Chief of Party, USAID Regional Human Rights and Democracy Activity, El Salvador

Position Description

About PADF

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity, for all. We work across Latin America and the Caribbean to make our region stronger—more healthy, peaceful, just, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for current and future generations. For over 60 years, we have served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout the hemisphere. We partner with and enable civil society, governments, and the private sector for the greater good of the region.

Position Overview

PADF seeks a Chief of Party (COP) based in El Salvador for a USAID-funded Regional Human Rights and Democracy Activity. For the remaining 1.5 years of this 9.5-year program, PADF aims to strengthen the human and labor rights protection system in targeted countries in Central America. The purpose of this program is to strengthen human rights standards and protection mechanism through four interrelated objectives: improved enabling environments for the prevention of human rights violations; strengthened responsive actions to address human rights violations; sustainable early warning and protection systems for internally displaced persons and migrants in place; and strengthened labor rights, access to labor justice and decent working conditions in the informal sector.

This position interacts on a daily basis with project staff in El Salvador and the other project country teams and National Directors in Central America; the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) the Country Directors for Guatemala and Honduras; the Senior Director for Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights (DGHR); the DGHR HQ thematic team; and others. Externally, in coordination with the Country Director and National Directors, and the HQ thematic team, they interact with donors, sub-grantees, partners, local governments, and other USAID implementing partners. This position reports to the El Salvador Country Director.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management

• Lead and support a regional team of human rights experts, program managers, advisors and local staff, contributing to and ensuring a collegial and respectful working and team environment and coordination with the Country Director and the DGHR Thematic area.
• Support the drafting, review and presentation of quarterly, annual, and other donor reports in close coordination with HQ.
• Ensure project compliance with all contractual reporting and financial requirements of USAID/El Salvador, as well as all PADF policies and procedures.
• Collaborate closely with the DCOP, National Directors, HQ DGHR team, and other relevant staff to ensure partner management, sub-grant administration, and reporting are conducted in a cohesive and coordinated manner.
• Drive coordination and management of project activities, including oversight of the Protection Mechanism.
• Provide input to high quality written reports in English and Spanish on program activities, capturing results (outcomes and eventual impacts); ensure this reporting is consistent and meets donor guidance on length and format.
• Manage risks to project implementation in coordination with the Country Director.

Program Development

• Lead work planning, forecasting, and training initiatives.
• Lead the coordination of program activities according to the approved work plan and in consultation with USAID/ El Salvador and key stakeholders.
• Provide expert-level technical guidance on human rights issues in Central America, as well as strategic guidance to the team for the completion of program activities.
• Participate actively in the project’s Grants Evaluation Committee (GEC), evaluating, providing feedback, and formulating recommendations that result in subgrants and contracts, in collaboration with the project team.
• Participate in the assessment and approval of requests for emergency protection of human rights defenders in the region.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Lead efforts to document and systematize project activities as part of project close-out.
• Ensure the documentation of best practices and lessons learned for the life of the project.
• Prepare and submit a monthly Calendar of Activities and a Weekly Activity Highlights to USAID/El Salvador, in collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team, National Directors, and HQ.
• Provide technical guidance to project Country Coordinators and National Directors in program planning, design, and reporting, including both financial and programmatic implementation.
• In collaboration with the M&E team, supervise the collection and analysis of information on the achievements, results, and products of the project.
• Coordinate the identification, dissemination, and communication of products (videos, multimedia articles, presentations, interviews, blogs, etc.), in coordination with the M&E team and HQ communications staff, based on the project’s outputs, success stories and lessons learned to be disseminated on PADF’s Intranet, website and social media.

Liaison and Representation

• In coordination with Project, Country, and HQ leadership, liaise with USAID/El Salvador, partner organizations, local and departmental governments to support and monitor program activities as required.
• Communicate and coordinate with HQ departments, consortium partners, sub-contractors, and other stakeholders as determined.
• Other duties as required.

Competencies

• Leadership – Provides strategic direction that strengthens team roles, risk-taking, motivation, delivering on results, and fosters mutual respect, constructive dialogue, and a positive work environment.
• Problem Resolution – Identifies needs, develops solutions with stakeholders and sees them through completion.
• Team building – Manages and influences, empowers individuals and groups to strengthen internal capacities; ability to coordinate and collaborate with internal PADF stakeholders and the headquarters support departments.
• Communications – Ability to communicate effectively with program/technical staff maximizing the positive impact and fostering mutual respect, constructive dialogue, and a positive work environment; ability to communicate effectively in professional events, with media, and other public venues.

Personal Characteristics

• Result oriented – Motivated to achieve and bring tasks to completion. Great at follow up and follow through. Demonstrates a drive and willingness to work hard, with teamwork, communication, and collaboration.
• Interaction skills and empathy – Ability to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
• Demonstrated flexibility – Ability to innovate within the framework of donor compliance requirements and adapt under unforeseen circumstances.
• Integrity – Ability to consistently act with honesty and transparency, upholding ethical standards in all interactions.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s level or higher) in human rights, law, international relations, or other related fields, or at least ten (10) years of relevant experience to substitute the education requirement.
• Minimum of ten (10) years in similar positions of increasing responsibility in non-profit or international donor assistance organizations. Prior senior-level experience with USAID-funded programs in Latin America, and especially Central America.
• In-depth knowledge and expertise in human rights and labor rights in Central America.
• Prior management of regional human rights programming, grant-making, civil society strengthening, and public-sector engagement, implemented with or through NGOs, community groups, municipalities, state and national-level government agencies, and private sector groups.
• Experience in leading participatory planning processes of large and complex human rights or development programs.
• Implementation of large USAID, State Department and other international donor grants in high-profile programs demanding attention to operational details and relations between donor, host governments and local institutions.
• Track record of successful cooperation with host country governments and USAID missions.
• Experience working effectively with and building consensus among diverse actors, including local government structures in Latin America, senior government officials, civil society actors and the donors.
• Knowledge of the socio-political context and the human rights situation of the countries of the region.
• Capacity and experience to provide strategic input for activities at both the national and international level, and support networking and alliances with other organizations that support project and local counterpart objectives.
• Written and oral communication fluency in Spanish and English.
• Deep knowledge and experience of Mexico and Central America and the ability to work legally in El Salvador.
• Experience leading knowledge management processes preferred.

More About PADF

PADF is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962. www.padf.org

PADF’s core values. “H-E-A-R-T” = Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork.

Diversity. PADF is strong because we are diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. PADF does not discriminate based on ability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of cultures, languages, socio-economic backgrounds, and perspectives on the world.

PADF is committed to safeguarding employees and those we serve, addressing inappropriate behavior, discrimination, and harassment. We take an intersectional approach, promote gender equality, and follow our Global Code of Conduct emphasizing our H.E.A.R.T. values. The code covers various aspects, including anti-trafficking, PSEAH (Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment), whistleblowing, and online safety.  

PADF is an Equal Opportunity Employer