Program Quality, Risk Strategy Director

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 31,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

International Assignment (WVI – Paid via GCLA) Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

JOB PURPOSE

Program Quality, Risk and Strategy (PQRS) Director provides strategic leadership and organizational oversight for strategy development, program quality, risk management, evidence generation, learning, innovation, accountability, and organizational performance across World Vision Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The role ensures that all program and projects are strategically aligned, evidence-based, community-driven, and compliant with donor, partnership, safeguarding, and government requirements. The Director leads organizational planning, performance monitoring, risk governance, research, evaluation, knowledge management, and adaptive learning systems to strengthen program effectiveness and maximize impact for vulnerable children and communities.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director drives a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, and evidence-informed decision-making while ensuring organizational resilience in a context characterized by climate change, disasters, economic vulnerability, and social development challenges.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership and Organisation Performance 20%

• Lead development, implementation and periodic review of the National Strategy and strategic initiatives for SI/Vanuatu
• Drive annual business planning, results frameworks, organizational scorecards and performance reviews.
• Ensure strategic alignment between Area Programmes, grants, sponsorship, humanitarian response and national priorities.
• Advise Senior Leadership Team on emerging development trends, risks, opportunities and strategic positioning.
• Lead scenario planning and organizational adaptation in response to changing donor, government and community priorities.

End Result

• National Strategy for both Solomon Islands and Vanuatu successfully developed, implemented and monitored.
• Strategic objectives achieved through measurable organizational performance.
• Evidence-based decision-making embedded across the organization.

Program Quality and Impact 20%

Lead organizational systems that ensure high-quality programme design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning.

• Provide leadership for Programme Quality Framework implementation.
• Ensure all projects are designed using evidence, technical standards and community priorities.
• Strengthen project cycle management processes.
• Oversee quality assurance reviews and programme audits.
• Ensure integration of child wellbeing outcomes across all sectors.
• Support adaptive management and programme optimization.
• Promote localization and community ownership approaches.
• Ensure programme models are documented and replicated where successful.

End Result

• Improved programme effectiveness and impact.
• Strong donor and partnership compliance.
• Programmes consistently achieve intended outcomes.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Accountability, and Learning (MERAL) 15%

• Lead monitoring, evaluation, research, accountability and learning systems.
• Ensure quality baselines, evaluations and assessments.
• Oversee organizational performance reporting.
• Strengthen beneficiary accountability mechanisms.
• Lead evidence generation and publication of learning products.
• Support operational research and innovation pilots.
• Ensure lessons learned influence programme design and strategy revisions.
• Develop data visualization and management dashboards.

End Results

• Reliable organizational data available for decision-making.
• Increased use of evidence for strategic and programme decisions.
• Strong accountability to donors, communities and partners.

Risk Management, Safeguarding and Organisational Resilience 15%

• Lead enterprise risk management systems.
• Oversee organizational risk registers and mitigation actions.
• Facilitate annual risk assessments.
• Support business continuity planning.
• Integrate climate risk and disaster risk reduction into organizational planning.
• Monitor safeguarding risks and control effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with World Vision and local legal requirements.

End Result

• Organizational risks proactively managed.
• Compliance standards consistently achieved.
•  Increased organizational resilience.

Innovation, Knowledge Management & Strategic Partnerships 10%

• Support donor engagement through evidence and impact reporting.
• Strengthen strategic partnerships with government, churches, civil society and academia.
• Support business development with data, evidence and strategic analysis.
• Represent the organization in national technical forums.

End Result

• Strong external relationships.
• Increased funding opportunities.
• Enhanced organizational visibility and influence.

Management & Leadership 20%

• Provide strategic and inspirational leadership for the Programme Quality, Strategy, Risk, Innovation & Evidence function, ensuring high performance, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the organization.
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to organizational strategy, governance, decision-making, and culture while building the capacity of staff and strengthening cross-functional relationships. Lead and develop high-performing teams, promote World Vision's Christian identity and values, champion safeguarding and accountability, and represent the organization effectively with donors, government, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of evidence-based decision-making, innovation, learning, and excellence to achieve lasting impact for vulnerable children and communities.

KNOWLEDGE/QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE ROLE:

Required Professional Experience

• Minimum 5 to 10  years of progressively responsible experience in international development, programme management, strategy, organizational performance, monitoring and evaluation or risk management.
• Minimum  2 to 3 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-sector development programmes.
• Experience with institutional donor-funded programmes (DFAT, MFAT, EU, UN, USAID and others).
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and organizational change initiatives.
•  Experience working within the Pacific region is highly desirable.

Required Education, training, license, registration, and certification

• Master’s degree in international development, Strategic Management, Public Policy, Economics, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, Risk Management or related field.
• Professional certifications in Strategy, Risk Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, Project Management or Organizational Development are desirable.

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications

• In-depth understanding of strategic planning processes, risk management, knowledge management, and evidence-based decision-making in the context of international development.
• Familiarity with global and regional strategy management within the World Vision Partnership.
• Exposed to strategic planning process & corporate management.
• Proven track record of effective contribution in the senior leadership group.
• A mature and committed Christian who can lead Spiritual Nurture activities.

Travel and/or Work Environment Requirement

• Ability and willingness to travel between SI and Vanuatu  including potential international travel.
• Comfortable working in diverse cultural settings and potentially challenging environments.

Physical Requirements

Ability to travel and participate in field visits and meetings

Language Requirements

Proficiency in English is required.

" World Vision is committed to safeguarding all children as well as adults living where World Vision operates. We have zero tolerance for incidents of violence or abuse against children or adults, including sexual exploitation or abuse, committed either by employees or others affiliated with our work. Therefore, World Vision does not hire staff whose background is not suitable for working with children or vulnerable adults, even if their role does not interact directly with them. Each potential team member needs to understand the importance of these issues and be open to further training and guidance on our safeguarding policies and responsibilities "

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA's) Accepted