National Director - WV Laos

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 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Key Responsibilities:

The National Director (ND) will strategically lead, develop, and direct the implementation of all aspects of World Vision's ministry in this national office. In performing this role, the ND will be an effective leader locally, an effective member of the partnership, and will model the organization’s principles of Twin Citizenship to ensure high ministry quality and overall organizational effectiveness. The ND as a leader will contribute to partnership life and unity, by acting as both a local and global representative of the organization. The ND will lead the team to achieve the country's strategy in alignment with Our Promise for effective operations. Participate in and implement directional shifts of the organization, such as the ensuring that Laos program has capacity to execute global strategy; particularly the strategic agenda for development, and management of grants and . The ND will ensure the country's operations and operating model maintain the Partnership's focus on Child Well Being Outcomes and Aspirations as they apply in that specific country context; maximizing the impact in the field while maintaining efficiency as a wise steward of entrusted resources.

The ND will collaborate effectively with other partnership offices and divisions to achieve local and organizational goals. Externally, the ND will foster collaboration with major donors, project partners, local government, church representatives, faith-based organizations, and non-governmental organizations; serving according to given authority. In doing so, the leader will maximize stewardship, effectiveness, the efficiency of costs, and operating models.

The ND will model a high standard of personal Christian leadership, ministry, and integrity through lifestyle and work relationships to be a fine example of the organizations Christian faith. The ND will lead by example and provide spiritual guidance to staff on WV Vision Mission and WV Core Values.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver on Child Well-being Aspirations / Outcomes and Targets

• Collaborate and build coalitions to catalyze movements for children’s well-being, locally and globally
• Align and influence national strategic mandates and priorities with global priorities for child wellbeing
• Champion increased and enriched connections between children, communities and supporters, for an increasingly vibrant, authentic and engaging experience among them
• Lead champions for innovative approaches to organizational services, processes and systems
• Be a credible advocate for children and champion efforts for child rights, mobilizing change at every level by lifting the voices of local children, youth and their communities
• Ensure that the NO functions in a contextualized, complementary, sensitive and cohesive manner.

Grow and Leverage Yield to Ministry

• Ensures systems are in place so that projects are managed on time and on budget in achieving the desired impact on CWB.
• Set up a structure and budget that supports the Ministry and is aligned with the strategy, while keeping adequate efficiency ratio to be competitive in the humanitarian industry
• In dialogue with GC and Region provide support / leadership for development and execution of shared support services in specific areas of ministry and functions, based out of the country and serving the entire partnership or region

Increase and Diversify Funding Portfolio

• Build and maintain sustainability through diversified revenue growth in alignment with agreed targets.
• Define vision for grants acquisition and management performance within NO, ensure that grants are strategically aligned to NO priorities and consider the competitive landscape
• Ensure alignment of programming for coordinated design and promotion of products and programmes

Achieve Operational and Stewardship Excellence

• Lead the development and execution of the country strategy through programme approaches and operating plans with clear, measurable short-term and long-term targets;
• Ensure country strategy is aligned with Regional and WV global strategic priorities and implemented according to the Partnership’s standards of excellence
• Ensure organisational sustainability by ongoing predictive success planning (funding, Ministry, organisational development, leadership pipeline)
• Ensure that key Ministry and support functions are strategically aligned and appropriately included in the NO strategy
• Ensure effective stewardship and accountability of WV resources, finances and people, consistent with performance standards established by the Global and Regional leadership.
• Promote and model high level of transparency, integrity and zero tolerance to child and adult safeguarding violations, fraud and misappropriation of funds
• Have overall responsibility for assessment of risks and the development of risk management planning to mitigate risks to NO operations, staff, assets and programmes
• Ensure organizational compliance to the Local Government standards and laws for WV operations in the country

Humanitarian Emergency Affairs (HEA):

• Develop and maintain capacity to respond to natural and man-made emergencies.
• Collaborate with HEA Regional Director in determining the appropriate level of emergency response in country.
• Oversee relief efforts, as and when they arise and work in partnership with HEA response teams. Build in-country relief response capacity to ensure adequate disaster mitigation, management and response.

Recruit, Motivate, Equip, Lead and Retain Capable Staff

• Model a high standard of personal Christian leadership, ministry and integrity through lifestyle and work relationships, and provide spiritual guidance to staff on the WV Vision, Mission and Core Values;
• Demonstrate Christ-centered servant leadership amongst WV staff and diverse partners;
• Demonstrate strong conviction and ability to work in ecumenical and inter-faith contexts;
• Inspire staff to support Christian identity, commitments and witness (including incarnational living).
• Build and promote culture that is sustainable for growth and high performance
• Build sustainability through the growth and development of NO people and leadership capability
• Build sustainability through effective organisational succession
• Lead in a way that facilitates a high performance culture, open trustworthy relationships and integrity; promotes a culture of learning and development, employee engagement, servant leadership and good stewardship of human capital in the office;
• Build organisational culture, which leverages respect, value and promotes gender, age and ethnic diversity;
• Contribute to the global pool of workforce of WV Partnership by sourcing, recruiting or building committed, competent talents from within the country

Twin Citizenship and Partnering – External and Partnership

• Act as a Twin Citizen ensuring that National Office participates in global processes and decisions and allocates resources and talent where most needed, Partnership wide.
• Contribute to the Partnership, understand its systems and priorities, act as a global leader and a Twin Citizen.
• Source best practices and strategic services available Partnership wide, be aware of, and apply relevant innovative approaches
• Promote social entrepreneurship by pursuing innovative solutions to social problems, acting boldly and proactively sourcing required resources and not constrained by resources currently in hand
• Build proactive external relationship with local government leaders, donors, church leaders, private corporations for the following purposes:

1. Social entrepreneurship

2. Advocacy agenda - promote policy change for improved child well-being

3. Donor relations for acquisition of resources and policy influence.

4. Enable and support programmes in the country by government agencies at all levels

5. Media relations; Ensure that WV and Child Well-Being agenda are promoted appropriately.

• Represent /the office/ engage and build strategic alliances with the Government of /the country/ major donor agencies, WV Partnership, non-governmental agencies, churches and media;
• Strategically position WV as a credible and trustworthy national and global partner.

Required Skills and Experience

• At least 5 years of senior strategic management leadership, preferably with a global organisation and/or international exposure.
• Excellent understanding of the political, social and economic context in East Asia countries, particularly in Laos, and its impact on WV as a Christian International NGO or experience working in a restrictive context.
• Substantial programme management experience at a senior level for at least 3 years in a developing country context, with evidence of both responsibility and accountability
• Should have experience managing complex operating budgets of USD $6M or more.
• Experience is leading senior leadership teams and proven ability to build consensus and relationships among stakeholders, partners, and the workforce
• Master’s degree or equivalent experience with training and experience in resource development and organizational management.

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications

• A good understanding of trends in the humanitarian industry and non-governmental organisations in relation to relief, development, advocacy and resource mobilisation.
• A proven track record of delivering consistent, quality results with accountability and integrity.
• A good knowledge of financial management and accounting principles.
• Experience and/or understanding of matrix management.
• Media relations
• Proven ability to negotiate with all levels of government stakeholders
• Ability to cope under significant pressure
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with all levels of staff and other stakeholders
• Ability to communicate and negotiate with key internal and external stakeholders at a national and international level
• Familiar with current donor trends, both private and public
• Ability to engage churches across denominations
• Ability to work in an inter-faith context

Worker type: Open to Local and International Assignee - Family Posting

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA's) Accepted