Jacob Risner Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Save the Children is the leading independent international organization that ensures every child around the world has a future. From the moment crisis strikes through to long-term recovery and development, Save the Children is committed to the children, families, and communities it serves. As the Strategic Advisor to the Vice President of International Programs, I lead a cross-functional team to drive effective operations, strong financial management, risk mitigation, and positive work culture. I oversee the division's strategy and priorities, managing an annual budget of over $100 million and guiding workforce development and planning for over 400 global staff. I optimize strategic alignment and resource utilization, manage the Senior Management Team’s operations, and strengthen leadership, collaboration, and accountability. I spearhead cross-functional strategies, special projects, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and strategic resource allocation. Additionally, I represent the Vice President as needed, championing initiatives and priorities.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Creative Associates International envisions stable neighborhoods, communities, and regions that can develop effective institutions to provide for their people, enabling them to overcome hardship and live peaceful and fulfilling lives.I led the Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative (NERI), a three-year $33.9M USAID-funded project aimed at increasing community security, livelihoods recovery, and reducing the influence of violent extremist organizations in Nigeria's northeast and Middle Belt. I managed the in-country Senior Management Team and collaborated closely with USAID to proactively identify and address operational, contractual, and programmatic challenges. I also led financial analysis and reporting, ensuring the strategic use of resources and implementing necessary programmatic adjustments. Serving as the primary point of contact with USAID/DC, I skillfully maintained and negotiated the donor relationship to ensure alignment with project goals and objectives. NERI’s impact was realized through local and state-level grants and partnerships, including rehabilitating media infrastructure, improving community facilities, strengthening community-based organizations, and facilitating peace and conflict prevention dialogues.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

RTI International is an independent non-profit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. All Children Reading-Cambodia, a 4.5 year USD 24M USAID-funded project, supported the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport to develop and implement a rigorous, inclusive, and scalable Khmer language early grade reading program, 𝘒𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘳 𝘙𝘪𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘩 (Children Study, Children Can Do). As Deputy to the Chief of Party, I was responsible for the operational and financial management of the project, which supported the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MOEYS) in developing and implementing a rigorous, inclusive, and scalable Khmer early grade reading program. I provided leadership and management to a team of finance, HR, procurement, IT, admin, and M&E staff, establishing and continuously improving operational systems and structures. I oversaw the project's sub-contractors and grantees implementing Komar Rien Komar Cheh in over one-third of government primary schools throughout the country. My role involved coordinating the development, implementation, and monitoring of annual work plans and budgets, identifying and resolving potential implementation challenges, and driving decision-making processes. I represented the project with key stakeholders, including MOEYS, USAID, and civil society, and ensured compliance with USAID rules, Cambodian laws, and RTI procedures.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Believing that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read strives to transform the lives of children throughout the world through early grade literacy and gender equality programs. As the Deputy, Asia Regional Operations, I oversaw operations and budgeting for Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, managing an annual budget of over $8M. I worked closely with country management and Global Office colleagues to elevate Room to Read's impact in the region. I led business development efforts in Cambodia and Laos, securing strategic partnerships and funding. I coordinated the planning and piloting of Room to Read Vietnam’s national library partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training, aimed at scaling our library model nationwide. Additionally, I managed the contextualization and piloting of a global program implementation monitoring system, trained and mentored country office colleagues in operations and compliance, and facilitated the multi-year strategic planning and expansion process for Room to Read Sri Lanka. My role also included project managing in-country operations of grants, with responsibility for operational and financial oversight, compliance, reporting, and donor communication.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I managed operations and budgeting for Room to Read in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, overseeing the development, execution, and monitoring of annual work plans and budgets totaling over $8M. I collaborated closely with country, regional, and HQ staff to streamline processes and improve operational effectiveness. My role included training and mentoring country office colleagues in operations and compliance, as well as project managing in-country operations of grants, ensuring operational and financial oversight, compliance, reporting, and donor communication. I also led the multi-year strategic planning and expansion process for Room to Read Laos and Vietnam, improved operations policies and practices in Laos to better identify and support communities, and increased efficiencies in field staffing ratios and headcounts in Cambodia.

Baltimore, Maryland Area

The International Youth Foundation (IYF) invests in the power of young people around the world. Focusing on education and employment, entrepreneurship, and social innovation, IYF partners with local organizations and communities to equip youth with leadership, technical and life skills to realize their full potential and succeed. I provided technical and operational management of a portfolio of youth workforce development and entrepreneurship programs in India, Indonesia, and South Korea. I provided oversight to and build the capacity of local implementing partners. A Master Trainer for IYF's life skills curriculum Passport to Success®, I co-facilitated Training of Trainer workshops in China, Indonesia, South Korea, and Singapore. I contributed to business development efforts, identifying funding opportunities and providing technical input to proposals and budgets.

Baltimore, Maryland Area

I supported a portfolio of youth workforce development and life skills programs in China, India, Indonesia, Morocco, and Senegal. I wrote programmatic reports and processed sub-grant and consultant agreements and amendments. I coordinated the contextualization and adaption of IYF's life skills curriculum Passport to Success® for China, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, and Singapore.

Chestertown, Maryland

Serving rural Kent County, Maryland, SOS, Inc. provided comprehensive programming to support families, including adult basic education, employment readiness, life skills, parent education, positive youth development, and early childhood care and development. A member of the agency's leadership team, I managed a team of eight program staff and interns and provided oversight for all adult and youth programming. I strengthened the M&E systems and processes, enabling the agency to ensure our programs met participants' needs and donor requirements. I also established and maintained strategic relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders, raising the agency's profile and building partnerships.

Chestertown, Maryland

I worked directly with parents, enrolling them in the agency's various programs and supporting them to identify and achieve goals for themselves, their children, and their families. When families required support that we couldn't provide, I coordinated with partner agencies to link those families to available services that met their unique needs. I also assisted agency leadership to evaluate our programs and compile reports to donors.

Master Of Public Administration (M.P.A.)

Bachelor'S Degree, Psychology And French Studies

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi, Pi Delta Phi, Cater Society of Junior Fellows Concentrations in Behavioral Neuroscience.