Orbis Competencies

At Orbis, competencies are the blend of knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors needed to be successful in our individual roles and to move our mission forward. They’re more than just a checklist; they reflect how we show up, collaborate, solve problems, and learn and grow together.

They matter because they give us a shared understanding of what strong performance looks like, both now and as we evolve. They guide how we hire, develop, and support our teams, so we can have the greatest impact together.

Every role at Orbis includes both organizational core competencies, which are the strengths we expect from everyone as well as job-specific competencies unique to a role or function. Together, these help us work effectively, grow professionally, and deliver on our mission.

Below are competency expectations of all of our employees, our people managers, and our leaders, as well as what effective performance looks like in action.

People Managers are employees who supervise at least one Orbis employee and manage the performance and development of their direct reports. Their primary focus is on ensuring that their team meets its goals, managing day-to-day operations, and fostering a supportive and productive work environment. All People Managers at Orbis are expected to manage individual performance, deliver team results, and facilitate organizational insight and alignment.

Orbis Leaders are employees responsible for setting strategic direction, inspiring and guiding others, and influencing others towards achieving Orbis’s mission and vision in alignment with values. Their primary focus is long-term planning, driving organizational change to inspire, motivate, and drive strategic initiatives, and fostering a culture of learning and innovation. Roles in a job grade 24 or higher are leadership roles and are expected to deliver strategic vision & execution, embrace a global perspective, promote advocacy & policy, and drive inclusivity.

At Orbis, our competencies help guide how we work, grow, and support each other. They’re not just words on a page, they show up in our daily work, across teams and countries. Here’s how we use them: