Vision: Ability to inspire and guide cross-functional teams.
• Integrity & Accountability: Acts with transparency and follows through on commitments.
• Cultural Sensitivity & Respect: Demonstrates deep respect for cultural and social contexts.
• Operational Excellence: Process-oriented with attention to detail.
• Empathy & Compassion: Prioritizes the well-being of program participants and staff.
• Results-Driven: Maintains a strong focus on achieving meaningful, measurable impact.