Internals Only: Internal Director

Your mission

War Child is looking for an:

Internal Director

Drives organisational excellence, enables executive decision-making and turns strategic priorities into lasting impact

About The Role

The Internal Director is accountable for organisational effectiveness, operational excellence, governance, people leadership, financial stewardship, risk management, Institutional Fundraising and organisational development across War Child Netherlands.

The role ensures that the organisation has the structures, systems, processes, capabilities, and culture required to deliver its strategy effectively and sustainably. Working in partnership with the Managing Director, the Internal Director leads the internal organisation, drives continuous improvement and professionalisation, and serves as the principal point of coordination between War Child Netherlands and the wider War Child Alliance.

What You Will Do

Strategic Leadership & Organisational Direction

• Co-Lead the development and execution of War Child Netherlands' strategic direction, organisational priorities, and growth ambitions.
• Ensure organisational decisions remain aligned with mission, impact objectives, and long-term sustainability.
• Provide visible leadership to the organisation and contribute to a high-performing and cohesive Management Team.
• Monitor social, political, humanitarian, and funding trends and translate opportunities and risks into strategic organisational responses.
• Ensure organisational resources and efforts remain aligned with War Child's mission, values, and strategic objectives.
  
  

Institutional Fundraising & Growth

• Provide executive leadership for fundraising and income generation, ensuring achievement of income targets and sustainable growth across funding streams.
• Ensures positioning of War Child in strategic governmental and non-governmental spaces to achieve key objectives
  
  

Organisational Effectiveness & Operational Leadership

• Lead the continuous development and professionalisation of War Child Netherlands' organisational structures, operating model, systems, and ways of working.
• Ensure organisational resources, capabilities, and processes effectively support delivery of strategic objectives.
• Drive organisational effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  
  

People, Culture & Leadership

• Lead organisational initiatives that strengthen leadership capability, employee engagement, performance, wellbeing, organisational culture, and workforce effectiveness.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, safeguarding, and continuous learning.
• Lead and develop a high-performing leadership team (direct reports) and team members that delivers organisational objectives and supports employee engagement and wellbeing.
• Support management development and strengthen leadership practices across the organisation.
• Management of MT meetings
  
  

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure effective governance, internal control, risk management, legal compliance, and organisational accountability.
• Oversee organisational policy frameworks, compliance mechanisms, and risk management systems.
• Support the Supervisory Board through effective reporting, transparency, and assurance processes.
  
  

Financial Stewardship & Business Management

• Provide executive oversight of financial management, budgeting, forecasting, data governance, CRM systems, and organisational planning.
• Ensure organisational resources are managed responsibly and aligned with strategic priorities.
  
  

Organisational Development & Change

• Lead organisational design, change management, workforce planning, process improvement, and transformation initiatives.
• Ensure the organisation remains fit-for-purpose and capable of delivering future strategic ambitions.
  
  

Alliance Coordination & Shared Services

• Represent War Child Netherlands within the War Child Alliance and contribute to Alliance-wide strategy, collaboration, and governance.
• Ensure effective collaboration, alignment, and implementation of Alliance-wide initiatives, policies, systems, and agreed shared service arrangements.
  
  

Works Council & Employee Relations

• Lead engagement with employee representative bodies, including the Netherlands Works Council (Ondernemingsraad).
• Ensure compliance with consultation and co-determination requirements and foster constructive labour relations and social dialogue.
  
  

ROLE-SPECIFIC OR CONTEXT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leads internal organisational management and operational execution.
• Acts as executive sponsor for organisational development and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversees corporate services, including Finance, People & Culture, Risk, Data, Compliance, and Business Support.
• Serves as War Child Netherlands' primary operational focal point within the War Child Alliance.
• Leads major organisational change programmes and internal transformation initiatives.
• Shares overall organisational accountability with the Managing Director.
• Acts as escalation point for operational, governance, people, and compliance matters.
• Supports constructive relationships with the Works Council, trade unions (where relevant), and employee representative bodies.
  
  

Your profile

Knowledge, Skills, Experience

Education

• Relevant educational qualification or equivalent senior leadership experience in a related field is desirable. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
  
  

Experience

• Led an organisation, business unit, or complex portfolio at senior level
• Developed strategy and translated it into clear priorities, delivery plans, and measurable outcomes
• Worked with a board, supervisory board, or comparable governance body
• Led senior teams and enabled accountability, collaboration, and organisational clarity
• Overseen financial stewardship, organisational sustainability, and risk-informed decision-making
• Represented an organisation externally and built relationships with stakeholders, partners, donors, or networks
• Worked in an international, humanitarian, development, networked, or values-led environment is desirable
  
  

Languages

• Fluency in English and Dutch is required for this role. Fluency in Dutch is highly valued
• Additional languages may be useful depending on stakeholder groups and organisational context. (e.g. Arabic, Dari, French, Spanish, Ukrainian)
  
  

(Technical) Knowledge

• Strategic leadership and the ability to translate vision into organisational direction, priorities, and results
• Sound understanding of governance, risk management, compliance, and board engagement
• Financial oversight and the ability to support long-term organisational sustainability and responsible decision-making
• Ability to lead effectively in a partnership, alliance, or networked environment
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, both internally and externally
• Clear and credible communication, including in high-stakes, sensitive, or representative settings
• Sound judgement and decision-making in complex, ambiguous, and fast-changing contexts
• Ability to foster accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and values-led culture across the organisation
• Understanding of safeguarding, integrity, and ethical leadership in organisational practice
  
  

What We Offer

• Location: Netherlands - Amsterdam
• Type of Contract : Dutchl contract with salary and secondary labour conditions based on the in-country salary scale, local T&C's will apply.
• Internals only may apply.
  
  

Why You Should Apply

• Meaningful Impact : Contribute directly to improving the lives of children and families affected by conflict through quality education and long-term, sustainable change.
• Professional Growth: Join a dynamic organisation that values learning, innovation, and professional development, with opportunities for capacity building and growth through the role and War Child’s global network.
• Global Reach : Play a key role in scaling a ground-breaking programme across multiple conflict-affected contexts worldwide.
• Collaborative & Inclusive Culture : Work alongside passionate, mission-driven colleagues in a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace that prioritises safety, fairness and equal opportunity for all.
  
  

How To Apply

This vacancy is open exclusively to internal applicants until Tuesday, 4 August 2026. We encourage eligible internal employees to apply during this period.

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter in English through our career's website.

Please note that applications will only be accepted through our careers website. To ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process, applications submitted via email will not be considered.

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By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

Disclaimer

• Only applications received via our website are processed.
• If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
• It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.
  
  

About Us

The War Child Alliance is an international non-governmental organization committed to providing psychosocial support, child protection, youth empowerment programming and quality education to the children affected by armed conflict. We implement evidence-based interventions to empower key stakeholders—including governments, educators, caregivers, and communities—to foster children’s wellbeing, education, and self-determination. We work with global teams with team members being based in different locations. War Child is currently operates in: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (soon to be registered), and Yemen. We also have offices in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Learn more about War Child and our programmes https://www.warchild.net/

Safeguarding and Integrity

Our work with children and at-risk adults to keep them safe is the most important thing we do. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in all areas of our work. We have zero tolerance for any behaviours and practices that puts children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse and/or harm. All (prospective) employees will be expected to be compliant with and sign up to our Child Safeguarding policy, our Code of Conduct and PSEA: Adults at Risk Policy. You can find the Child Safeguarding and Adults at Risk policy here: Integrity & Safeguarding - Home

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Belonging (DEIB)

We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to ensuring that all our people and job applicants are treated fairly, irrespective of where, what or whom they were born, or of other characteristics. We want to offer a safe and inclusive workplace where all our people, especially those who are currently marginalised or underrepresented, can be themselves at work. If you have any questions about our commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Belonging (DEIB) do get in touch: JEDI.team@warchild.net