Vice President Program Operations

Smile Train•New York, NY

12d•$140,000 - $170,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Program Operations is a senior leader within Smile Train’s Global Programs division, providing strategic and operational leadership to ensure global program priorities are planned, coordinated, executed, and measured effectively. Reporting to the Chief Impact Officer, this role works closely with Programs leadership, regional leaders, and colleagues across the organization. It oversees program operations, work plans, budgets, forecasting, risk management, partner management, and key organizational deliverables, while leading and developing professionals across specialized program areas. The role connects strategy with execution by keeping program activities aligned with organizational priorities, providing leadership with timely and accurate information for decision-making, and coordinating collaboration among Programs, regional teams, and headquarters functions. It also champions the use of data, dashboards, and management tools to strengthen performance, accountability, and continuous improvement. International and domestic travel may be required in discussion with the Chief Impact Officer and based on organizational and programmatic needs. The position is suited to an accomplished senior leader with strong strategic and operational judgment, financial acumen, people-leadership skills, and the ability to translate organizational strategy into effective execution in a fast-paced, global, mission-driven environment. The role is hybrid, based out of Smile Train’s Midtown Manhattan office. Compensation is $140,000 to $170,000.

Requirements

MBA or advanced degree in business, management, public administration, international development, or a related discipline, or equivalent significant professional experience in business and operational management.
At least 5 years of progressive leadership and operational management experience.
At least 5 years of supervisory and people-management experience, including demonstrated success leading and developing professional staff.
Significant experience in program operations, strategic planning, work planning, project execution, and organizational coordination.
Strong financial management experience, including budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, and monitoring.
Demonstrated experience developing and using data, dashboards, reporting, and performance-management tools to support executive decision-making.
Demonstrated success working across departments, functions, and organizational levels.
Excellent leadership, written and verbal communication, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
Strong strategic, financial, analytical, and operational capabilities.
Ability to manage competing organizational priorities while maintaining focus on strategic objectives and critical deliverables.
Strong judgment and ability to identify, assess, and flag operational and programmatic risks early, including partner-related issues, and work with senior leadership to resolve them promptly.
Ability to influence and collaborate across cultures, functions, personalities, and organizational levels.
Executive presence and ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to senior leadership.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven global organization.

Nice To Haves

Leadership experience within a nonprofit, charity, NGO, international development, healthcare, or public health organization.
Experience working within a global or multi-country organization and across multicultural teams.
Experience navigating headquarters, regional, and field-based organizational structures.
Experience within a large or complex organization involving multiple stakeholders and functional areas.
International professional experience.
Exposure to fundraising, proposal development, grant writing, or development of program budgets for funding proposals.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership across global Programs initiatives, keeping priorities, work plans, timelines, and deliverables aligned and on track.
Oversee program budget planning, forecasting, monitoring, and timely, accurate financial submissions in partnership with Programs leadership and Finance.
Lead, manage, mentor, and develop professionals across specialized program areas, including research, speech, ENT, nutrition, and other program functions.
Establish priorities, performance expectations, and accountability while supporting team members’ professional growth and development.
Serve as a senior liaison between Programs and headquarters functions, coordinating cross-functional requests, projects, and initiatives and ensuring strategic alignment.
Partner with regional leadership to develop and review annual plans, budgets, regional work plans, and program priorities.
Provide strategic and operational input on the feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and implementation requirements of proposed program initiatives.
Review and flag programmatic and operational risks across the portfolio; work under the Chief Impact Officer’s supervision to resolve issues before they escalate.
Monitor partner activities and organizational commitments, engage partners to address emerging concerns, and drive timely problem-solving so issues are identified and acted upon well before fiscal year-end.
Lead development and use of dashboards, reporting tools, and performance measures that provide leadership with timely, actionable information.
Ensure program data is collected, managed, analyzed, and used appropriately to strengthen decision-making and continuous improvement.
Regularly communicate and debrief senior leadership on program performance, operational challenges, emerging risks, and strategic priorities.
Anticipate operational challenges and lead development of practical organization-wide solutions.
Strengthen collaboration and coordination across headquarters and regional teams in Smile Train’s global and multicultural environment.
Contribute technical and programmatic expertise to fundraising proposals, grant-related activities, and other cross-functional initiatives as appropriate.
Take responsibility for individual performance and alignment with Smile Train’s mission and objectives; communicate transparently, support an inclusive team environment, and contribute to collaboration and shared accountability.