Central America: Deputy Chief of Party

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Under the supervision of the Chief of Party, the Deputy Chief of Party will provide day-to-day operations and management leadership to an expected Regional Media Assistance Project in Central America. They will provide substantial leadership and contributions to staff management, efficient project planning, development of work plans, overall project management and budgeting as well as timely submission of technical reports, work plans, performance reports and other key deliverables. The Deputy Chief of Party will supervise administrative and support staff, including a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Officer, Finance/Subgrants Officer, and HR/Security Associate. To a limited degree, this position may engage in implementing activities under this award as time and expertise permit. The Deputy Chief of Party will be a key member of the Central America and Mexico team within the Americas Program Management Unit (PMU) and provide critical input into achievement of overall department goals, including new business plans, proposals, work specifications, budget plans, and input to annual strategic planning processes.

LOGISTICS

This position will be based remotely in Central America.

This is a limited-duration position with an expected end date in September 2028.

Note: Hiring of this position is contingent upon receipt of funding and donor approval.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

• Work closely with the Chief of Party to provide technical, administrative, and managerial oversight to ensure the achievement of project goals and compliance with donor requirements.
• Oversee the financial, administrative, and operational aspects of the project, including staff management, subgrant and local contract administration, budget oversight, adherence to security protocols, and local office registration.
• As needed, act on behalf of the Chief of Party as the main project representative to the donor, local partners, private foundations, and other relevant stakeholders, including at meetings or project briefings.
• Directly supervise the MERL Officer, Finance/Subgrants Officer, and HR/Security Associate, including provision of training, assigning and directing work, and appraising performance.
• In close collaboration with the MERL Officer and Chief of Party, oversee MERL efforts, including tracking progress towards project deliverables and assessing impact. Lead quarterly and periodic reflection sessions to evaluate project impact and develop plans to operationalize strategic adjustments.
• In coordination with the Chief of Party and Finance/Subgrants Officer, lead the development and maintenance of tracking systems to monitor the project’s funding pools for local partners, including through subgrants, contracts, or fellowships.
• In close collaboration with the Finance/Subgrants Officer, oversee all aspects of subgrant development, issuance, management, and closeout, including proposal design, agreement negotiation, report review, deliverables tracking, disbursement of funds, compliance with requirements, and monitoring of project results.
• In close collaboration with the HR/Security Associate, oversee issuance of local contracts with service providers and staff, maintain local office registration, and provide security guidance to local staff and partners as needed.
• Contribute to the development of annual workplans, quarterly technical reports, and other periodic project documents required by the donor.
• Working closely with Project Manager, Chief of Party, and project staff, contribute to efforts to comply with financial, reporting, legal and other requirements and ensure effective performance and management.
• Recommend changes in policy or practice that result in moderate to significant improvements in performance of Americas programming.
• Communicate with colleagues outside own department on broader Internews strategies or issues that pertain to the project, including relevant regional or subject matter or organizational or USG policies, practices, and procedures.
• As needed, influence others outside the project on policies, practices, and procedures.
• In all duties, uphold Internews’ Core Values and demonstrate commitment to fostering a culture of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Required

• Relevant university degree or equivalent lived/professional experience.
• Minimum 7 years’ relevant prior work experience, with a strong reputation for developing collaborative working relationships with local counterparts and relevant state actors and agencies, international organizations, and donors.
• Spanish and English fluency.
• Prior experience issuing, managing, and closing out grants to local partners, including providing training and long-term support to partners on best practices in grant management, donor regulations, financial and programmatic reporting requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Prior experience managing projects funded by USAID or USG donor agencies and deep knowledge of USG regulations, including relevant portions of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and related USAID policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience and understanding of management approaches such as work scheduling, prioritizing, coaching, and process execution.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with experience operating effectively in a multicultural and remote work environment.
• Technical proficiency, including familiarity with Microsoft Office.
• Flexibility to adjust working hours as needed to accommodate periodic shifts in workload and colleagues in different time zones.

Preferred

Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but who are interested and willing to learn, are encouraged to apply.

• Familiarity with Central American media landscape and information ecosystem, including regulatory environments pertaining to freedoms of information and the press, main challenges and opportunities for media and public access to information, and current efforts and actors supporting independent journalism.
• Experience working for an international nonprofit or in the international development sector.
• Experience in developing or supporting projects in closed or hostile environments; knowledge of security risks and mitigation protocols.
• Experience with implementing projects in diverse information environments and training in technologies that support access to information, and experience with privacy, censorship circumvention and anonymity tools.
• Experience implementing US-funded projects a significant asset; experience with other government-funded programs, or other programs with significant reporting, evaluation, and compliance components, strongly desired.
• Experience with legal/regulatory issues a significant asset.
• Experience and/or familiarity with complex migration issues in Central America, including Costa Rica.
• Familiarity with and experience in implementing projects to strengthen organizational capacity and inclusion of marginalized communities.