Senior Advisor, Children, Digital and AI

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!

Key Responsibilities:

Please submit your CV and Cover Letter in English.

This is a remote/homeworking opportunity open to candidates internationally. To facilitate collaboration across our international team, we have a preference for candidates located within approximately ±4 to 5 hours of the United Kingdom's time zone (GMT/BST). We nevertheless welcome applications from qualified candidates in other eligible locations. Final appointment will be subject to the selected candidate residing in a country where World Vision International (WVI) is registered and able to employ staff.

JOB PURPOSE

The Senior Advisor, Children, Digital and AI strengthens World Vision International's (WVI) external influence and positioning on children's digital rights, Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance and digital participation. The role develops evidence-informed policy positions, thought leadership and coalition engagement, working across Child-led and Digital Advocacy (CLAD) and through a matrix relationship with Global Partnerships and Influence (GP&I) to connect children's voices and rights in the digital environment and systems-influencing opportunities under the global strategy “Our Promise” (OP3), shift 3.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

External Thought Leadership and Policy Influencing — Children, Digital and AI:

• Develop and position World Vision's agenda on children in digital environments and AI, going beyond online safety to address digital rights, data governance, AI systems affecting children, and children's participation in digital futures.
• Track and analyse global policy, regulatory and multilateral developments relevant to children and AI/digital environments, providing timely intelligence and positioning advice to CLAD, GP&I and Advocacy & External Engagement (A&EE) leadership.
• Develop high-quality thought leadership content — papers, briefs, op-eds, speaking notes and external statements — that positions WVI as a credible and distinctive voice in digital rights and AI policy for children.
• Represent WVI in relevant external policy forums, multi-stakeholder consultations, regulatory processes and events, coordinating closely with GP&I to ensure coherence with wider WVI policy positions.
• Work with the matrix line into GP&I to align WVI's positioning on children and digital/AI with broader systems-influencing and multilateral engagement priorities.

Coalition, Partnership and Multi-stakeholder Engagement

• Lead or coordinate WVI engagement in a small number of priority external coalitions or multi-stakeholder networks focused on children's digital rights, AI governance, online safety or children in digital environments.
• Develop and maintain an external stakeholder map of priority actors, coalitions, regulatory bodies and thought leaders in the children, digital and AI space, using it to identify entry points and influence opportunities.
• Negotiate and operationalise engagement plans with key external partners, brokering opportunities to amplify children's voices and WVI's positions in relevant global debates.
• In coordination with the matrix relationship into GP&I, ensure WVI's coalition engagement on children and digital/AI is aligned with wider systems-influencing strategies and avoids duplication.
• Work with the Senior Advisor, Child-led and Digital Advocacy to identify joint coalition opportunities and ensure internal complementarity.

Policy, Evidence and Positioning Development

• Commission, synthesise and produce evidence and analysis on the impact of digital environments and AI on children's rights, wellbeing and participation, translating emerging research into actionable policy asks and advocacy content.
• Develop and maintain WVI's policy positions on priority children and digital/AI issues, including processes for updating positions in response to fast-moving regulatory and policy developments.
• Ensure WVI's evidence and positioning draw on children's lived experience and field-level insight, working with the Senior Advisor, Child-led and Digital Advocacy to integrate child voice into external content.
• Coordinate with Safeguarding, CPP and digital/technology colleagues to ensure policy positions are grounded in operational reality and do not duplicate technical safeguarding ownership.
• Work with GP&I on quality assurance of content for multilateral, regulatory and digital rights audiences.

Internal Advisory Support and Organisational Alignment

• Provide specialist advisory support to CLAD, GP&I, Partnerships and Coalitions and Campaigns (PACC), CPP, Local to Global (L2G) and other A&EE teams on children and digital/AI issues, enabling colleagues to engage confidently in relevant external spaces.
• Support the Senior Director, CLAD with strategic advice on how digital and AI developments affect WVI's child participation and advocacy agenda.
• Contribute children and digital/AI expertise to Shift 3 design, delivery and reporting, particularly where emerging technology intersects with Outcome 3.3 or wider advocacy priorities.
• In coordination with the Senior Advisor, Child-led and Digital Advocacy, contribute to internal capability building on digital and AI literacy for advocacy staff and field offices.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE FOR THE ROLE

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in international development, law, public policy, digital rights, communications, human rights or a related field.
• At least ten (10) years of relevant experience in digital rights, AI policy, online safety, children's rights advocacy or related fields, in an international NGO, policy, regulatory or civil society context.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and placing thought leadership content — policy briefs, op-eds, speaking engagements, consultations or publications — in relevant external spaces.
• Experience engaging with multi-stakeholder coalitions, regulatory processes, UN or multilateral bodies, or digital governance forums.
• Strong policy analysis and writing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical and regulatory issues into clear, compelling advocacy content.
• Experience working across teams and with senior leaders on external positioning and coalition strategy.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE FOR THE ROLE

• Deep knowledge of AI governance debates, digital rights frameworks, data protection law and online safety regulation as they affect children.
• Familiarity with relevant international processes and bodies —e.g., UNCRC, WEF, ITU, OECD AI Policy Observatory, Global Digital Compact and equivalent mechanisms.
• Experience working in or with child rights or child participation organisations.
• Understanding of how digital platforms, algorithmic systems and AI affect children's rights and wellbeing in practice.
• Experience with collective impact or systems-change influencing approaches.
• Knowledge of World Vision's programming and advocacy frameworks, particularly Shift 3.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Fluency/outstanding professional and technical spoken and written English, with demonstrated ability to write for policy and public audiences. Fluency in another language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese) is an added advantage.

TRAVEL AND/OR WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENT:

• This is a remote/homeworking position within a globally distributed team spanning Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
• The role may occasionally require flexibility in working hours to accommodate meetings and collaboration across multiple global time zones.
• The role requires the ability to work effectively across diverse cultures, geographies, faith traditions, and time zones, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and adaptability in a global environment.
• The successful candidate will possess excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to engage respectfully and effectively with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders from diverse cultural and contextual backgrounds.
• The position requires the ability and willingness to travel nationally and/or internationally up to 25% of the time.
• Travel will primarily support external representation, coalition engagement and policy forums.
• Capability to participate in extended virtual meetings across multiple time zones.

Applicant Types Accepted:

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation with a mission centred on following Jesus Christ in service to the world´s most vulnerable children. Therefore, in all locations to the fullest extent legally permissible, the successful applicant will affirm our core documents, observe conduct compatible with Christian principles, serve at a high level of professional ethics and strive to act in accordance with cultural sensitivities. Furthermore, regular attendance with team and office devotions, chapel and prayer gatherings are expected in line with policies in the World Vision host location and its departments.