PURPOSE OF POSITION:

This position leads a team of technical experts to ensure that Global Centre, Field, Regional, and Support Offices and external clients receive the best quality and timely technical services as a critical input for World Vision’s strategy realization. The Technical Director (TD) provides technical support, manages sector’s portfolio of projects and executes quality assurance and control of key deliverables. The TD ensures professional development for technical advisors for an optimal balance of team’s sector expertise, programming design and execution, grant acquisition and management, monitoring and evaluation, etc. The TD is a core member of the Technical Service Organization’s (TSO) Leadership Team and collaborates on the strategic thinking and execution of key initiatives for TSO to maintain operational excellence aligned with strategy and financial sustainability. The TD collaborates closely with other Technical Leaders in the partnership including Sector Leaders to ensure programming contributes to strategy realization.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy and Thought Leadership:

• Collaborates with TSO and other relevant leaders to shape TSO strategic direction, sustainability and relevance for increased impact.
• Actively engages with key internal and external stakeholders for TSO systems improvement and learning as part of the Leadership Team.
• Provides thought leadership on the Partnership’s direction on Sector for maximum contributions to strategy realization.
• Collaborates with Sector Leader in the development of strategic approaches for improving sector capability, programming, fostering innovation and learning.
• Works collaboratively with Technical Directors and other stakeholders from other sectors/themes to ensure programme integration for maximum child well-being impact.

Direct Support and Portfolio Management:

• Leads and provides technical support to projects.
• Contributes to growth of TSO’s GAM portfolio.
• Support and oversight of TOR development and client relationship management.
• Ensures careful matching of staff to assignments (including transparency and balance with respect to member’s personal goals and workload).
• Contributes to the establishment and execution of quality assurance processes and benchmarks.
• Ensures the quality of products and services offered by the Senior Technical Advisors and Technical Advisors meet the highest professional and quality standards expected.
• Tracks portfolio performance metrics and measurements for optimal performance, continuous improvements and decision-making.
• Leads or engages in programme evaluations/after action reviews for learning and improvement.
• Trouble shoot projects challenges when needed to ensure remedial action and course correction (where necessary).
• Ensure key systems including Workfront, fees and expense processing and closure are adequately maintained by the team.

Staff Capability:

• Provides thought leadership to ensure World Vision sector capabilities across the organization.
• Develops professional development and learning systems for Senior Technical Advisors and Technical Advisors to ensure relevant and cutting edge technical expertise.
• Collaborates to develop higher technical expertise in GAM.
• Strengthens capability of Senior Technical Advisors and Technical Advisors through continuous coaching, mentoring, and appropriate on-the-job and external learning opportunities.
• Leads and fosters up-to-date knowledge and awareness of evidence-based approaches in the sector globally for both development and humanitarian contexts.
• Fosters research and reflection for innovation, identifying approaches which show promise for the Sector.
• Plays a key role in the recruitment and onboarding or transitioning out of staff within their sector.
• Manages staff performance and addresses issues arising from Our Voice surveys including promoting team members’ well-being.

External Engagement:

• Actively engages with key stakeholders for business development, generating fees for services and effective budget management.
• Maintains a thorough understanding of World Vision strategy and systems to ensure TSO’s value proposition is strategy aligned, relevant and compelling.
• Effectively engages with clients to ensure positive relationships and satisfaction with services.
• Engages in high-level meetings/conferences with external agencies and other relevant stakeholders to increase World Vision’s Income, Influence and Impact.
• Proactive engagement in networks relating to industry, sector trends and donor trends and the work of other NGOs and development players.

Professional Development:

• Undertakes research into leading edge/innovative approaches related to their sector specialization or to help fill gaps in Team or TSO effectiveness.
• Strengthens personal management or leadership competencies for improved professional effectiveness.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Master’s degree in Education, Psychology, International Development or related field.
• 10 years (min) technical support experience in child and adolescent learning programmes in developing country contexts.
• Demonstrated expertise in Training/Adult learning methodologies.
• Practitioner/contributor DME experience necessary. Research skills a plus.
• Excellent writing and analytical skills.
• Master’s degree in the sector expertise area.
• In-depth knowledge of humanitarian, development, technical sector and advocacy related issues.
• Leaders in their field, 10-15 years (min) field and/or organizational level experience in the relevant sector/enabling area(s).
• Sound background in people and organizational management.
• Strong business and business development acumen.
• Strong experience in grants acquisition and management with a variety of actors, including: bilateral and multilateral donors, trusts, foundations, private sectors etc.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a senior leadership position in the humanitarian industry.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the provision of technical support in the humanitarian industry.

Work Environment/Travel:

• The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 30% of the time.
• The position requires strong and robust ability to work independently, often virtually and with minimum day-to-day supervision in delivery of set objectives.