Head of Transformational Development

Job Title: Head of Transformational Development

Department: Transformational Development

Reports To: Chief Program and Impact Officer

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Remote-Hybrid (2 days in-office) – Burlington, ON or Byron Center, MI *

Salary: Burlington based - $111,898 to $125,886 CAD or Bryon Center based-$112,296 to $126,332 USD

Last Updated: March 2026

Please be advised that while this role is advertised in multiple countries, it represents a single position. Only one (1) candidate will be selected for hire, with the final work location to be determined based on the successful candidate's residence and organizational requirements.

PURPOSE:

The Head of the Transformational Development Team provides vision, strategic leadership, and operational oversight for World Renew's global Transformational Development Team comprising of the Grants, Knowledge & Meal and Justice and Peace Sub-Teams. This role ensures high-quality, impactful, and values-driven support for programming that delivers strong return on investment and advances World Renew's mission and global impact goals. This individual reports to the Chief Program & Impact Officer (CPIO).

As a member of World Renew's Global Operations Team, this leader is expected to work closely with other program streams and our regional, functional, and fundraising teams to collaborate on programmatic interventions, communications, fundraising, and to oversee our advocacy and public engagement work. The position strengthens World Renew's Transformational Development capacity by working collaboratively with regional, program and functional teams and our implementing partners to deliver transformational, community-led development outcomes.

With a diverse team and significant budget oversight, this position will support and oversee the advancement of our relationships with Government Agencies, organisations, and associations within the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) community. Some examples include Global Affairs Canada (GAC), US State Department, other International NGOs (INGOs), Foundations, Private Donors, Alliances and Churches, to mobilize and gain additional resources that enables the agency to play a greater role in Transformational Development around the globe.

The role provides continuity, strategic clarity, and strong leadership to a global team operating in complex and evolving development and sometimes humanitarian contexts. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and minimal supervision.

We do not discriminate based on disability, culture, ethnicity, or gender, and welcome and encourage

people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership and Program

• Provide vision, direction, and strategic leadership for World Renew's Transformational Development work, aligned with the global organizational strategy and priorities, theology of development and Theory of Change.
• Provide oversight and escalation support for justice‑related public statements, advocacy positions, and external engagements, ensuring appropriate risk assessment, alignment with organizational strategy, and coordination with the CPIO as required.
• Partner closely with the Chief Program and Impact Officer (CPIO) on strategic decision-making, and priority setting.
• Ensure strong integration and collaboration across programmatic streams, including effective engagement with the Humanitarian–Development–Peace Nexus.
• Oversee the strategic direction for public engagement, public policy advocacy, coalition building, and justice programming, ensuring coherence, quality, and measurable impact across World Renew's global work.
• Monitor global development and humanitarian trends to ensure World Renew's programming remains relevant, innovative, and evidence informed.

Team Leadership and Management

• Supervise, coach, and support staff to foster high morale, professional growth, accountability, and a culture of continuous learning. Provide day-to-day leadership and operational management of the Transformational Development Team, ensuring clarity of roles, workflows, and priorities across World Renew's Grants, Knowledge and MEAL and Justice and Peace Sub-Teams.
• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance oversight to the Director of Justice & Peace, ensuring alignment with World Renew's Transformational Development strategy, risk management, theological commitments, and organizational priorities.
• Supervise, coach, and support staff to foster high morale, professional growth, accountability, and a culture of continuous learning.
• Oversee the work of World Renew's global Transformational Development Team comprising the Grants, Knowledge & Meal and Justice and Peace Sub-Teams, ensuring effective cross-functional coordination and high performance.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and operational management of the Transformational Development Team, ensuring clarity of roles, workflows, and priorities across World Renew's Grants, Knowledge and MEAL and Justice and Peace Sub-Teams.
• Represent the Transformational Development Team in organizational leadership forums, working groups, and cross-functional teams.

Program Quality, Learning, and Accountability

• Provide vision, direction, and leadership in the design and implementation of World Renew's Transformational Development work, contributing to the achievement of World Renew's Global Impact Goals through support for the implementation of transformative, high-quality, community development initiatives alongside the partners and communities we serve.
• Ensure Justice & Peace strategies, outcomes, and learning are fully integrated into Transformational Development program design, impact measurement, and organizational learning frameworks.
• Oversee the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) of Transformational Development programs ensuring programs meet World Renew standards and donor requirements, with a strong focus on effectiveness, efficiency, equity, empowerment, and value for money.
• Provide leadership for and support to World Renews Communities of Practice, ensuring their flourishing through the dissemination and curation of organizational learning, best practices and knowledge products. Oversee the curation and dissemination of best practice community development principles and ensure regular programmatic evaluations are conducted across World Renews global response.
• Ensure data collection, reporting, and MEAL systems are harmonized across the organization and aligned with World Renew's strategy and data protection policies.
• Support organizational learning through cataloguing, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of program insights and best practices.

Resource Development and Grant Acquisition

• Lead and oversee Transformational Development resource mobilization strategies, in collaboration with our HEA, fundraising and marketing teams.
• Strengthen, diversify, and expand World Renew's institutional and grant funding portfolio.
• Oversee income projections, grant pipelines, submissions, and reporting, ensuring realistic targets and effective follow-up.
• Engage with key institutional donors, foundations, churches, networks, and alliances to build and sustain strategic funding relationships.
• Support constituency education and engagement in collaboration with relevant teams.

Budget and Resource Oversight

• Oversee the management of the Transformational Development Team Budget and other financial and related resources, including Growing Hope Globally funding and allocations, to ensure they are used effectively to maximise impact.
• Review finance reports, authorizations, Evaluations, finance reviews and budgets in collaboration with the CPIO (Chief Program & Impact Officer) and CFIO (Chief Finance and Investment Officer).
• Ensure effective and efficient use of operational and technological resources to maximize program impact.

Partnerships, Coordination, and Representation

• Provide senior‑level representation and escalation for justice‑related external engagements where institutional, political, or reputational risk exceeds Director‑level authority.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams, implementing partners, networks, and external stakeholders.
• Provide strategic oversight in identifying, developing, and managing partnerships with local and international organizations.
• Represent World Renew in relevant donor forums, humanitarian and development networks, and working groups as required.
• Support collaboration with government agencies, INGOs, and other actors to advance shared development objectives.

Safeguarding, Values, and Compliance

• Demonstrate and promote World Renew's Christian values, safeguarding commitments, and organizational culture.
• Ensure accountability to affected populations and uphold safeguarding, gender justice, inclusivity, anti-racism, and localization commitments.
• Support compliance with external standards and agreements, including CHS, SPHERE, and donor-specific requirements.
• Play a key role in audits and organizational reviews related to Transformational Development programming.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position is responsible for the supervision, development, and performance management of the Grants, Knowledge & Meal and Justice and Peace Sub-Teams. The role ensures clear expectations, regular feedback, accountability, and empowerment for high performance.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A practicing Christian with active engagement in a local Christian community and agreement with the doctrine of the CRCNA.
• Committed to working towards gender equality, equity, and justice in all aspects of World Renew's programming, plans, policies, and organizational structure.
• Demonstrated experience in promoting a work environment that values diversity and equality, and respectful relationships with others.
• Proven communication and interpersonal skills in a multicultural work environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to Christ and servant leadership.
• Strong understanding of faith-centered, long-term community development, including work in complex, fragile, or crisis-affected contexts.
• Proven record of accomplishment of long-term community development interventions that are at scale, high quality, local partner led and gender transformative.
• Demonstrated experience with institutional donors, grant acquisition, and high compliance programming.
• Proven ability to lead diverse teams across regions and cultures.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong competence with Microsoft and program management systems.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, Master's degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in international or community development, including program design, management, and budgeting.
• At least 7 years' experience in people management and team leadership.
• Sectoral expertise (e.g., food security, livelihoods, nutrition, maternal and child health).
• Experience working across multiple regions (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific).

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluency in English, with strong verbal and written communication skills, French and/or Spanish an asset.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical and work environment demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Extended time spent in front of a computer screen using electronic mail, writing proposals, reviewing data, and reports, and meeting teams virtually.
• Occasional (approximately 20%) international travel, including to fragile or high-risk contexts.

World Renew requires permanent work authorization at time of hire. With World Renew's commitment to Core Humanitarian Standard and Safeguarding responsibilities, as part of the recruitment process, a successful candidate can expect to go through a thorough background check. Please note that the tentative application deadline for this position will be EOD April 3, 2026, for External Applicants and Internal Applicants, closing date depending on application volume. We encourage all interested candidates to apply before this deadline as we move candidates through our hiring process on a continuous basis