CHIEF STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION OFFICER

CARE USA•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

CARE is undergoing a significant transformation, aiming to integrate market-based growth into its development and humanitarian mission for the next decade. The Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer (CSTO), reporting directly to the CEO, will spearhead this repositioning. This role involves shaping strategic direction, driving market-based growth, and establishing the performance systems necessary to achieve the FY26–FY30 Global Strategy. The CSTO will oversee a diverse portfolio encompassing strategic positioning, private and market-based growth, enterprise transformation, organizational performance, and integrated planning. This executive position requires a leader with deep intellectual capacity and a visionary outlook to guide CARE USA's long-term trajectory. The role is crucial for driving commercial growth, fostering new partnership models, and building the systems that will accelerate mission impact, with accountability for both strategy formulation and execution. The ideal candidate will possess strong private sector credibility and a transformative mindset, applying these to a mission-driven organization. This is a unique opportunity to influence the strategic future of a prominent humanitarian organization, merging mission objectives with market strategies during a period of deliberate reinvention. The CSTO will collaborate closely with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Regional and Country Directors, and other key internal leaders, while also engaging with external partners, markets, and growth opportunities. The position leads a globally distributed team of 30 staff and is a key member of the CEO’s Executive Leadership Team. The CSTO will guide CARE towards a more digitally enabled, cost-effective, and market-oriented future, acting as a strong external advocate by pitching ideas, nurturing partnerships, and identifying new growth avenues.

Requirements

Intellectually rigorous, visionary leader
Private sector credibility
Transformational thinking
Ability to bridge mission and market
Experience leading a globally distributed team
Strong external voice for pitching ideas, cultivating partnerships, and opening new growth opportunities
Expertise in strategic positioning, private and market-based growth, enterprise transformation, organizational performance, and integrated planning
Deep understanding of emerging trends, sectoral shifts, geopolitical risks, and market opportunities
Experience with strategic analyses, scenario planning, and market assessments
Proficiency in translating strategic positioning into clear organizational priorities, workstreams, and metrics
Experience stewarding annual and multiyear strategic planning cycles
Ability to continuously scan donor landscapes, partner ecosystems, and emerging trends
Experience driving private sector and market-based revenue growth
Ability to integrate commercial thinking and new partnership models into strategy
Experience cultivating and growing high-value external partnerships with private sector actors, investors, foundations, and other market-based partners
Credibility and conviction in representing an organization externally
Experience embedding innovative financing into enterprise strategy
Ability to align financing strategy with global and country-level planning
Experience identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships, alliances, and ventures
Experience leading organizational transformation initiatives
Expertise in change management, staff engagement, communication, and adoption of new ways of working
Experience driving digital transformation
Experience overseeing cross-functional initiatives to streamline processes and enhance efficiency
Ability to structure internal operations to support new financing mechanisms
Experience championing a cultural shift toward entrepreneurial resourcing
Experience overseeing enterprise-wide performance measurement systems
Experience leading integrated annual planning processes
Experience monitoring organizational KPIs and dashboards
Experience partnering with Finance, Operations, and Program teams on resource allocation
Ability to align budgeting processes with strategic choices

Nice To Haves

Experience in a mission-driven context
Experience in humanitarian or development organizations
Focus on social enterprise and sustainable growth models
Experience with blended finance, pooled mechanisms, and catalytic capital

Responsibilities

Define CARE USA’s strategic position in a rapidly evolving global landscape, leading the implementation and refinement of the FY26–FY30 Global Strategy in partnership with the CEO and ELT.
Serve as chief strategic advisor to the CEO and ELT, bringing intellectual depth and analytical rigor to how CARE reads the external environment—emerging trends, sectoral shifts, geopolitical risks, and market opportunities.
Identify new pathways for growth, partnership, and competitive positioning through strategic analyses, scenario planning, and market assessments.
Translate strategic positioning into clear organizational priorities, workstreams, and metrics that drive coherence and accountability across CARE USA.
Steward the annual and multiyear strategic planning cycle, aligning CARE’s global strategy, regional plans, and U.S. operations with current market realities and external opportunity.
Keep CARE’s strategy ahead of sectoral, geopolitical, and market shifts by continuously scanning donor landscapes, partner ecosystems, and emerging trends.
Drive private sector and market-based revenue growth, integrating commercial thinking and new partnership models into the core of CARE’s strategy.
Cultivate and grow high-value external partnerships with private sector actors, investors, foundations, and other market-based partners to expand CARE’s revenue base and impact reach.
Represent CARE externally with credibility and conviction—pitching ideas, opening doors, and positioning the organization competitively in market and philanthropic forums.
Embed innovative financing into enterprise strategy, ensuring long-term plans anticipate and leverage new resourcing pathways (e.g., blended finance, pooled mechanisms, catalytic capital).
Align financing strategy with global and country-level planning, connecting external resource opportunities to programmatic priorities and growth targets.
Identify and pursue strategic partnerships, alliances, and ventures that expand CARE’s capabilities, revenue base, and market reach—with a focus on social enterprise and sustainable growth models.
Lead organizational transformation initiatives that position CARE to act on external opportunities—strengthening effectiveness, structural agility, culture, operating model, and cross-team collaboration.
Champion enterprise-wide change management, ensuring staff engagement, communication, and adoption of new ways of working.
Drive digital transformation in partnership with technology and operational leaders, ensuring CARE’s systems support performance, data-driven decision-making, and future growth.
Oversee cross-functional initiatives that streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and improve coordination between U.S.-based teams and global counterparts.
Structure internal operations to support new financing mechanisms (e.g., multi-partner funds, outcome-based approaches) efficiently and at scale.
Champion a cultural shift toward entrepreneurial resourcing, helping teams see financing innovation as a strategic lever—not merely a fundraising tool.
Oversee enterprise-wide performance measurement systems, ensuring CARE tracks progress against strategic goals and impact commitments.
Lead integrated annual planning processes, aligning budgets, resources, personnel plans, and programmatic priorities.
Monitor organizational KPIs and dashboards, providing regular updates and insights to the CEO and Board.
Partner with Finance, Operations, and Program teams to ensure resource allocation reflects strategic priorities and long-term financial resilience.
Align budgeting processes with strategic choices, including upfront investments needed to unlock innovative financing and diversified revenue streams.