The Senior Director, Public Policy will provide overall leadership in the World Vision Partnership to the development and advocacy application of public policies directed at policy change by governments, multilaterals, global forums and processes at national, regional and global levels. All public policy will be designed to support the achievement of the rights and well-being of children, especially the most vulnerable. The Senior Director, reporting directly to the Partnership Leader, Advocacy & External Engagement (A&EE), will lead a team of policy advisors and will convene policy and advocacy advisors from World Vision entities to develop and deliver a global policy change agenda. Such policy will be developed based on field evidence and research and will address priority, child focused themes. The Senior Director is the caretaker of public policy for the World Vision Partnership and will ensure that all new policy positions and policy documents are in alignment with existing positions and flow from the WVI Board Advocacy for Justice policy.
- Develop and deliver a coherent and impactful global policy change agenda in line with Our Promise.
- Policy change agenda leads to strong policy products that impact the achievement of rights for vulnerable children at national, regional and global levels.
- The policy agenda focuses on the rights of children and the achievement of priority Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and demonstrates direct contribution to WVI’s Global Impact Framework.
- Ensure all new policy positions and policy documents are in alignment with existing positions and flow from the WVI Board Advocacy for Justice policy.
- Coherent, consistent and bold World Vision policy ensuring the World Vision Partnership speaks with one voice for the rights of children.
- Mechanisms are in place for the consultation, coordination and contribution by different internal stakeholders to the overall global policy agenda.
- Represent World Vision, and/or support representation of World Vision leaders at priority external forums, events, networks and other processes to promote agreed policy positions.
- Strong and effective World Vision representation at priority global forums and processes.
- Strategic support for the field‘s contribution to the global policy agenda.
- Collaborate with Regional Advocacy Directors and Impact to determine the appropriate type and level of support to the field policy development efforts.
- Monitor and report on the overall achievements in the:
- policies impacting the lives of the children.
- children impacted by WV policy work.
- Management of the global Policy team.
- Develop team culture in line with agreed A&EE behaviours and mindsets.
- Contribute to the overall leadership of the A&EE team.
- Set and monitor the team’s annual workplans and the individual workplans of the team.
- Manage budget.
- Ensure that World Vision is a recognized global leader in child rights-focused policy and advocacy by engaging, participating and providing leadership in relevant external policy networks and coalitions.
- Strengthened World Vision reputation as global leader for child rights.
- Agreed plan for networks, coalitions and forums where WV will seek to be recognized as a global thought leader.
- Collaboration and cross-functional work.
- Establish, lead and participate in global advocacy and policy coordination work.
- Collaborate with critical external stakeholders and key WV functional departments to deliver the policy agenda.
- Lead, participate or coordinate WVI contribution to policy change through coalitions or joint ventures with like-minded organizations.
- Minimum 7 year leadership experience working in child rights-focused public policy in CSO context.
- Expert level understanding of child rights policy debates and dialogues, including regarding the Sustainable Development Goals, ODA, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Significant field experience and/or understanding in international development or humanitarian contexts.
- English language fluency.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
- Excellent communications skills, verbally and written.
- Excellent policy and political analysis skills—knows how policy change happens.
- Excellent team leadership and management skills.
- Strong understanding of World Vision Partnership and Our Promise.
- Strong understanding of global trends, debates and agendas related to development and humanitarian issues.
Work Environment/Travel:
- The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time.