Vice President, Programs

Vice President, Programs

ABOUT PURE EARTH

Pure Earth is a growing international nonprofit addressing one of the most urgent yet solvable global health crises, toxic pollution and its profound impacts on human health. We specialize in preventing lead and mercury exposure, deploying innovative, evidence-based solutions in low- and middle-income countries worldwide. Our initiatives not only protect vulnerable children and communities today but also build sustainable systems to ensure lasting change for future generations.

Recognized globally for our impactful programs and leadership on these issues, Pure Earth enjoys strong partnerships with governments, renowned philanthropies, and leading international development institutions. Our credibility is underscored by top ratings from nonprofit evaluators such as Charity Navigator and Candid/GuideStar.

With new multi-year funding, Pure Earth is scaling up proven interventions, establishing new country offices, and broadening cross-sector collaborations. At Pure Earth, you will be part of an agile, passionate team that swiftly translates science and innovation into meaningful action. Your contributions will yield clear, measurable outcomes, transforming countless lives around the globe.

POSITION SUMMARY

This position is where Pure Earth's mission comes to life, directly translating organizational strategies into concrete actions to protect public health.

The Vice President of Programs is a critical member of Pure Earth’s Leadership Team, responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of the organization's global portfolio of grant-funded field programs through a network of country offices across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. At Pure Earth, “programs” typically include biomonitoring activities to assess exposure to toxicants, assessing contaminant levels in environmental media and consumer goods, and implementing interventions to directly mitigate the release of, or exposure to toxic pollutants.

In this strategic managerial role, the VP directs and mentors a team of Regional Program Directors in Pure Earth’s headquarters, and with those Directors, supports country offices to consistently meet grant commitments, maintain outstanding program quality, and achieve meaningful impacts in the communities we serve.

The VP is instrumental in championing program excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement. This role requires proactive identification and resolution of implementation challenges, strategic planning to effectively manage a complex portfolio of programs in over a dozen low- and middle-income countries, and a commitment to fostering professional growth within diverse teams. The ideal candidate will be a visionary yet pragmatic leader who excels in navigating diverse cultural contexts and stakeholder environments.

Reporting directly to Pure Earth’s President, the Vice President of Programs closely collaborates with senior leaders across operations, finance, research and technical support, human resources, development, and communications. They ensure organizational alignment, promote effective resource mobilization strategies, and drive initiatives to improve efficiency and impact. Their leadership ensures that Pure Earth remains dedicated to delivering innovative, high-quality programming that measurably improves public health and generates sustainable change.

This role is suited to an ambitious, pragmatic leader who thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments and is comfortable managing a large, complex portfolio of international programs. It demands resilience, creativity, and a willingness to engage across time zones and outside traditional work hours to support a truly global mission. If you are ready for a challenge that will test your skills, stretch your creativity, and push you to innovate, this position offers the fulfillment of generating life-changing impacts for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. We invite a visionary Vice President of Programs to join our dynamic global team and help shape a healthier, more equitable future for millions of people.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership and Strategic Vision

• Set a clear, ambitious vision for the Programs Department, delivering evidence-based programs tailored to local contexts, aligned with Pure Earth’s mission and beneficiaries’ needs.
• Oversee the creation and implementation of comprehensive country strategies, balancing immediate service delivery with sustainable local capacity-building, clearly articulating short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives.
• Ensure timely and effective achievement of grant obligations, proactively identifying and resolving implementation challenges.
• Develop robust tools and processes to detect early signs of potential programmatic issues, swiftly activating solutions and corrective measures.
• Maintain a mission-aligned global programmatic footprint of Country Offices, team members, and activities, strategically guiding program expansion and responsible closure when necessary.
• Evaluate, pursue, and cultivate strategic partnerships with private, public, and nonprofit entities to enhance program delivery and effectiveness.

Team Management and Development

• Directly supervise and mentor Regional Program Directors, empowering country office teams and fostering a collaborative, respectful, and inclusive team culture.
• Promote a continuous learning environment, emphasizing professional growth and development through clear goal setting, actionable feedback, and performance management.
• Create and maintain a supportive, safe, and inclusive working environment for all program staff.
• Encourage innovation by connecting teams with ideas, resources, and partnerships that foster creative solutions and amplify impact.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Pure Earth’s Technical Support Team to ensure program quality, adherence to best practices, and utilization of the latest scientific methodologies.
• Work alongside the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team to establish clear, measurable impact metrics and incorporate MEL insights into continuous program improvement.
• Collaborate with the Development Department to identify funding opportunities, align proposed programs with organizational and donor interests, and support effective proposal development.
• Coordinate with Operations and Finance teams to prepare accurate annual and grant-specific budgets, ensuring financial accountability and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with Communications colleagues to accurately capture, communicate, and disseminate programmatic progress, learnings, compelling stories, and quantitative evidence of impact to external audiences.
• Actively participate in Board of Directors meetings, providing detailed programmatic updates, and engaging with the Board’s Programs Committee to share progress and seek input.

External Representation, Influence, and Advocacy

• Represent Pure Earth at events relevant to programmatic strategies and activities.
• Represent Pure Earth in partnerships and multi-party initiatives related to lead and mercury exposure to share strategies, learn from others, and advance collaboration.
• Forge and nurture strategic relationships with governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society organizations to enhance program effectiveness and influence policy decisions.
• Contribute to business development by maintaining strong donor relations and positioning Pure Earth as a preferred partner for advancing global environmental health.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 15 years of professional experience, including at least 7 years in progressively senior leadership roles managing large, complex international development program portfolios; experience in environmental health or related disciplines strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success leading diverse, multidisciplinary teams across multiple countries and contexts, fostering high performance and collaboration.
• Relevant graduate degree (e.g., public health, environmental science, international development, public administration) strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and scale evidence-based, outcomes-driven international programs, with a strong emphasis on building local capacity and sustainability.
• Track record of securing and managing diverse funding streams, including institutional donors, foundations, and government agencies.
• Exceptional change management skills, with experience leading teams through periods of organizational growth and transformation.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and presentation skills; able to represent complex program contexts and impacts to donors, governments, partners, and media in a compelling and accessible way.
• Collaborative leadership style grounded in transparency, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Strong partnership development skills, with the ability to build trust and maintain collaborative relationships across government, NGO, corporate, and community stakeholders.
• Strategic delegation skills, empowering team members with appropriate responsibility, accountability, and decision-making authority.
• High-level analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to adapt strategies in dynamic, complex environments.
• Commitment to Pure Earth’s mission and values, and to advancing environmental health and social equity.
• Ability and willingness to travel internationally to low- and middle-income countries as needed, including to areas where cultural practices and attitudes may differ from those of Pure Earth’s team members, and to low-resource areas that may lack the comforts and accommodations found in higher-income settings (approximately 20%).
• Flexibility to work across time zones and outside traditional work hours when necessary to support global teams.
• Multilingual skills are a plus.

Pure Earth fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven workplace where global teams work with purpose to solve environmental health challenges, particularly lead and mercury pollution. We value transparency, flexibility, and professional growth for all staff.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT:

It is our policy to provide equal opportunity for all qualified persons and not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender or gender identity, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

This role is classified as L6 and the base salary is : $135,000 - $300,000 per year. Final offer amounts, within the base pay set forth above, are determined by factors including your relevant skills, education, and experience. This is a Full-time exempt position eligible for benefits including: medical, dental, and vision benefits, paid holidays, paid sick time, paid parental leave, 401(k) plan participation, life and disability insurance.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION:

Pure Earth applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to applicant's disability or need for accommodation. Any applicant who requires reasonable accommodations during the application process should contact the Pure Earth human resources(hr@pureearth.org) to make the need for an accommodation known.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• This position requires international travel approximately 20% of the time, but may vary depending on project deliverables
• Work hours may be outside of normal NY-based hours to accommodate working in various time zones across the globe. Working late nights, early mornings and weekends may be required.
• This is a headquarters position. Based in NY is preferred. However, the role may be based in a regional or country office or remote, with frequent trips to New York. Daily coordination with New York HQ and global teams expected.
• Work authorization required for the US, UK, or country in which Pure Earth is registered to do business. Work visa sponsorship will not be considered.

This job description may be revised and updated as required to meet organizational objectives.