Guatemala: Deputy Chief of Party, Guatemala

Organization: Save the Children
Country: Guatemala
Closing date: 10 May 2017

Save the Children is currently recruiting for a five-year USAID-funded opportunity in Guatemala focused on reducing social conflict and improving social cohesion in Guatemala’s Western Highlands with both indigenous and non-indigenous communities. The program will seek to address the drivers of social conflict by focusing on the familial, community and municipal levels and actively engaging community members as participants and leaders in transforming conflict, restoring the social fabric and building peace within their communities.

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will work with the Chief of Party (COP) to manage the program’s technical, financial, operational and human resources and day to day operations of the project in order to provide quality control for the program’s technical outputs. The DCOP will provide technical and managerial leadership and will focus on overseeing the effective implementation of key project activities. In the absence of the COP, the DCOP will assume full responsibility for the project.

The DCOP position requires diplomatic skills and a thorough understanding of the sensitivities and history of conflict drivers in Guatemala. The DCOP will represent the program with important community and municipal level organizations, associations, committees, and indigenous organizations throughout the Western Highlands, as well as with high-level officials, in donor and Ministry meetings (at the national and municipal levels), with private sector representatives.

The DCOP position requires significant past management and administrative experience, and experience implementing USAID programs with an ability to ensure compliance with USAID regulations and high quality program implementation. S/he will provide technical leadership to project staff for community engagement components of the project, and will develop work plans with technical staff and ensure deliverables are met in a timely manner. Community engagement activities include identification of conflict drivers, facilitation of processes to mitigate and prevent conflict, and action plan development, among other activities.

The DCOP will have demonstrated ability to organize program work teams, to collaborate with a wide range of diverse sectors and stakeholders, and to liaise as needed with USAID and home office personnel to ensure the smooth implementation of the program. S/he will be expected to work closely with program staff, local communities, and municipal governments, as well as other relevant stakeholders, to implement peacebuilding and conflict mitigation activities.

This position will be based in Guatemala City, Guatemala and will report to the Chief of Party. Guatemalan nationals are encouraged to apply.

Required Background and Experience, Skills and Behaviors:

Minimum of a Master’s degree in law, international development, public policy, or other relevant field (a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and an additional three years of experience could be substituted for a Master’s degree).
Experience managing or delivering results for large-scale USAID projects is preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of experience at the supervisory level implementing and supporting international development programs; preferably with community development projects.
Experience with conflict resolution, community engagement and empowerment of vulnerable groups a plus.
Must have demonstrated high- level leadership, interpersonal, and analytical skills.
Thorough knowledge and work experience in Guatemala is preferred, ideally in the Western Highlands
Demonstrated ability to establish and sustain professional relationships with host country government counterparts is expected; strong interpersonal skills are critical for success.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in Spanish required, with English also preferred.