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:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

The Program Director will provide strategic, technical, operational, and financial leadership for the Every Child Belongs initiative, World Vision's flagship disability inclusion program in Malawi. The Director will oversee program implementation, quality assurance, partnership management, systems strengthening, fundraising, learning, and scale-up efforts designed to improve the well-being, inclusion, and functionality of children with disabilities and strengthen the systems that support them.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for Every Child Belongs.
• Lead implementation of the five-year program strategy and long-term scale-up vision.
• Ensure alignment with World Vision's global disability inclusion, child protection, health, education, faith and development, and systems strengthening priorities.
• Champion a child-first, dignity-centered approach to disability inclusion across all program activities.
• Provide leadership in adapting and scaling the model across countries and contexts.
• Promote innovation, learning, and evidence-based decision-making throughout the initiative.
• Conduct project monitoring visits and lead project monitoring processes by staff and partners to ensure alignment to National Office Strategy and achievement of planned objectives.
• Coordinate all functions at the National for effective project delivery.

Program Quality and Technical Excellence

• Ensure high-quality implementation of the Every Child Belongs core models
• In partnership with the Senior Technical Advisor, ensure technical excellence across, Disability inclusion, Rehabilitation, Child protection, Inclusive education, Faith and development, Economic empowerment and Inclusive WASH
• Lead adaptation and continuous refinement of program methodologies.
• Oversee implementation of quality assurance systems and technical standards.
• Ensure safeguarding, inclusion, and protection standards are integrated throughout the program.
• Coordinate and ensure quality quarterly national reflection/review meetings and implementation of recommendations.

People Leadership, Management and Development

• Directly supervise Program Manager, Technical Advisors, Monitoring & Evaluation Team, Systems Strengthening Team.
• Collaborate with Resource Mobilization Staff, Communications Staff, and Global Technical Support Personnel.
• Build and lead a high-performing multi-disciplinary team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, collaboration, and innovation.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to senior staff.
• Promote staff well-being and professional development.
• Ensure effective workforce planning for program growth.

• Ensure that staff are engaged and participating in feedback mechanisms (OurVoice).
• Ensure that project staff are participating in internal capacity building initiatives.

• Ensure staff maintain Christian values in their day to day living.

Government Engagement, Partnership Development and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead strategic engagement with governments and disability stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary liaison with disability coordination authorities, ministries, local governments, and national stakeholders.
• Guide development and implementation of sustainability and transition plans.
• Strengthen national and district disability systems, coordination mechanisms, and referral pathways.
• Promote increased government ownership, financing, and accountability for disability inclusion.
• Support development of policies, strategies, and resource mobilization efforts that benefit children with disabilities.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with:
  • Government Partners
  • Disability service providers
  • Churches and faith leaders
  • Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
  • Academic institutions
  • Research organizations
  • Private sector partners
• Represent Every Child Belongs at national forums.
• Foster collaboration across World Vision offices and technical sectors.

Risk Management and Accountability

• Conduct regular Field Financial and project performance reviews and make the necessary follow ups.
• Oversee implementation of the Disability Case Management System and learning agenda.
• Ensure effective use of real-time monitoring systems and data dashboards.
• Guide partnerships with independent learning and research institutions.
• Promote evidence generation and dissemination.
• Oversee mid-term and final evaluations.
• Lead in the identification and mitigation of risks.

Project Management

• Lead the review of the Project and provide project management support as necessary.
• Manage and ensure that the Minimum Project Programming Standards are achieved.
• Provide overall fiscal oversight for program resources.
• Ensure compliance with donor, organizational, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, procurement, and financial reporting.
• Ensure efficient allocation of resources and value-for-money principles.
• Manage operational risks and mitigation plans.
• Ensure that child protection policies and protocols are adhered to by all staff, partners, service providers and volunteers.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

1.    Master’s degree in International Development, Business Administration, Strategic Management, Rural Development or equivalent qualifications
2.    Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible experience managing complex development or humanitarian programs.
3.    Minimum 7 years in senior leadership roles overseeing multi-million-dollar programs.
4.    Demonstrated experience managing large donor-funded programs ($20M+ preferred).
5.    Significant experience in disability inclusion, child protection, health, education, rehabilitation, or systems strengthening.
6.    Experience leading multi-country initiatives preferred.
7.    Experience working with governments and influencing policy and systems change.
8.    Proven fundraising and donor engagement experience.
9.    Strong budgetary and financial management skills.
10.    Proficiency in written and spoken English.  
11.    Good interpersonal, organizational and time management skills.
12.    Ability to maintain performance expectations in diverse cultural contexts, challenging conditions.
13.    Able to work on a cross-cultural environment with a multi-national staff.
14.    Ability to solve complex problems and to exercise independent judgment.
15.    Ability to travel within country, regional and internationally
16.    Minimum of 7 years managerial experience in Program Management with a thorough understanding of the project management cycles in a complex, international development organization.
17.    Sound experience in leading similar multi-million-dollar projects in Malawi
 

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only