Interim Vice President, Impact and Quality

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE

Organisation: Right To Play International

Department/Division: Headquarters

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Work Location: One of Right To Play offices (Burundi, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda or United Kingdom)

Work Arrangement: A combination of in-office and remote-working in accordance with Right To Play’s work arrangement and the operational needs of the department

Authorised to work in: One of the countries listed above (eligible to work legally without visa or work permit sponsorship)

Target Hiring Salary: Local salary scale applies. Hiring range and benefits will be shared with applicants as part of the recruitment process.

Target Start Date: August 2024

Contract Duration: Full-time, 10-12 months fixed term contract

Application Closing Date: June 6, 2024 23:59 EDT

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and leading a global Program Quality & Impact (PQI) team, the Interim Vice President, Impact & Quality is primarily responsible for driving forward organisational strategic priorities to:

• Elevate children and young people’s learning and well -being through play
• Build evidence on the impact of play to influence policy and system
• Scale impact through partnership, collaboration, and innovation
• Deliver programs that respond to a rapidly changing world and climate

The Vice President, Impact & Quality serves as a critical member of the Executive Team at Right to Play International’s Global office. You will steward the organizational strategy (2024-2026) and Theory of Change and drive the development and delivery of programmatic strategies. You will lead the PQI team, who in turn provide technical support in relation to program delivery, training, monitoring, evaluation, research and learning to 14 country teams.

You will work closely with colleagues across the Executive Team, including the Vice President, Country Offices and Vice President, Fundraising to help promote and diversify funding through effective resource stewardship and relationship building with Senior Management Teams in countries of operation.

You will provide mentoring, guidance, supervision, and professional development to PQI and country program and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) teams, ensure that departmental and organisational objectives and operating requirements are met and align with the mission of Right To Play operating as a highly integrated global organisation.

Up to 10% international travel is anticipated, but this is negotiable depending on the candidate’s circumstances. Travel will include visits to Right To Play’s program countries, Global offices (London, UK and Toronto, Canada) and to undertake external representation opportunities.

ABOUT US

Right To Play is a global leader in delivering play-based programs that promote children and young people’s learning and well-being. Established in 2000, Right To Play reaches children through experiential programming in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. These programs are supported by our headquarters in Toronto, Canada; London, UK and seven national offices across Europe and North America.

• We put children and young people at the centre: We strive for inclusive and meaningful participation of children and young people in all their diversity. We engage children through participatory approaches that amplify their voices and experiences.
• We have a 24-year track record: Since 2000, we’ve been using playful approaches to improve outcomes for children and young people. In that time, we’ve fostered strong partnerships and established credibility with the communities we serve across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Canada.
• We know that playing is learning: Play is a universal language. Children across cultures make sense of the world by playing. We have experience offering adaptable play-based approaches that have a proven impact on children’s holistic development.

OUR MISSION

To protect, educate, and empower children to rise above adversity using the power of play.

OUR PROGRAMS

Our four core programs focus on:

• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Primary Education
• Psychosocial Support
• Gender Equality and Girls’ Wellbeing

Our Theory of Change places children and young people at its heart. We aim to improve their learning, well -being, and socio-emotional outcomes to catalyze transformative change. The full details are available from our full job posting on our careers site.

OUR CULTURE

With a shared passion for our mission, our Culture Code guides how we act and interact based on five core pillars:

• Accept Everyone – Be intentional about inclusion
• Make Things Happen – Seek opportunities to lead and innovate
• Display Courage – Act with integrity
• Demonstrate Care – Look after yourself and one another
• Be Playful – Have fun at work

For more information on our work and impact please read our Annual Report. Please also watch this video to find out about the five pillars of our Culture Code.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1.Strategic leadership related to program quality and impact (30%)

• Steward Right To Play International’s organizational and programmatic strategies, ensuring best in class program delivery, cutting-edge innovation, continuous learning and improvement and collaborative partnerships to deliver impactful play-based programming for children and young people
• Provide effective, inspiring leadership, as well as stewardship of Right To Play’s resources, by being actively involved in and overseeing all programs and services offered by Right To Play
• Play a critical role in developing our thought leadership, promoting and supporting organisational learning and sharing successful/ innovative approaches
• Provide leadership for strategic planning processes with the CEO, the Executive Team, and Right To Play staff and International Board of Directors
• Represent Program Quality and Impact function on the Executive Team and to the International Board of Directors
• Continue the roll out of organizational Theory of Change alongside programmatic strategies to drive the design and delivery of high quality and integrated interventions based on Right To Play’s strengths and evidence of what works
• Support country offices to deliver programs aligned with global strategic plan and priorities and indicators

2. Team Leadership and Management (25%)

• Maintain a clear and compelling vision for the PQI team’s work; engage the team to develop ambitious but achievable goals and support the integration of the unit into the larger Right To Play teams
• Develop and manage strategic and operational plans for the global PQI team
• Create and sustain a continuous improvement culture of innovation, achievement, support and learning within the team, country offices and programs
• Provide ongoing leadership and mentorship for the team including core management duties (performance management, development planning)
• Oversee work planning, performance management, and professional growth and development for the PQI team and support development of professional development plans for country Programs and MEL staff
• Build relationships and share learning and best practice with functions that utilize evidence including fundraising, communications and country offices

3.Program Development and Operational Excellence (20%)

• Oversee the development and implementation of program strategies, and establish and monitor progress against program and organisational metrics and milestones, regularly updating leadership teams on progress against targets
• Guide and integrate efforts to align all business processes and reinforce a “One Right To Play” organisational structure and culture to ensure the effectiveness of major programs and initiatives by focusing energies and operations to achieve Right To Play objectives
• Assist in the development, implementation, enforcement, and monitoring of program policies and procedures for effective grant compliance and delivery
• Prepare and submit an annual operational budget for review and board approval, manage effectively within this budget identifying opportunities for cost savings and cost effectiveness, ensure continued financial viability of program services, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered
• Provide direction and support for all country office planning processes led by the VP, Country Offices and act as the champion for program quality and impact to continue to develop and improve program models and approaches through ongoing research, testing and innovation.

4.Organisational Leadership and External Representation (15%)

• Drive delivery against organizational priorities as a member of Right To Play’s global Executive Team, including the development of organisation-wide strategic goals
• Support the CEO and members of the Executive Team in building relationships with international stakeholders, including government officials, fellow NGOs, and donors, as well as Board stewardship
• Collaborate with Executive Team on critical organisational issues, represent programs at Board level, provide strong external fundraising representation with donors and stakeholders, promote internal collaboration between programs, fundraising and communications and other teams
• Represent Right To Play as a thought-leader at high-level fora, conferences, round tables, events and meetings; cultivate relationships and partnerships that can advance Right To Play’s mission and vision through our global advocacy effort
• Build and maintain relationships with relevant thematic community practitioners and donors, thought-leaders, world experts, as well as development and humanitarian organisations, governments and partners.

1. Performs other duties as required (10%)

• Promote and uphold high standards of safeguarding, participation and accountability across all of Right To Play’s work
• Understand and embed the principles of gender equality and social inclusion into project and program design, implementation and quality assurance
• Uphold a commitment to learn about, promote and embed play-based approaches to learning
• Engages in ongoing learning and upskilling related to gender equality and social inclusion through play-based learning

WHO YOU ARE:

You are a big-picture thinker who is passionate about bringing your skills and experience to Right To Play and you are highly motivated by our mission and working in a values-based organisation. You are a driven and innovative senior leader who is a playful learning advocate. You have a combination of strategic and practical skills to ensure the highest quality and impact of evidence-based programs. You build a ‘culture of learning’ and inform decisions by generating evidence of what works. You are a highly collaborative leader energized by working across teams, geographies and levels to support a shared mission. You maintain an inclusive, supportive and happy team and are able to inspire and motivate those you manage.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Be a passionate advocate for the power of playful learning and a demonstrated ability to communicate this passion and impact to inspire others
• A minimum of 10 years of senior leadership experience in a NGO, nonprofit, government, or philanthropy, overseeing global programs serving children and youth ideally in an international development context (preferably with lived experience in a program country context)
• Master’s degree in social sciences, international development or equivalent practical experience
• Demonstrated experience managing a high-performing team in a global structure with a deep commitment to the values of diversity, inclusiveness and empowerment
• Exceptional leadership and interpersonal communication skills required to lead, support, and inspire an international and multidisciplinary team
• Strong research and analysis skills and an ability to utilise evidence to make decisions and drive quality improvements
• Comprehensive working knowledge of program planning, organisational structure, budgeting, administrative operations and fundraising
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to represent the organisation externally across a wide range of stakeholders and constituencies
• Comfortable being a thought leader and advancing the frontiers of knowledge in an innovative organization
• Strong relationship builder with the ability to find common ground, build consensus and strengthen collaboration among diverse stakeholders
• Flexible and open to new ideas; adaptive; eager to learn; comfortable with taking risk; full of initiative; and inquisitive yet decisive
• A good sense of humor; listens to others, and accepts different opinions; is a leader and a team player; is cooperative and able to build bridges; has a deep respect for different cultures
• Fluency in oral and written English
• Fluency in a second language (French, Arabic, Portuguese) an asset

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

The opportunity to collaborate with an innovative global team who are passionate about working with children and youth. You will gain experience working for a globally recognized organization with a healthy culture premised on our Culture Code (accept everyone, make things happen, display courage, demonstrate care and be playful). You will be immersed in an environment where learning and development is encouraged and valued, and “play” is appreciated as a core avenue to building community.

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible work arrangements (e.g. work from home and flex hours)
• 5 personal learning and development (L&D) days per year
• Annual learning week
• Annual staff recognition awards
• Opportunity to connect with employees across our offices (Global Buddy Chat, Facebook Workplace)
• Opportunity to engage in global projects and initiatives
• Wellness programs
• Playful activities and events