Operations Director

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 31,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Job Description:

JOB PURPOSE:

The Operations Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of World Vision Myanmar's field operations, ensuring effective, secure, adaptive, and accountable field execution of Area Development Programmes (ADPs), sponsorship operations, grants, humanitarian responses, and local partner implementation across Myanmar. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the role drives operational performance, stewardship of resources, risk and security management, and organizational accountability to achieve ministry objectives in a complex and fragile operating context. The position ensures strong operational integration and coordination across field structures and support functions, enabling timely, compliant, and sustainable delivery in alignment with Partnership standards, donor requirements, and national regulations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership and Oversight of Field Operations

• Working with Zonal Managers, Operations Manager, Grants Management Manager, Sponsorship Manager, Emergency Operations Manager, and relevant support functions.
• All APs/projects follow all the operational guidelines/policies which are guided by WVM operational manual
• Provide leadership in the development, review and monitoring of strategies and plans, in alignment with WVM’s three-year strategic plan, Regional &Global strategy framework
• Support structural vision and potential changes in the field and country offices to ensure delivery of services with low cost, high impact project implementation
• Ensure Area Development Programmes (ADPs), Future Ready Sponsorship, grant-funded programmes, humanitarian responses, and local partner implementation are adequately resourced, staffed, and operationally supported to deliver Results for Children in alignment with National Office priorities and Partnership commitments.
• “Best practices” in the development industry are utilized in all APs, special projects, and grants.
• Audit reports and findings are distributed to project managers, and the findings are properly addressed, solved and responded on a timely manner.
• Good customer service sis provided to all donors which will satisfy sponsors, support offices and the communities
• Ensure proper coordination exists between the Field and the projects in HR, Finance, Technical sectors (Resilience& Livelihood, Education, Health etc.,)
• Appropriate and timely support is given to the projects by supporting and coordinating the Program Quality and Development department.
• Proper monitoring of projects with regard to the progress, including frequent visits to Program/Project offices and communities is ensured by supporting and coordinating the Zonal Managers/AP Managers/Special project Managers)
• Integrate all sectoral activities including Advocacy and HEA into operation in compliant with the new partnership integration strategy.
• Relief and rehabilitation programs are planned and managed well as per the need of the country.
• Inform National Director on all program related issues and get guidance and support.

Relations, External Engagement and Local Partnership Leadership

• Regular network and maintained with other international non-governmental organizations and with the government officials in an effort to share the experience with regard to the programs in the country.
• Local external relationship (project) is monitored and Support Office relationship is managed with respect to programs and their requirements are met in a timely manner.
• Lead selected donor and partner engagement activities
• Lead the decision making for partner vetting process at provincial and Area Development Program levels.

People Leadership, Talent Development and Culture

• Effective leadership is provided to the Zonal Manager, Grant Management manager and Technical program managers including coaching/mentoring them, so that the following are accomplished by or through them:
• Proper accounting systems and practices are in place within the Operations Department, to facilitate the approval and funding of programs.
• Compliance with all relevant sections of the Field Financial Manual, Government grant provisions (where applicable) and other partnership standards.
• Recruitment, selection, transfer, disciplinary action, annual performance review and recommendation for promotion of Operations staff is done in consultation with ND and P&C Director.
• Care is given through mentoring, coaching, and other process for Spiritual growth and personal development of all Operations staff.

Grant, Sponsorship and Humanitarian Operations Management

• Provide recommendation for Go/No-Go analysis and decision making
• Provide recommendation for project staffing structure
• Drive field innovations such as research and partnering to increase win probability of grant/PNS proposals
• Provide leadership for project teams to ensure quality as well as compliance with donor requirements
• Provide leadership for project teams in case of donor visits
• Ensure all changes on scope, budget and timeline of approved grants are communicated back to the Director of Program Quality and Resource Development before implementing the changes
• Lead grants audits and grant project closures in line with donor requirements.

Security, Risk Management and Organisational Resilience

• Manage directly the safety and security within the team based on guidance from ND and established WVM guidelines, through security assessment, planning and management.
• Update regularly the risk registers for the designated function/department to Software Riskonnect.
• Identify and mitigate the risks that could impact the achievement of goals of the designated function/department.
• Provide strategic leadership and integration across Area Development Programmes (ADPs), Future Ready Sponsorship, grant-funded programmes, humanitarian responses, Chief of Party-managed projects, and local partner implementation models to ensure coordinated delivery of Results for Children and National Office strategic objectives.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE:

Required Education, training, license, registration, and/or Certification

• Master's degree in International Development, Humanitarian Assistance, Public Administration, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Management, Public Health, Education, Community Development, Social Work, or a related field. Relevant professional certifications in project management, security and risk management, humanitarian leadership, emergency management, or organizational leadership are highly desirable.

Required Professional Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in international development, humanitarian response, or operational leadership, including experience in fragile and high-risk contexts.
• Minimum 5 years of senior leadership experience managing large-scale field operations across multiple locations and delivery platforms.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing sponsorship, grants, humanitarian response, local partner implementation, operational risk management, donor compliance, and adaptive delivery in complex environments.
• Strong people leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring, succession planning, organizational resilience, and leading high-performing teams.
• Experience engaging government authorities, donors, local partners, and communities to support operational access, accountability, and sustainable ministry delivery.
• Deep understanding of the Myanmar context, including its political, social, economic, and humanitarian environment.
• Demonstrated experience in managing complex, multi-sectoral programs, including health, education, livelihoods, cash and food assistance, climate change initiatives, and other donor- and grant-funded programs.

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations

• The position requires the ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 50% of the time, including to remote and security-constrained locations in accordance with approved security protocols. The role operates in a complex and fragile environment and requires resilience, adaptability, sound judgment, and the ability to balance ministry delivery, operational access, risk management, business continuity, and staff safety. Availability to support emergency responses and critical incidents may be required.

Position’s physical requirements

• Satisfactory pre-employment medical clearance from a licensed medical practitioner. The position requires the physical and mental ability to travel regularly to remote and challenging field locations and to perform effectively in a complex, high-pressure, and rapidly changing operational environment while adhering to approved security protocols and organizational policies.

Applicant Types Accepted: