Vice President, Program Operations & Delivery

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous and equitable global community.

Global Communities is seeking a Vice President, Program Quality & Accountability (PQA) to join the Global Programs team.The Vice President, Program Quality and Accountability shares overall leadership responsibility as part of the Global Programs Leadership Team and the Senior Executive Team setting the vision, strategic direction and solution creation for Global Communities. The Vice President will define program excellence and build Global Communities’ Program Quality Strategy and Accountability Framework, with a primary emphasis on providing oversight and strategic guidance to Headquarters and Country Teams in achieving both project and organizational goals and objectives.. This includes planning, developing, and supporting adoption of systems, tools, policies and objectives for the organization to ensure it delivers programming in line with internationally recognized standards and best practices.

The Vice President inspires, champions, and fosters a culture of shared success intended to continuously strengthen the technical quality of program implementation, and support the realization of Global Communities’ mission and Strategic Plan. Leading and directing the Department of Program Quality and Accountability, the Vice President oversees the teams that support monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management and learning, and technical excellence across all Global Communities’ projects and geographies. They will work seamlessly with the Vice President of Operations, who supervises field leadership, country teams, and headquarters-based operations staff.

The Vice President ensures quality assurance and control are provided to Global Communities headquarters and country teams, to enhance activity effectiveness and impact across sustainable development, humanitarian, conflict and post-conflict contexts to support quality program delivery. In turn, they support the Vice President of Operations who is ultimately accountable for Global Communities program delivery. The Vice President, Program Quality and Accountability works in close coordination with senior leaders to ensure coordination and complementarity of all program quality, representation and external engagement opportunities. The Vice President supports the Vice Presidents of Business Development in facilitating the expansion of Global Communities work, building on existing projects, technical expertise, and demonstrated positive impact. The Vice President is accountable for ensuring that appropriate quality assurance support is provided to country in response to needs identified through Country Plan and/or through project implementation in pursuit of program excellence.

The Vice President develops departmental strategies, approaches, and tools to ensure the relevance, credibility and viability of the organization. The Vice President sets goals, monitors work, and evaluates results to ensure that departmental objectives and operating requirements are met and are in line with the needs and mission of the organization and its donors, clients and project participants. They represent the organization to third parties including donors, clients, partners, and governments, seeking to grow the profile and brand of Global Communities as high quality, adaptive partner.

NOTE:

As an organization working to advance public health, Global Communities has an obligation to model best practices and to do all we can to protect each other, our partners and the communities where we work. To ensure the continuity and effectiveness of our business operations, Global Communities is adopting a policy to safeguard the health of our visitors, employees, families, and the larger global community from COVID-19. Effective January 3, 2022, all U.S.-based Global Communities employees are required to provide proof of having received full dosage of COVID-19 vaccine that is FDA approved, approved for emergency use authorization, or have an approved medical or religious exemption on file with Global Communities, as a condition of employment.

Responsibilities

Responsibility Area: Strategy Development

• Conceptualize and lead the development of Global Communities Program Quality Strategy, working in close coordination with the VPs of Program Operations and Business Development
  • Refine the organization’s core sectors and differentiators.
• Establish the “Global Communities Approach” (its operating model that builds on established institutional and operational strengths, and further requires minimum cross cutting quality standards such as in local engagement, safe and accountable programming, and climate informed) to working in today’s global complex environments, drawing from sustainable development, humanitarian assistance, peace and security, and financial inclusion capabilities
• Working collaboratively with the VPs of Business Development, support the development of the organization’s partnerships strategy and approach.
  • Refine the organization’s partnership philosophy, commitments and principles of partnerships and the varied tools and processes required for its effective roll out.
  • Develop due diligence and capacity development tools for partners in collaboration with Operations and Business Development stakeholders.
• Work closely with the VP, Marketing and Communications and VPs, Business Development to effectively represent and market Global Communities’ work to donors, partners, and other external stakeholders.
• Provide support and input to operations teams to build out the technical aspects of country strategies to ensure that growth is in line with Global Communities’ core capacities, the organization’s global strategic direction and the opportunities present

Responsibility Area: Technical Quality Support for Headquarters and Country Teams

In supporting Country Teams, the VP ensures that the right technical support is provided at the right time, in the right place, with a focus on quality assurance, quality control and sustainable support to teams.

• Provide technical capacity development as needed, troubleshoot technical issues related to program delivery.
• Develop and deliver robust and systematic training on technical standards and frameworks to relevant stakeholders throughout the organization.
• Promote the development, understanding of, and adherence to, minimum cross-cutting quality standards that impact project delivery; develop and deliver robust and systematic training on quality standards to relevant stakeholders throughout the organization.
• Further to the establishment of quality and technical guidance/frameworks and minimum standards, work to build the capacity of Operations and Business development staff in quality assurance and quality control related to those frameworks and standards.
• Ensure effective full-cycle monitoring, evaluation, learning, and knowledge management that supports adaptive, high-quality program delivery and that provides an evidence base for organizational strategy.
• Working collaboratively with the VPs of Business Development and VP of Operations, ensure the development of a monitoring framework to measure advancements in partnering and localization.
• Ensure that a culture of experiential learning and technical excellence growth built on field program implementation and innovation through applied Knowledge Management is established.
• Develop a process for systematic and deliberate learning and inter-country exchanges in relevant practice areas, fostering a culture of growth and knowledge sharing.
• Develop accountability metrics and systems that support effective knowledge management and cross-organizational learning.

Responsibility Area: Accountability

• Ensure the design and development of Global Communities Accountability Framework, to include clearly defining the organization’s commitments to accountability, the system for accountability (such as feedback and complaints mechanisms, routinized monitoring and review processes to ensure compliance) and setting performance targets in support of the Global Communities’ strategic commitments to accountability. This will require close coordination with Global Communities’ Ethics, Compliance, Safeguarding and P&C professionals.

Other:

• Other duties may be assigned as business needs arise.

POSITION SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Excellent track record in designing and implementing effective organizational program quality strategies and practices.
• Country-based experience at a senior level in an international non-governmental organization
• Promote a culture of excellence, inclusion, learning, support, diversity and innovation.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Expert knowledge of formal principles, theories, and practices/techniques of sustainable development, with experience in applying that knowledge to the development – humanitarian assistance – peace and security nexus. Ability to apply that knowledge to Global Communities operational environment.
• Extensive and specific knowledge of and experience with US Government humanitarian, sustainable development and peace and security activities and agencies is required.
• Experience with other large institutional donors or clients, including other bilateral and multilateral entities, foundations, and private sector clients is highly desirable.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to conduct meetings, write reports and proposals, and speak in a public forum at a senior level.
• Superior diplomatic and negotiation skills. Ability to present and discuss technical information in the context of the business.
• Proven ability to lead, manage and develop staff in the context of an open and inclusive culture in an atmosphere of multiple projects, shifting priorities and deadline pressures.
• Ability to handle difficult situations with diplomacy, sensitivity, confidentiality, and tact.
• Excellent critical thinking skills and judgment. Proven willingness to make timely and sound decisions. Strong planning, analytical, and conceptual skills.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a related discipline with a minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience or a minimum of 20 years or related work experience.
• 5+ years in progressively more senior roles at country level in an sustainable development, humanitarian, conflict or post-conflict environment
• Demonstrated international NGO work experience at a leadership level (such as but not limited to Senior Director, DCOP, Area Manager or higher.)
• Proven track record in technical program delivery, oversight and standard setting.
• Experience implementing programming directly, with local civil society and institutional partners.

Global Communities holds strict safeguarding principles and has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. In the process of recruitment, selection, and appointment, Global Communities will conduct robust reference and background screening checks, including international vetting as a signature of the Global Misconduct Disclosure Scheme to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded, and abuse is prevented. The incumbent is required to carry out their duties in accordance with Global Communities Safeguarding policy and the Standards of Conduct.

Global Communities is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.