Director, Refugee Sponsorship & Resettlement Program

Position Title: Director, Refugee Sponsorship & Resettlement Program 

Department: Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA) 

Reports to: Head of Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs 

Salary Level: $95,910 - 107,898 CAD

Status: Full-time, Salaried 

Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada (Hybrid/Remote as per World Renew Policy) 

PURPOSE OF POSITION 

The Director, Refugee Sponsorship & Resettlement Program provides strategic leadership, oversight, and direction for World Renew's Refugee Sponsorship & Resettlement Program (RSRP), one of the organization's core humanitarian portfolios within Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA). The position is responsible for advancing World Renew's mission through effective refugee sponsorship, organizational compliance as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), strategic program development, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and responsible stewardship of program resources. 

Working closely with the Head of Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs, churches, sponsoring groups, community organizations, government agencies, denominational partners, refugee-serving organizations, and other stakeholders, the Director provides leadership that strengthens refugee sponsorship, promotes successful newcomer integration, and advances World Renew's humanitarian mission. 

The Director serves as World Renew's principal advisor and spokesperson on refugee sponsorship and resettlement, ensuring the program remains responsive to changing humanitarian needs, evolving government policies, and opportunities to strengthen refugee protection, church engagement, and community-based sponsorship across Canada. 

The position also contributes to the strategic leadership of Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs by collaborating across International Disaster Response (IDR), Disaster Response Services (DRS), and Refugee Sponsorship & Resettlement to strengthen integrated humanitarian programming and organizational effectiveness. 

We do not discriminate based on disability, culture, ethnicity, or gender, and welcome and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.  

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategic Leadership & Program Management   

• Provide strategic leadership for World Renew's Refugee Sponsorship & Resettlement Program. portfolio.
• Develop and implement long-term strategic plans, annual operational plans, annual communication plans, and program priorities.
• Ensure alignment with World Renew's mission, strategic priorities, Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs objectives, Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) obligations, and Government of Canada requirements.
• Monitor program performance through established objectives, indicators, and continuous improvement processes.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen and expand refugee sponsorship and resettlement programming.
• Lead innovation and program development initiatives that enhance program quality and organizational impact.
• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, learning, and organizational accountability across the program.

Refugee Sponsorship Leadership & Compliance   

• Provide overall leadership for World Renew's Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) responsibilities.
• Ensure compliance with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations, sponsorship agreements, and organizational policies.
• Oversee sponsorship application submission, approval processes, case management, and quality assurance.
• Provide guidance on complex sponsorship cases, policy interpretation, and emerging refugee issues.
• Monitor program risks, legal obligations, and compliance requirements.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, operational guidance, and quality standards for sponsorship activities.
• Lead organizational responses to complex sponsorship challenges, crises, and sensitive situations.

Partnerships, Church Engagement & Capacity Strengthening   

• Build and strengthen relationships with churches, sponsoring groups, community organizations, and refugee-serving partners across Canada.
• Provide leadership and support that strengthens sponsor capacity and promotes successful refugee sponsorship and newcomer integration.
• Develop educational resources, training opportunities, and guidance for sponsoring groups and volunteers.
• Foster collaboration with denominational partners, settlement organizations, government agencies, and other Sponsorship Agreement Holders.
• Promote organizational learning and best practices throughout the sponsorship network.
• Strengthen volunteer engagement and leadership development within refugee sponsorship initiatives.

Advocacy, Public Engagement & External Representation   

• Serve as World Renew's primary spokesperson on refugee sponsorship and resettlement.
• Represent World Renew with government agencies, refugee networks, churches, conferences, media, and public forums.
• Monitor developments in refugee policy and immigration legislation and assess their implications for World Renew.
• Develop advocacy positions and public education initiatives that promote refugee protection, successful newcomer integration, and community sponsorship.
• Build awareness of refugee issues within churches, supporters, and the broader Canadian public.
• Contribute to national conversations related to refugee sponsorship, humanitarian protection, and social justice.

Organizational Leadership & Program Stewardship   

• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management for Program Associates. 
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture that promotes accountability, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Develop annual work plans, performance objectives, and professional development plans for staff.
• Develop and manage the annual program budget while ensuring responsible stewardship of program resources.
• Monitor financial performance and support funding diversification, grant development, and donor reporting as appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Head of Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs on strategic planning, organizational priorities, and portfolio development.
• Work collaboratively with International Disaster Response (IDR) and Disaster Response Services (DRS) to strengthen integrated humanitarian programming across HEA.

Innovation, Strategic Development & Continuous Improvement  

• Identify emerging trends, opportunities, and risks related to refugee sponsorship, immigration policy, and humanitarian protection.
• Promote innovation, digital transformation, and continuous improvement across program operations.
• Develop new partnerships and strategic initiatives that expand refugee sponsorship opportunities.
• Document lessons learned and promote organizational learning.
• Contribute to strategic planning and cross-portfolio collaboration within Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVIOSORY RESPONSIBILITIES  

Program Associates

QUALIFICATIONS  

Personal Attributes  

• Demonstrates a personal Christian faith and commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Renew.
• Supports and contributes to an organizational culture rooted in Christian faith, service, justice, compassion, stewardship, and respect.
• Demonstrates integrity, professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Strong collaborative leader with the ability to build relationships across diverse cultures and stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrates initiative, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to lead through complexity and change.
• Strong analytical thinking, strategic planning, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrates commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, refugee protection, and community engagement.
• Demonstrates innovation, continuous learning, and organizational improvement.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards of quality and accountability.

Essential Skills  

• Demonstrated strategic leadership and program management expertise.
• Strong knowledge of refugee sponsorship, refugee resettlement, and Canadian immigration policy.
• Thorough understanding of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations and Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and relationship management skills.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and staff development skills.
• Demonstrated policy analysis, advocacy, public speaking, and external representation skills.
• Excellent conflict resolution, negotiation, crisis management, and decision-making abilities.
• Strong project management, organizational, and strategic planning skills.
• Demonstrated financial management skills, including budget oversight, resource stewardship, and financial accountability.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across departments and external partners without relying solely on formal authority.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and information management systems.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  

Education  

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work, International Development, Public Administration, Immigration Studies, Public Policy, Nonprofit Management, Theology, or a related discipline.
• Master's degree in a related field is preferred.

Experience  

• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in refugee sponsorship, refugee resettlement, immigration, humanitarian programming, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex programs and supervising staff.
• Experience working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) responsibilities.
• Experience developing organizational strategy, operational plans, and program policies.
• Experience managing budgets and ensuring responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
• Experience building partnerships with churches, community organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Experience representing organizations publicly through presentations, advocacy, media engagement, and external partnerships.
• Experience leading organizational change, continuous improvement, and program development.

Preferred Qualifications  

• Experience serving within a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) organization.
• Experience working within a faith-based organization, particularly within the Christian Reformed Church context.
• Experience in refugee advocacy, public policy, or humanitarian protection.
• Experience securing grants or managing government-funded programs.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams or national programs.
• Experience collaborating with refugee-serving organizations, settlement agencies, and government partners.
• Professional proficiency in French, Arabic, or other languages relevant to refugee populations is considered an asset. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions. 

• Ability and willingness to travel across Canada up to approximately 15% to support churches, sponsoring groups, and partnership development and to attend conferences, and government/other agency meetings.
• Occasional travel may be required to represent World Renew at national or international conferences and refugee-related events.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends in support of church events, conferences, or urgent sponsorship matters. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this position. 

The incumbent will operate within a dynamic environment requiring flexibility, collaboration across teams, and the ability to respond to shifting priorities and deadlines. 

Work that follows a relentless mission to end hunger and starvation in the world.

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  October 5, 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.