Commonwealth of Learning (COL) helps governments and institutions expand the scale, efficiency and quality of learning by using new approaches, appropriate technologies and open and distance learning (ODL) methodologies. COL promotes learning for sustainable development. It is financed by voluntary contributions from Commonwealth Member States.

COL was established in 1987 by Commonwealth Heads of Government “… to create and widen access to opportunities for learning, making use of the potential offered by distance education and by the application of communication technologies to education.” (Memorandum of Understanding on the Commonwealth of Learning).

Hosted by the Government of Canada with headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia, COL is the only intergovernmental organisation solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning. It is governed by a distinguished Board of Governors whose membership is drawn from around the Commonwealth and brings leadership and expertise in a wide range of areas.

COL’s greatest impact is in supporting efforts that lead to improved lives and livelihoods, especially of marginalised people, through increased, equitable and inclusive access to quality learning opportunities - believing, in effect, that learning must lead to economic growth, social inclusion and environmental conservation.

COL values and maintains an organisational culture that is respectful, ethical and fair.

The Vice President has direct responsibilities for the strategic direction and implementation of COL’s programme aligned to its mission; research and thought leadership in support of innovative services and use of technologies in ‘learning for sustainable development’; and the strategic development and effective management of Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), COL’s regional office in New Delhi, India.

The Vice President fosters appreciation of COL and the Commonwealth generally to advance COL’s outcomes and impact.

Reporting to the President & Chief Executive Officer, the Vice President (VP) is a principal advisor to the President on all matters related to the programme, including research, policies and operations. The VP plays a leadership role in developing and implementing COL's goals and strategies; identifying emerging opportunities and strategic leverage points; building and enhancing partnerships with Member States; ensuring quality and accountability; raising the visibility and influence of COL; leading programme delivery for outcomes; promoting collaboration across the organisation and evaluating the performance of the programme and projects.

This portfolio is based on a visioned restructure of COL's current organisational structure and service delivery approach. The VP's initial focus will be to:

 develop and implement the detailed restructure;

 lead the development of the research and evaluation function; and

 shift to a matrix service delivery approach using cross-functional teams.

These operational changes demand significant change management leadership.

The VP serves as a member of the executive team and acts on the behalf of the President & Chief Executive Officer when delegated, ensuring continuity of leadership.

In collaboration with the Director, Strategic Engagement (DSE), the VP helps formulate and leads the strategies to deliver on COL's strategic plan and overarching stakeholder engagement framework and plays a crucial role in the development of opportunities for COL to demonstrate its global leadership in promoting learning for sustainable development, effectively collaborating with team members to identify opportunities for connections and engagement of key partners.

 The VP is a member of the Executive Team and collaborates with the President, the Director, Strategic Engagement (DSE), and the Director, Management Services (DMS), in the planning and implementation of all programme and operational activities in support of the mission and strategic direction of COL to ensure the quality, outcome and impact of these services within allotted budgets.

 The VP is a strong advocate for open, distance and online learning and maintains ongoing liaisons with international peers as well as a range of consultants and external stakeholders, partners and Member States.

 As a thought leader, deliver innovative and value-added programme and project initiatives applying a cross-functional team-based approach in complex, diverse and ever-evolving environments.

 Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, through timely knowledge sharing, integrated planning and data-driven decision-making, promoting coordination, communication, and joint efforts within programme staff and between the programme staff and external experts.

 In collaboration with the President and DMS, develop COL's Organisational Performance Measurement and Management framework to ensure that the organisational performance framework integrates well with the staff Performance Management framework.

 Oversee all programme activities to ensure they produce the desired results and are consistent with the overall strategy and mission. This includes detailed planning, effective resource allocation, budget oversight and monitoring and evaluation.

 Direct and monitor COL’s regional initiatives and guide CEMCA, COL’s regional centre in Asia in programme development aligned to COL’s strategic plan.

 With close ties to research findings and community, create evidence-based initiatives to inform new programme development, decisions and evaluation practices, and ensure continuous improvement of current programme offerings.

 Monitor and harness the potential of emerging technologies for diverse and disparate contexts within the Commonwealth.

 Collaborate with experts renowned for domain and delivery competence to generate suitable innovations.

 Oversee the integration of research into practice to inform the promotion and development of distance and open learning in support of sustainable development; embed a research and innovation culture within the organisation.

 Thought leadership in driving the goals and objectives of COL through the development of policy and practice that supports learning as a driver of sustainable development.

 Committed to the ideals of COL, notably to the role of education as the key to individual and national development and the capacity of technology to enhance that role, support the development of the overarching stakeholder engagement strategy.

 Working in concert with the President and the DSE, develop and build on relationships with Member States, establishing the necessary contacts, networks, and protocols to maintain regular and effective links. Make visits to Member States in order to promote and advance the program and its impact and effectiveness. Maintain contacts with officials in Member States to enhance their awareness of COL's capacity to assist them in achieving national priorities in education and training.

 Support the President in the diversification of funding by identifying and mobilising investment sources and partners to offer appropriate intellectual, fiscal and organisational resources to foster support of COL's programme.

 As a member of the Executive Team, develop and implement stakeholder engagement plans in accordance with the overarching strategy.

 Work collaboratively with programme and project teams to leverage and coordinate stakeholder engagement as an integral element of ongoing work.

Experience and Professional Qualifications

Experience and professional qualifications required for the role:

 PhD in Open and Distance Learning or related/relevant area or demonstrated credibility and standing in the field.

 A minimum of 10-15 years of progressive leadership experience in the education sector, ideally within international development.

 Knowledge of the education sector and experience with educational technologies is critical.

 Demonstrated success in programme development, implementation, and evaluation.

 Demonstrated experience leading an organisation through significant change.

 International experience in developing countries an asset.

To join COL, you must be a citizen of a Commonwealth country.

Core competencies support COL's mission, vision and values. COL strives to model a high performing culture supported by leaders with the following competencies:

This role requires the competency of strategic thinking. It requires the ability to create and communicate a clear vision and develop strategies to achieve that vision. This requires proficiency in the analysis of the external environment including trends, players, and education/learning sector developments to make informed decisions that drive the organisation forward.

This role requires the ability to fully engage employees. Our leaders both inspire a high sense of trust and demonstrate their trust in employees. Organisational processes evidence such trust through the delegation of authority and shared knowledge and data. You lead by example and set standards for professional behaviour, earning the trust and respect of others through consistent honesty, integrity, and professionalism in all interactions. As a leader you foster: a sense of team; the importance of collaboration – both within and across teams; and highly interactive internal communication. You influence others to be excited and committed to furthering the organisation's objectives.

As a leader, you understand your role in supporting staff to succeed. Empowerment aims to equip employees with the autonomy to perform their roles more efficiently and make decisions that align with organisational goals. You are predisposed to respecting and relying on the expertise of your staff and colleagues. With a focus on innovation, you inspire creativity and create a safe environment for employees to stretch beyond past practice and seek opportunities to test their ideas. Your error tolerance combined with a strong emphasis on risk management, fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

As a leader, you aim to support organisational success through the success of your employees by providing staff with the resources, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in performing their jobs. You enable co-workers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, and encouragement. You ensure others grasp the purpose and benefits of the programme, strategy, goal or objective, tailoring messages to specific audiences to develop interest and endorsement. You build constructive working relationships characterised by a high level of acceptance, cooperation and mutual respect – helping to create a work environment that embraces and appreciates diversity.

Our leaders effectively translate strategy into tangible results. This requires:

 a laser focus on organisational goals and objectives;

 the ability to manage both short-term and long-term outcomes;

 client-centric thinking;

 the ability to lead through change;

 the agility to respond to changing expectations, the external environment, uncertainty and/or unpredictable variables; and

 recognition of the contribution of performance measurement and management to organisational success.

 A forward-thinking mindset with the agility to anticipate future opportunities and challenges, with an ability to translate vision to executable strategic plans.

 Strong collaborative and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work effectively in a team-based environment.

 Open and transparent; consultative, collaborative, respectful and inclusive; an effective communicator.

 Shows intercultural competency; can connect and engage with diverse individuals and groups.

 Entrepreneurial, resourceful; questions processes; challenges the status quo.

 Generates improvements and fosters positive outcomes; shows and encourages creativity in solving problems and mobilising resources.

 Shows fairness and integrity; inspires trust.

 High emotional intelligence.

 A strategic and data-driven decision-maker.

 Excellent verbal and written communicator, comfortable preparing proposals, presentations, and public speaking; acquainted with and adept at drafting communications in the diplomatic environment.

 Sound judgement and decision-making skills combined with the capability to identify key strategic issues, objectives, opportunities, and risks: ability to exercise professional judgement, discretion, and diplomacy while representing COL's interests.

This role offers a salary range of $190,000 to $225,000 plus benefits inclusive of 15% gratuity, based on experience and qualifications.