ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Chief of Party will lead an expected regional media assistance project in Central America, responsible for providing the overall strategic direction and managerial and technical leadership to ensure the achievement of project goals. This position is responsible for project oversight; provision of technical leadership and strategic programmatic direction; management of project staff; coordination with local partners, donors, and implementing organizations; development and implementation of project workplans; ensuring the quality of project deliverables; and representation of the project to the donor. The Chief of Party will be a key member of the Central America and Mexico team within the Americas PMU and provide critical input into the 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 Costa Rica.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply soon.

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

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.

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

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

• Provide the overall strategic direction and managerial and technical leadership to ensure the achievement of project goals, in coordination with the Central America and Mexico Project Manager and the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP).
• Establishes and implements tactical and operational plans for the Project with attention to achievement of short- and medium-term operational results.
• Oversee the development of tracking systems to monitor the project’s contracts and funding pools for local partners, including budget/agreement negotiation with partners and development and monitoring of budgets.
• Review and approve programmatic reports to funder and stakeholders; serve as main project representative to the donor; prepare regular briefings for donor and other stakeholders as required.
• In coordination with Project Manager and Regional Director, coordinate project implementation and maintain relationships with relevant private Foundations.
• Provide high-level budget direction for the project in coordination with Regional Accountant, DCOP, and project staff.
• Coordinate with the Project Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning Specialist, and project staff on tracking progress towards project deliverables and assessing impact.
• Recommend changes in policy or practice that result in moderate to significant improvements in performance of Americas programming.
• Liaise closely with Technical Leadership Unit and other departments to achieve operational results and develop team-wide strategy.
• Provide strategic guidance to Project Manager and management team regarding new approaches to Americas work.
• Oversee the development of annual workplans and goals; provide leadership to develop and execute plans to meet these goals.
• 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.
• Working closely with Project Manager, DCOP, and project staff, lead on efforts to comply with financial, reporting, legal and other requirements and ensure effective performance and management.
• 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

• University degree or equivalent lived/professional experience.
• Minimum 10 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 (written and spoken).
• Advanced knowledge of 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.
• Demonstrable relationships with journalists and media outlets across Central America and willingness to work with a broad range of media actors in the region.
• Prior experience managing projects funded by USG and deep knowledge of USG regulations, including relevant portions of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and related policies and procedures.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with experience operating effectively in a multicultural and remote work environment.
• Demonstrated skills in team building, establishing rapport, and cultivating relationships with individuals at all levels of an organization.
• Technical proficiency, including familiarity with Microsoft Office.
• Strong project management skills.
• Prior experience managing and/or mentoring staff.
• 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.

• Prior experience working for an international nonprofit or in the international development sector.
• Experience in developing or supporting programs 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 (such as Signal, VPNs, and Tor)
• Experience implementing US or other government-funded projects, or other projects with significant reporting, evaluation, and compliance components.
• Experience with legal/regulatory issues and/or policy advocacy 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.
• Proven experience in change management.