Senior Director, Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy & External Engagement

WVI•New York, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The humanitarian sector is undergoing significant change, driven by conflict, climate-related shocks, displacement, funding constraints and ongoing humanitarian system reform. As a leading faith-based humanitarian organisation, World Vision is committed to protecting vulnerable children and advancing principled, locally led humanitarian action. Within this rapidly changing humanitarian landscape, the organisation seeks to strengthen its influence, partnerships and contribution to humanitarian policy, practice and decision-making at global, regional and field levels. To provide strategic leadership for World Vision's humanitarian policy, advocacy and external engagement agenda, ensuring that the World Vision Partnership is well represented, influential and connected within global humanitarian decision-making processes. The role leads a globally distributed team of humanitarian policy and advocacy professionals and provides strategic direction in identifying the priorities, stakeholders, forums and key moments where World Vision's engagement can achieve the greatest influence and impact. Serving as World Vision's senior humanitarian representative in New York, with selected representational responsibilities in other global capitals as required, the role acts as a critical bridge between Disaster Management and Advocacy & External Engagement. It ensures that humanitarian advocacy and external engagement priorities are aligned across the two functions and translated into a coherent approach for Regional Offices, Support Offices and Field Offices. The role connects global policy and influencing efforts with operational realities, evidence and priorities from across the Partnership, while advising senior leaders on emerging humanitarian trends, risks, opportunities and strategic positioning. It ensures that senior leaders are well equipped to engage effectively in humanitarian policy, diplomatic and external processes.

Requirements

Minimum 15 years of progressive leadership experience in humanitarian action, policy, advocacy, partnerships or related fields, including significant experience in senior management roles.
Substantial field-based humanitarian experience, including exposure to large-scale emergencies and humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
Postgraduate degree in international relations, international development, humanitarian affairs, public policy, law, political science or a related field.
In-depth understanding of the global humanitarian system, including humanitarian coordination architecture, reform processes, humanitarian principles, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and relevant frameworks and standards.
Strong knowledge of humanitarian diplomacy, multilateral processes and policy influencing, including engagement with the United Nations system, Member States and intergovernmental bodies.
Demonstrated experience shaping humanitarian policy and advocacy strategies, building strategic partnerships, and representing organisations in high-level external and multilateral forums.
Deep understanding of the global humanitarian system, including United Nations (UN), Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), Member State and inter-agency coordination mechanisms, and how these influence humanitarian policy and decision-making.
Demonstrated experience influencing humanitarian policy, advocacy and partnership agendas through engagement with UN agencies, donor governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), humanitarian networks and other key stakeholders.
Proven ability to analyse complex humanitarian, political and policy issues and translate evidence into clear, persuasive and actionable recommendations for senior leaders and external stakeholders.
Exceptional communication and representation skills, including experience engaging senior UN officials, Member States, donors and humanitarian leaders, and preparing executive briefings, policy papers, speeches and high-level correspondence.
Experience leading multicultural and geographically dispersed teams, combined with strong strategic thinking, partnership-building, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
Excellent written and verbal proficiency in English.
Candidates must already possess the legal right to live and work in the United States at the time of application.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally, including to humanitarian contexts, as required.
Ability to work for extended periods using standard office equipment and participate in virtual and in-person meetings.
Ability to operate effectively in diverse environments, including humanitarian and fragile contexts, where working and living conditions may at times be challenging.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in an additional language, particularly French, Arabic, Spanish or Portuguese, is highly desirable.
Knowledge of multiple UN languages is a strong asset.
Highly organised, resilient and solutions-oriented, with the ability to manage competing priorities, complex stakeholder relationships and tight deadlines while fostering a positive, collaborative and accountable working environment.
Demonstrated experience leading, developing and inspiring multicultural, multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams, including senior staff and virtual teams across regions.
Established networks and significant experience engaging with United Nations agencies, donor governments, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and other key humanitarian stakeholders.
Strong strategic, analytical and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex humanitarian and policy issues into actionable recommendations and influence senior decision-makers.
Experience strengthening organisational influence through external engagement, strategic positioning, partnerships, representation in senior humanitarian forums, and humanitarian thought leadership.
Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, including to humanitarian contexts, donor capitals, and key policy, advocacy and partnership forums, as required.
Flexibility to work across multiple time zones and accommodate occasional extended working hours in support of humanitarian emergencies, high-level external engagements and international meetings.
Availability to deploy, when required, for short-term assignments to humanitarian and fragile contexts to support emergency responses, external representation, partnerships and policy engagement.
Ability to operate effectively in dynamic, complex and high-pressure environments, balancing strategic leadership, external engagement and emergency response priorities.

Responsibilities

Provide senior-level representation of World Vision within the United Nations system and broader humanitarian architecture.
Lead humanitarian engagement with UN Headquarters, Permanent Missions, Member States, UN agencies, intergovernmental processes, humanitarian networks and strategic partners, primarily in New York and in other global capitals as required.
Provide strategic leadership in identifying and prioritising the issues, stakeholders, forums and key moments where World Vision’s engagement can achieve the greatest influence and impact.
Ensure World Vision is visible, credible and influential in key humanitarian policy, coordination and decision-making forums, while identifying opportunities to strengthen strategic partnerships, collaboration and influence.
Lead a globally dispersed team of humanitarian policy and advocacy professionals.
Provide strategic direction, prioritisation and oversight for the humanitarian policy and advocacy agenda, ensuring coherence across New York, Geneva, Rome and other global engagement hubs.
Work closely with the Advocacy & External Engagement Senior Leadership Team to create and sustain strong links between the Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy and External Engagement Team and the wider Advocacy & External Engagement function, ensuring that humanitarian priorities, evidence and field realities are consistently reflected in Partnership-wide influencing strategies, external engagement and organisational positioning.
Foster a high-performing, collaborative and values-driven culture, while strengthening capability, talent development, staff well-being and succession planning across the function.
Oversee and strengthen World Vision’s humanitarian thought leadership, policy influence and learning agenda.
Ensure that policy, advocacy, partnership and external engagement priorities remain grounded in field realities and operational experience.
Support the development of research, publications, policy positions, strategic messaging and evidence-based insights that strengthen World Vision’s contribution to humanitarian policy debates, system reform efforts and sector learning.
Maintain regular engagement with regional and field leadership, including Support Offices with strong humanitarian advocacy agendas, to ensure a strong connection between global influencing efforts and humanitarian operations.
Work closely with Advocacy & External Engagement to coordinate field advocacy approaches and provide offices with a unified direction that brings together Disaster Management and Advocacy & External Engagement priorities.
Strengthen two-way connections across the Partnership, ensuring that local-to-global and global-to-local learning, influence and support inform organisational priorities, and that regional, Support Office and field colleagues receive the engagement, guidance and support needed to advance humanitarian advocacy and external engagement objectives.
Ensure World Vision leadership is equipped to engage effectively in humanitarian policy, diplomacy and external engagement processes through the provision of strategic analysis, executive briefings, key messages, talking points, stakeholder profiles, meeting preparation and policy guidance.
Advise senior leaders on emerging humanitarian trends, risks, opportunities and their implications for World Vision’s strategic positioning.
Support senior leaders in representing World Vision consistently and credibly across external engagements, high-level events, diplomatic meetings and humanitarian forums.