WVV Project Director - Combating Trafficking in Person

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:

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Manager: Reportst to the National Director, with a matrix line to the Operations Director
• Contract type: Local - Fixed term
• Contract duration: Up to 3 years (subject to renewal upon satisfactory performance)
• Work location: Hanoi Office
• Note: THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON PROJECT AWARD. PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO QUALIFIED LOCAL CANDIDATES.

CONTEXT

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization working to improve the quality of life of people, especially children, who are marginalized and living in poverty. World Vision helps all who are in need regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

World Vision International in Viet Nam (WVIV) is supported by multiple countries and funded through a combination of sponsorship programs (majority) and Private Non-Sponsorship (PNS)/grants. WVIV operates across multiple provinces and implements Area Development Programs (ADPs) that focus on communities with high levels of poverty, often including ethnic minority populations. In addition to ADPs, WVIV implements various Special and Grant Projects to address the specific needs of vulnerable children in both ADP and non-ADP areas.

WVIV is headquartered in Hanoi, while majority of staff are based locally in ADP and project sites across the country which enables them to work closely with government partners and communities on a daily basis.

WVIV seeks a Project Director for an anticipated U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) award in Vietnam. The project will strengthen Vietnam’s capacity to prevent, identify, protect, and respond to trafficking for forced criminality and other emerging forms of trafficking through an adaptive, multi-agency systems strengthening approach. Working closely with government institutions, civil society, the private sector, and international partners, the project will strengthen victim identification and referral systems, survivor protection and reintegration, criminal justice responses, and institutional coordination to support implementation of Vietnam’s 2024 Law on Prevention and Combat of Trafficking in Persons.

JOB PURPOSE

The Project Director (PD) is responsible for providing strategic leadership and overall management of a complex, donor-funded anti-trafficking project, ensuring achievement of project outcomes, compliance with donor and organizational requirements, and delivery of sustainable systems-strengthening results.

The PD has ultimate accountability for project performance, financial stewardship, partnership management, consortium governance, risk management, and team leadership. Serving as the primary representative to the donor, Government of Vietnam, consortium partners, and other stakeholders, the PD drives effective collaboration across sectors to strengthen prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership responses to trafficking in persons.

The role ensures that all project interventions are evidence-based, survivor-centered, safeguarding-focused, and aligned with national priorities to strengthen institutional capacity and contribute to lasting impact.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership and Project Direction
• Provide overall strategic leadership, technical direction, financial management and management oversight for all project activities.
• Ensure successful implementation of project objectives related to victim identification, protection and reintegration, criminal justice strengthening, and institutional coordination.
• Ensure project implementation is technically sound, evidence-based, and aligned with donor priorities, Government of Vietnam priorities, and World Vision quality & financial standards.
• Lead adaptive management processes and strategic decision-making to achieve desired outcomes.
• Support sustainability planning and institutionalization of project approaches within government systems.

2. Stakeholder Engagement, Partnership and Representation
• Serve as the primary liaison with the U.S. Department of State TIP Office, U.S. Embassy, Government of Vietnam, consortium partners, and implementing partners.
• Lead engagement with ministries including Vietnam Fatherland Front, criminal justice actors, private sector, provincial authorities, and other key stakeholders.
• Strengthen collaboration among consortium partners, government institutions, civil society organizations, survivor networks, and private sector stakeholders.
• Represent the project in national, regional, and international forums.
• Promote strategic partnerships and policy dialogue to advance anti-trafficking systems strengthening.

3. Project Management, Planning and Delivery

• Lead development and implementation of annual work plans, implementation plans, MEL plans, risk management plans, and partner workplans.
• Oversee delivery of project milestones, outputs, and contractual obligations.
• Monitor performance against targets and ensure timely corrective actions and escalation of critical issues to the higher leadership authority
• Lead problem-solving and decision-making to address implementation challenges.
• Ensure effective coordination across project components and geographic areas.

4. Financial, Operational and Compliance Management
• Oversee project budget management, forecasting, and resource allocation.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, World Vision policies, contractual requirements, and applicable laws.
• Monitor financial performance and expenditure against approved budgets.
• Oversee risk management, safeguarding, fraud prevention, and accountability mechanisms.
• Ensure effective operational systems support project implementation.

5. People Leadership and Consortium Management
• Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary project team.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Provide oversight of consortium governance structures and partner performance.
• Support capacity strengthening of staff and implementing partners.
• Manage performance, succession planning, and workforce effectiveness.

6. Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Knowledge Management
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of high-quality technical, financial, and performance reports.
• Promote learning, knowledge management, and dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned.
• Use MEL data and evidence to inform decision-making and improve performance.
• Support documentation of achievements, impact, and success stories.
• Contribute to organizational and sector-wide learning related to anti-trafficking programming.

7. Others

Other tasks assigned by the manager to the team performance.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in international development, law, criminal justice, public policy, public administration, child protection, social work, international relations, or a related field. A bachelor’s degree with significant relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience managing complex donor-funded development projects, including at least 5 years in senior project management or leadership roles.
• Excellent written and spoken English required.
• Demonstrated experience managing U.S. Government cooperative agreements or contracts, preferably funded by the U.S. Department of State, USAID, USDOL, or other bilateral donors.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing project implementation, financial management, work planning, reporting, compliance, and adaptive management.
• Strong understanding of trafficking in persons, child protection, migration, criminal justice, or related governance sectors.
• Demonstrated experience strengthening government systems and institutional capacity.
• Experience working with national and subnational government institutions, criminal justice agencies, law enforcement, and civil society organizations.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary and multi-partner teams.
• Experience collaborating with UN agencies, international NGOs, and government counterparts.

Preferred Knowledge & Qualifications:

• Previous experience managing TIP Office-funded or other counter-trafficking projects.
• Experience addressing trafficking of both children and adults, including technology-facilitated exploitation.
• Experience supporting criminal justice reform, victim identification systems, National Referral Mechanisms, or survivor reintegration.
• Experience managing consortiums or multi-partner implementation arrangements.
• Demonstrated experience applying adaptive management and results-based management approaches.
• Experience working with MEL systems for institutional capacity strengthening projects
• Strong communication, facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills. Professional fluency in Vietnamese strongly preferred.

Applicant Types Accepted: