Location Options: Regional Office, South Africa Hhohho, Eswatini Rothe Green Fields, Lesotho Maianga, Angola Maputo City, Mozambique Kinshasa, DR Congo Johannesburg, South Africa Lilongwe, Malawi Lusaka, Zambia Harare, Zimbabwe Employment Type: Full-time (Fixed Term Contract) Application Deadline: January 10, 2025
About Us: With over 70 years of experience, we are dedicated to helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and achieve fullness of life, even in the world’s most challenging environments. Join our team of 34,000+ staff across nearly 100 countries to make a difference in children’s lives.
Position Purpose The Regional Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Director (RHEAD) will provide strategic and operational leadership to strengthen World Vision’s (WV) emergency response capacity in the Southern Africa Region (SAR). This role ensures high-quality emergency responses by collaborating with technical and operational teams and guiding capacity-building and response strategies. The RHEAD will focus on securing effective resourcing for disaster management while fostering partnerships with governments, organizations, and other stakeholders.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Oversight and Leadership -Lead regional disaster management efforts aligned with global strategies. -Drive innovation in humanitarian programming, linking humanitarian relief with development efforts. -Assess disaster scenarios and develop preparedness, advocacy, and resourcing action plans. -Establish and manage emergency preparedness and response strategies across sub-regions. -Ensure WV’s adherence to international humanitarian standards, conventions, and codes of conduct. -Collaborate with technical teams to integrate Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action (ESCA) into disaster management strategies. -Promote safeguarding and mitigate risks related to fraud and corruption in high-risk locations. -Manage and develop a high-performing team with opportunities for professional growth.
Resource Development and External Engagement -Build and maintain relationships with donors and partners to secure funding across all streams (grants, sponsorships, corporate). -Track humanitarian funding opportunities and engage in strategic forums. -Advocate for multi-year recovery intervention funding. -Develop visibility materials, policy briefs, and newsletters for advocacy and networking. -Support anticipatory actions and emergency supply prepositioning in collaboration with National Offices (NOs). -Represent WV SAR in strategic forums to enhance the organization’s profile. -Promote coherence between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts. -Emergency Response Coordination and Collaboration -Support regional and national leadership in managing emergency declarations (Category 2 and 3 responses). -Ensure NOs have the technical and managerial capacity to respond effectively. -Represent WV at high-level forums involving government, UN, NGOs, and faith-based organizations. -Ensure responses adhere to SPHERE standards and are gender-sensitive and inclusive. -Promote collaboration across WV teams to achieve child well-being objectives.
Technical Support and Capacity Building -Identify and address capacity gaps within NOs through innovative strategies. -Share best practices, lessons learned, and success factors across regions. -Strengthen early warning systems and anticipatory action initiatives. -Ensure disaster preparedness plans are updated regularly. -Conduct risk assessments and maintain disaster risk profiles for all countries. -Promote continuous learning and adaptive management within the HEA portfolio. -Lead regional coordination of HEA initiatives, fostering cross-sectoral integration and learning.
Qualifications and Experience
Required Experience: -15+ years of humanitarian work, with at least 5 years in a leadership role within a large international organization (preferably in Africa). -Strong knowledge of humanitarian charters, laws, and standards. -Proven ability to lead and manage professionals in a global and virtual environment. -Experience in strategy development, response management, and program integration. -Demonstrated success in networking and forming strategic partnerships with UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, and research institutions.
Key Competencies: -Expertise in program management and integration in cross-functional environments. -Commitment to WV’s vision, mission, and core values. -Digital proficiency (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). -Strong communication, facilitation, and presentation skills. -Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and diplomacy skills.
