Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Director, Global Early Childhood Development (GECD) and Refugees
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Westlake Village, California, United States, 91361
Director, Global Early Childhood Development (US and ESA) and Refugees
Director, Global Early Childhood Development (US and ESA) and Refugees
role at
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Brief Description
The Director of Global Early Childhood Development (United States and East and Southern Africa) and Refugees provides visionary yet disciplined leadership across two distinct but complementary strategies: Global Early Childhood Development (ECD) and the Refugees Initiative. Together, these strategies aim to create measurable improvements in the lives of young children, caregivers, and families facing systemic barriers or displacement. The Director will lead a newly formed team across domestic and international geographies to deliver impact through grantmaking, advocacy, research, and partnerships. A key responsibility is to develop and drive clear strategic visions for both initiatives, articulating bold five-year impact statements and defining specific indicators to track progress. These impact statements and indicators will serve as a roadmap clarifying what success looks like, how we measure it, and how we hold ourselves accountable for achieving it.
While Early Childhood and Refugee strategies remain separate, the Director will actively foster cross-initiative learning and alignment, exploring connections such as two-generation approaches, family economic security, and shared measurement frameworks. Working closely with the Strategy, Learning, and Evaluation Division (SLED), the Director will champion a continuous learning and improvement culture, ensuring that evidence and data inform decisions and that strategies evolve to deliver greater impact over time. The Director will also oversee advocacy efforts across both initiatives, ensuring that policy and system-level work advances the broader goals of each strategy. They will provide strong day-to-day management, set clear expectations for staff and partners, align resources, and build a high-performance, accountable, and inclusive culture that aligns with the Foundation’s vision and priorities.
This role is for a proven strategic leader and team builder with expertise in one or both program areas. The Director will inspire the team to bolster ambition, work collaboratively, and take responsibility for results, ensuring that grantmaking, advocacy, and field-building efforts reflect the Foundation’s core values of integrity, humility, stewardship, compassion, and thinking big. This position reports to the Vice President of Strategy and Programs. The Hilton Foundation is a family foundation pursuing a global philanthropic mission guided by the values of integrity, thinking big, humility, stewardship, and compassion.
Responsibilities
Portfolio Management and Strategic Leadership
Provide overall leadership for two distinct strategies: Early Childhood Development (U.S. and East/Southern Africa) and the Refugees Initiative.
Set clear priorities, goals, and outcomes in alignment with the Foundation’s mission and Board directives.
Determine the optimal allocation of resources across strategies and geographies, identifying opportunities for deeper investment, consolidation, co-investment, or expansion.
Leverage data, evidence, and feedback to inform strategy decision-making.
Oversee a balanced grantmaking portfolio that prioritizes direct services and invests in systems change, advocacy, and research.
Engage public systems to promote coordinated, child- and parent-centered policies and practices.
Ensure programmatic and advocacy efforts are strategically integrated to maximize impact.
Ensure the developmental needs of refugees and young children and the well-being of caregivers are central to all programming.
Team Leadership, Management, and Talent Development
Directly manage two Initiative teams of program staff, setting clear expectations and providing consistent support, coaching, and performance feedback.
Design and adjust team structures to meet strategic needs and promote collaboration.
Implement systems to monitor grant progress, surface learning, and identify risks or needed adjustments across the portfolio.
Build a cohesive, inclusive team culture that encourages learning, shared leadership, and innovation.
Ensure internal alignment and collaboration across other initiatives and departments.
Provide regular feedback, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
Thought Partnership, Communication, and Field Leadership
Foster collaboration between the ECD and Refugee teams on shared themes such as two-generation approaches, measurement and evaluation, and family livelihoods.
Support joint learning opportunities and elevate shared insights to inform strategic evolution across initiatives.
Communicate progress, lessons learned, and adaptations of strategy to key stakeholders.
Represent the Foundation in coalitions, working groups, and forums.
Identify emerging trends and elevate innovation and evidence into strategy.
Communicate complex ideas clearly to staff, grantees, board members, and peer funders.
Foster conversations that lead to collaborative investments and partnerships.
Partner with organizations to promote refugee and caregiver agency and empowerment, especially for those with lived experience.
Internal Collaboration and Organizational Learning
Work across teams to identify synergies and coordinate multi-initiative strategies.
Contribute to cross-initiative learning, portfolio reviews, and strategic planning.
Collaborate with Communications and Grants Management to leverage support resources and ensure smooth cross-departmental integration.
Promote knowledge-sharing and data transparency within the organization.
Encourage curiosity, humility, and reflection and contribute to organization-wide strategy conversations.
Organizational Leadership and Culture Setting
Serve as a senior leader within the Strategy and Programs department, shaping the vision and direction of the Program team.
Model the Foundation’s values and foster trust, collaboration, and accountability.
Contribute to organizational planning and leadership forums.
Requirements
Graduate degree in early childhood development, public health, social work, international development, public policy, or related field — or equivalent experience.
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in philanthropy, public systems, or nonprofits with significant experience in ECD, refugee programming, humanitarian response, or related sectors.
Proven success in managing high-performing teams and achieving clear goals and standards.
Experience developing and implementing program or portfolio strategies with inclusive processes.
Experience with philanthropic grantmaking and/or strategy consulting.
Experience leading advocacy efforts, including supervising staff or partners in policy influence or systems change.
Skilled communicator able to distill complex strategies into clear messages for diverse audiences.
Strong relationship-building, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills.
Deep commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and to the Foundation’s values of compassion, humility, and integrity.
Desired
Experience in both domestic and international contexts.
Familiarity with early childhood systems, humanitarian contexts, and two-generation approaches.
Track record of engaging stakeholders in program design.
Cross-cultural fluency and experience with diverse populations.
Reporting Relationships
Immediate Supervisor: Vice President, Strategy and Programs
Direct Reports: Senior Program Officers, Senior Advocacy Officers, and Administrative Assistant
Compensation and Benefits
The hiring range for this position is $242,000 to $303,000. The final base salary will be determined based on qualifications and experience.
Comprehensive health and life insurance options; fitness benefits; paid holidays and parental leave.
Flexible work schedules and technology benefits; retirement savings plan; professional learning and educational assistance.
Employee matching gifts to qualified non-profit organizations.
How to Apply
Along with your resume, a cover letter is required. Please send both documents to resumes@hiltonfoundation.org.
Note : This description reflects the role as described and does not include every possible responsibility. It is intended to describe the primary duties and requirements of the position.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
role at
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Brief Description
The Director of Global Early Childhood Development (United States and East and Southern Africa) and Refugees provides visionary yet disciplined leadership across two distinct but complementary strategies: Global Early Childhood Development (ECD) and the Refugees Initiative. Together, these strategies aim to create measurable improvements in the lives of young children, caregivers, and families facing systemic barriers or displacement. The Director will lead a newly formed team across domestic and international geographies to deliver impact through grantmaking, advocacy, research, and partnerships. A key responsibility is to develop and drive clear strategic visions for both initiatives, articulating bold five-year impact statements and defining specific indicators to track progress. These impact statements and indicators will serve as a roadmap clarifying what success looks like, how we measure it, and how we hold ourselves accountable for achieving it.
While Early Childhood and Refugee strategies remain separate, the Director will actively foster cross-initiative learning and alignment, exploring connections such as two-generation approaches, family economic security, and shared measurement frameworks. Working closely with the Strategy, Learning, and Evaluation Division (SLED), the Director will champion a continuous learning and improvement culture, ensuring that evidence and data inform decisions and that strategies evolve to deliver greater impact over time. The Director will also oversee advocacy efforts across both initiatives, ensuring that policy and system-level work advances the broader goals of each strategy. They will provide strong day-to-day management, set clear expectations for staff and partners, align resources, and build a high-performance, accountable, and inclusive culture that aligns with the Foundation’s vision and priorities.
This role is for a proven strategic leader and team builder with expertise in one or both program areas. The Director will inspire the team to bolster ambition, work collaboratively, and take responsibility for results, ensuring that grantmaking, advocacy, and field-building efforts reflect the Foundation’s core values of integrity, humility, stewardship, compassion, and thinking big. This position reports to the Vice President of Strategy and Programs. The Hilton Foundation is a family foundation pursuing a global philanthropic mission guided by the values of integrity, thinking big, humility, stewardship, and compassion.
Responsibilities
Portfolio Management and Strategic Leadership
Provide overall leadership for two distinct strategies: Early Childhood Development (U.S. and East/Southern Africa) and the Refugees Initiative.
Set clear priorities, goals, and outcomes in alignment with the Foundation’s mission and Board directives.
Determine the optimal allocation of resources across strategies and geographies, identifying opportunities for deeper investment, consolidation, co-investment, or expansion.
Leverage data, evidence, and feedback to inform strategy decision-making.
Oversee a balanced grantmaking portfolio that prioritizes direct services and invests in systems change, advocacy, and research.
Engage public systems to promote coordinated, child- and parent-centered policies and practices.
Ensure programmatic and advocacy efforts are strategically integrated to maximize impact.
Ensure the developmental needs of refugees and young children and the well-being of caregivers are central to all programming.
Team Leadership, Management, and Talent Development
Directly manage two Initiative teams of program staff, setting clear expectations and providing consistent support, coaching, and performance feedback.
Design and adjust team structures to meet strategic needs and promote collaboration.
Implement systems to monitor grant progress, surface learning, and identify risks or needed adjustments across the portfolio.
Build a cohesive, inclusive team culture that encourages learning, shared leadership, and innovation.
Ensure internal alignment and collaboration across other initiatives and departments.
Provide regular feedback, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
Thought Partnership, Communication, and Field Leadership
Foster collaboration between the ECD and Refugee teams on shared themes such as two-generation approaches, measurement and evaluation, and family livelihoods.
Support joint learning opportunities and elevate shared insights to inform strategic evolution across initiatives.
Communicate progress, lessons learned, and adaptations of strategy to key stakeholders.
Represent the Foundation in coalitions, working groups, and forums.
Identify emerging trends and elevate innovation and evidence into strategy.
Communicate complex ideas clearly to staff, grantees, board members, and peer funders.
Foster conversations that lead to collaborative investments and partnerships.
Partner with organizations to promote refugee and caregiver agency and empowerment, especially for those with lived experience.
Internal Collaboration and Organizational Learning
Work across teams to identify synergies and coordinate multi-initiative strategies.
Contribute to cross-initiative learning, portfolio reviews, and strategic planning.
Collaborate with Communications and Grants Management to leverage support resources and ensure smooth cross-departmental integration.
Promote knowledge-sharing and data transparency within the organization.
Encourage curiosity, humility, and reflection and contribute to organization-wide strategy conversations.
Organizational Leadership and Culture Setting
Serve as a senior leader within the Strategy and Programs department, shaping the vision and direction of the Program team.
Model the Foundation’s values and foster trust, collaboration, and accountability.
Contribute to organizational planning and leadership forums.
Requirements
Graduate degree in early childhood development, public health, social work, international development, public policy, or related field — or equivalent experience.
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in philanthropy, public systems, or nonprofits with significant experience in ECD, refugee programming, humanitarian response, or related sectors.
Proven success in managing high-performing teams and achieving clear goals and standards.
Experience developing and implementing program or portfolio strategies with inclusive processes.
Experience with philanthropic grantmaking and/or strategy consulting.
Experience leading advocacy efforts, including supervising staff or partners in policy influence or systems change.
Skilled communicator able to distill complex strategies into clear messages for diverse audiences.
Strong relationship-building, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills.
Deep commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and to the Foundation’s values of compassion, humility, and integrity.
Desired
Experience in both domestic and international contexts.
Familiarity with early childhood systems, humanitarian contexts, and two-generation approaches.
Track record of engaging stakeholders in program design.
Cross-cultural fluency and experience with diverse populations.
Reporting Relationships
Immediate Supervisor: Vice President, Strategy and Programs
Direct Reports: Senior Program Officers, Senior Advocacy Officers, and Administrative Assistant
Compensation and Benefits
The hiring range for this position is $242,000 to $303,000. The final base salary will be determined based on qualifications and experience.
Comprehensive health and life insurance options; fitness benefits; paid holidays and parental leave.
Flexible work schedules and technology benefits; retirement savings plan; professional learning and educational assistance.
Employee matching gifts to qualified non-profit organizations.
How to Apply
Along with your resume, a cover letter is required. Please send both documents to resumes@hiltonfoundation.org.
Note : This description reflects the role as described and does not include every possible responsibility. It is intended to describe the primary duties and requirements of the position.
#J-18808-Ljbffr