Job Description

Terre des hommes
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (DIRECTEURTRICE GENERALE)
Terre des hommes Foundation - Lausanne, Switzerland
An exceptional chance to lead with impact seeking a trilingual (French, English, German) Director General committed to child rights.
Founded in 1960, Terre des hommes (Tdh) is Switzerland's largest child rights organization. Independent, neutral, and impartial, Tdh works in over 25 countries with 2,000+ staff and an annual budget of around CHF 80 million. We are committed to meaningful, lasting change for children and young people most at risk, focusing on maternal and child health, migration, and access to justice. We advocate for their rights, amplify their voices, and operate in both fragile contexts and stable environments.
THE ROLE
We are seeking a forward-looking and strategic, trilingual leader (French, English, German), capable of inspiring trust, engaging teams, and guiding the Foundation into its next phase of development. Reporting to the Council (Board of Directors) of TdH Foundation you will be responsible for driving the foundation's strategic vision, financial sustainability, and global influence while ensuring our mission and values remain at the heart of everything we do.
This is a unique opportunity to steer an organization of global significance with a strong heritage and global reach, shaping the international child rights agenda while bolstering Tdh's culture of transparency, participation, and inclusion.
The DG will guide Tdh with resilience, clarity, and agility, ensuring the organization remains strong, innovative, and impactful in a highly complex environment.
In a world marked by geopolitical instability and financial constraints, this role requires a solid leadership in guiding people during turbulent times and implementing transformations to ensure operational and financial sustainability while keeping children's rights firmly at the forefront.
WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DELIVER
- Leadership & Culture: Provide a clear vision, act as a role model, and maintain a strong, collaborative organizational culture. Inspire and lead a high-performing team, fostering learning, innovation, and reinforcement of Tdh values. Provide trusted guidance to the Directorate.
- Strategy & Impact: Demonstrate a deep understanding of external trends (economic, political, humanitarian and international aid system) and a strong commitment to advancing children's human rights. Shape and implement a multi-year strategy and business model that ensures financial sustainability, agility, and alignment with organizational goals. Align resources with strategic priorities and oversee the annual budgeting process.
- Institutional Steering & Change: Steer financial and human resources, monitor KPIs, and manage institutional risks. Define and implement a change management framework to support the organization's evolution and long-term resilience.
- Ethics, Risks & Compliance: Provide oversight on compliance, internal controls, and safeguarding in line with donor requirements, Swiss law, and international financial standards. Ensure staff security, duty of care, and crisis management at the strategic level.
- People & Workforce: Oversee the global "One Workforce" policy, ensuring staff well-being, security, and professional development. Foster an environment where direct reports are guided and supported, performance is regularly reviewed, and a culture of accountability and care is nurtured throughout the organization.
- Representation & Influence: Act as the face of Terre des hommes, serving as spokesperson and enhancing visibility with donors, governments, businesses, NGOs, peer organizations, and the media. Cultivate high-level partnerships and represent Tdh on boards and international platforms.
- Accountability & Governance: Uphold financial accountability and transparent reporting of progress against strategic goals. Engage and maintain regular, trusted interaction with the President and Council, keeping them informed on risks, safeguarding, duty of care, and code of conduct.
WHAT YOU BRING
- Proven Leadership: A deep and unwavering commitment to child rights, supported by a strong track record in senior leadership roles ideally within international NGOs, IGOs, humanitarian, or development sectors and the proven ability to inspire, empower, and build strong networks
- Strategic Vision: Capacity to navigate ambiguity, anticipate global trends, and develop realistic, innovative solutions that drive organizational agility and long-term sustainability.
- Financial Acumen: Expertise in financial management, budgeting, resource allocation, and ensuring financial sustainability in complex environments.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent relationship-building and representation skills, with the ability to influence, develop partnerships, and enhance Tdh's reputation within the international aid and child rights ecosystem.
- Resilient Leadership in Complexity: Ability to steer a large, diverse, and geographically dispersed organization through uncertainty, crises, and shifting geopolitical and funding landscapes.
- Ethical Integrity & Values: Recognized for integrity, humility, and transparency, with the ability to inspire trust through ethical leadership, inclusiveness, and a strong commitment to organizational values.
- Innovation & Change: Experience in leading change management, fostering organizational learning, and promoting innovation in dynamic humanitarian contexts.
- Personal Qualities: Resilient, a good listener, with humility, a sense of humor, and the ability to inspire confidence at all levels.
- Languages & Context: Full fluency in French, English, and German is mandatory (applications without German will not be considered). Familiarity with the Swiss or Swiss-German context is a must.
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Expected start date: Ideally 1 May 2026 (latest 1 July 2026) to ensure a smooth handover with the current Director General.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit the following by 31 October 2025 (midnight CET) to contact@headtohead.ch, with "Director General Tdh" in the subject line:
- CV highlighting achievements, education, and qualifications
- Motivation letter addressing the role requirements
- Current salary, notice period, and contact details of two referees (referees will only be contacted with your prior consent)
Please do not wait until the deadline to apply, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
SELECTION PROCESS
- Exploratory discussions with Headtohead: November-December 2025
- First interviews with Tdh: January 2026
- Final panel interviews: End of January 2026
- Expected start date: 1 May 2026 (latest 1 July 2026)
Please note: only candidates fluent in French, English, and German will be considered
Branche: Community/Sozialer Dienst/Non-Profit
Funktion: Anderes
Stellenprozent: 80-100% / 100%
Fuhrungsperson: Ja

Skills Required