Executive Director – World Renew Canada

This executive search is conducted by Nelson/Kraft & Associates on behalf of World Renew Canada

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

World Renew is an experienced and highly respected development and disaster response organization with a history that spans sixty years. It is a network of committed, talented professional staff, volunteers and supporters focused on alleviating poverty and injustice and addressing the multiple hardships that derive from them. World Renew is faith-based, knowledge rich, highly adaptive and committed to evolving as challenges arise. A bi-national organization, headquartered in Canada and the US, World Renew enjoys the governance of two boards working together in a joint ministry agreement. World Renew Canada seeks a director to lead the mission and ensure fiscal and organizational health.

The next Executive Director of World Renew Canada should be one who brings people together, motivates them to achieve targeted results, and is able to inspire the ongoing support of constituents and partners. Due to the co-directorship with the Executive Director in the US, World Renew Canada is looking for a highly collaborative partner and team player who will help the organization achieve its priorities and desired culture. If you are a culturally competent leader with a passion for global equity, possess exceptional communication skills, and are motivated to serve God and neighbour through highly effective relief and development efforts, we’d love to hear from you!

OUR STORY

For sixty years World Renew Canada has leveraged resources of knowledge, skill, finance and governance to contribute to the transformation of communities around the world, addressing not only physical needs, but replacing despair with hope. Hundreds of thousands of people have shared in this calling: staff, indigenous partners, global networks and members of supporting communities.

Our goal is systemic, generational and sustainable change in five key areas. This is achieved through partnerships with local churches and organizations around the world to bring holistic programs that transform communities in every area of need. The Executive Director develops, maintains and communicates a clear and compelling vision for this exciting and necessary work.

Peace & Justice: 1 in 7 girls is married by age 15 and every 30 seconds, a child somewhere in the world gets trafficked. The root causes of injustices like these are deep and complex. World Renew programs address domestic violence, trauma recovery, justice advocacy, conflict resolution, peacemaking and more.

Community Health: 99% of child and maternal deaths occur in the developing world. Highly trained World Renew staff and partners provide education for mothers, training for local health attendants, and conduct primary health care interventions, often enhancing existing local health programs. These identify gaps, pursue solutions and develop local resources and programs that keep mothers healthy and help babies thrive.

Food Security: Over 800 million people in the world face hunger every day. With global changes in climate, farmers now struggle to find new, sustainable farming methods that can weather more extreme conditions. World Renew staff and partners provide training in regenerative agriculture, tools, agricultural inputs and, when necessary, even food supplies to increase food security.

Economic Opportunity: Over 275 million people in communities where World Renew works live in extreme poverty. Staff and partners engage local folks and leaders to form village savings and literacy programs as well as small business training around the world.

Disaster Response: Natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, floods and droughts are becoming more frequent, more intense and more threatening to human and non-human creation. In 2017 alone, nearly 100 million people were impacted by disaster. World Renew disaster response teams, local partners and other agencies collaborate to meet immediate needs, provide resources to train communities in disaster preparedness, and rebuild homes and communities, thus extending Christ’s love to those in need.

OUR MISSION

Compelled by God’s deep passion for justice & mercy, we join communities around the world to renew hope, reconcile lives, and restore creation.

OUR VISION

We envision a world where people experience and extend Christ’s compassion and live together in hope as God’s community.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Alignment & Accountability

• Be co-responsible for all outcomes in progress toward Ends Statements of World Renew’s bi-national Board.

• Ensure global alignment with World Renew’s strategic priorities. This is achieved by: providing strategic direction and decision making, giving oversight to cross-functional resource and budget allocations, setting programming direction in line with World Renew’s impact framework and strategic programming priorities, and leading decision-making on organization-wide systems and structure.

• Lead the Strategic Alignment Circle: maintaining organizational focus by delegating clear directions.

• Manage the long-range strategic planning process in alignment with the World Renew Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Executive Limitations, Joint Ministry Agreement, and policies.

• Lead World Renew in achieving its strategic priorities, including: holding global leadership accountable for achieving strategic priorities, abiding by World Renew’s policies, standards and commitments, and ensuring clear, effective and ongoing communication and focus on organizational priorities.

• Maintain excellent relationships with World Renew US to achieve its goal of functioning as one global entity.

• Maintain excellent relationships with World Renew’s constituents.

• Fulfill the legal requirements of the Executive Director in Canada.

Organizational Systems & Health

• Manage organizational risk, including governance and global engagement risk through: developing and implementing strategic risk plans and protocols, ensuring and promoting best practices and lessons learned, complying with national/international standards, certification regulations and audit requirements.

• Ensure functioning and effectiveness of organizational programs, systems and operations (including HR, Finance, IT and Communications).

• Ensure resources and support for engaged staff, empowered leaders, and a healthy organizational culture that is inclusive, Christian and professional.

Governance: Board Support

• Report in a thorough and timely manner to the World Renew national and bi-national Boards.

• Maintain an exceptional Board-staff interface to accomplish the vision of World Renew to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

• Ensure that all matters requiring Board of Directors attention and approval are brought to the Board.

• Ensure that Board directions and decisions are followed and acted upon.

• Supervise the budget presentation and financial reporting to the designated denominational offices and the Board of Directors.

Networking & Fundraising

• Increase the profile and reputation of World Renew by participating in global/national strategic networks and alliances to fulfill the needs of World Renew’s mission.

• Ensure fundraising sufficient for the financial health and growth of World Renew, participating in key donor or institutional funding relations and pursuing/leveraging networking connections.

• Coordinate executive level networking and fundraising with the US Executive Director, ensuring essential connections within the US.

• Maintain communication and collaboration with CRCNA/other denominations as needed to accomplish World Renew’s mission.

• Serve as a member of the Ministry Leadership Council and represent World Renew on denominational or interagency committees as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Jointly, the Executive Directors of World Renew Canada and World Renew US supervise the leaders of the:

• Regional Teams

• International Disaster Response

• Disaster Responses Services

• Functional Teams (Constituency Relations, Program Excellence, Human Resources, Finance & Administration, and Global Safeguarding)

(As applicable) Sole supervision of: Executive Assistant

QUALIFICATIONS

• Post-secondary degree (Master’s degree is preferred) in a relevant field – e.g. Business Administration, Theology, Social Work.

• At least ten years of senior management experience (managing organization wide programs and supervising other managers or directors) with a preference for international development and/or disaster response experience.

• Compassion for people in situations of poverty.

• A strong commitment to building the diversity of World Renew staff and Board.

• Courageous in pursuit of God’s call to justice, ending racism and discrimination, actively standing against systemic injustices.

• Strong commitment to working collaboratively within a bi-national structure to ensure effective ministries domestically and internationally.

• Demonstrated capability to lead a team of professionals.

• Solid knowledge of foreign and domestic programming.

• Strong administrative, organizational and leadership skills.

• Excellent personal and organizational communication skills - presenting, reinforcing key organizational messages, motivating, connecting and influencing.

• A working knowledge of the Christian Reformed Church.

• Professing membership in a Christian Reformed congregation, or of a church in ecclesiastical fellowship with the CRCNA, and agreement with the doctrine of the church signified by signing the Covenant for Office bearers or by signing a comparable document.

• Able to sign World Renew Canada’s Statement of Faith and Lifestyle Policy.

• Able to travel domestically and internationally, 25-30% of the time.

Location: Burlington, ON

Application Deadline: June 1, 2022

Start Date: August 2022

ABOUT US

Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. is an executive consulting firm that specializes in working with not-for-profits and for-profit businesses across Canada, assisting them in the placement of senior executives and directors. 

Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. welcomes and encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position. Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion in its hiring practices, and will only make distinctions among interested applicants in accordance with the applicable Human Rights legislation.

Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. also welcomes and encourages applications from candidates with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process. If you require disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact us.