Country Director, Vanuatu

There’s something powerful about working alongside others who share your passion for creating positive change. At Save the Children, we bring together bright minds and big hearts—people united by a deep commitment to make a difference where it matters most.

Together, we are fearless in our mission to create lasting change—for every child, in every komuniti.

A place to make a difference:

This full-time, permanent role is based in Port Vila, leading our dedicated Vanuatu country team as part of the Pacific Regional Leadership Team.

As Country Director, you’ll drive Save the Children’s work and vision for children in Vanuatu. Whether it’s strengthening our country program, forging strong local partnerships, or raising the profile of our work, your leadership will help deliver meaningful, long-term change for children and families across the islands and beyond.

You will make a difference by:

· Leading and inspiring the Vanuatu team with integrity, purpose and respect for kastom

· Identifying and nurturing talent blong ol man mo woman Vanuatu, with a strong focus on mentoring and leadership development

· Driving implementation and review of the three-year strategic plan

· Leading new business development and funding aligned with national and regional priorities

· Building trusted relationships with government, donors, private sector and community leaders

· Raising Save the Children’s profile through local partnerships, advocacy and operational excellence

· Ensuring strong financial management, including budget oversight and donor compliance

· Promoting a culture of accountability, cost-awareness and continuous learning

A place to feel valued:

We’re looking for a purpose-driven leader with strong experience in the development and/or humanitarian sector and a track record of leading successful country programs (particularly in a Pacific context).

This role requires:

· Proven experience leading diverse teams and delivering high-impact programs

· Strong financial acumen, including managing large budgets and grants

· Experience in successful business development and fundraising

· Skills in project planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting

· High-level representation experience with donors, partners and government

Local Knowledge Matters

We strongly value leadership that reflects the communities we serve. If you are Ni-Vanuatu and yu gat stret kaen wok experience mo ol kwalifikesen, we warmly encourage you to apply. Your insight, local wisdom and leadership are vital to our mission.

A place to belong:

We are diverse personalities, backgrounds and talents, embracing our differences as one strong and united team. We see and celebrate the unique value you bring to our organisation, and offer a range of rewards for your effort, including:

· Opportunities to contribute to projects across the Pacific

· A personalised learning and development plan to support your career goals

· Access to our free, confidential Employee Wellbeing Program

· Internal support networks including Pride@Save, Parents and Carers@Save, Disability@Save, and our First Nations Advisory Committee

· Additional leave to help you rest, reset or support your family when needed

Follow this link for the full list of our employee benefits.

Does this sound like the place for you?

This is more than just a job — it’s a calling. If you believe in the potential of every child and want to help shape a better future for Vanuatu, we want to hear from you.

Applications close COB Thursday 30th October 2025.

Position Description – Country Director, Vanuatu

For more information about this position, please contact Kim Koch on kim.koch@savethechildren.org.au or for more information about a career at Save, visit our Careers Page.

We have tested our application process with diverse groups in mind, with the intent to ensure it's straightforward and accessible for all to apply. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our culture and improve our ability to reach our most vulnerable client groups. But we also know there is no one-size fits-all when it comes to recruitment - so if we didn’t quite hit the mark for you, please let us know at people.culture@savethechildren.org.au. We’re dedicated to ensuring Save the Children Australia is a place where everyone can feel supported – no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, culture and beliefs.

Save the Children Australia is a child-safe organisation. All employees are required to undergo a National Police Check, a Working with Children Check, and sign our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. We also support the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.

Save the Children is committed to providing and maintaining a safe working environment for its employees and client groups, consistent with our obligations under OH&S legislation.

If you are having any issues with uploading your application for this role, please contact people.culture@savethechildren.org.au for further support.