Activity Director, the Americas

lnternews is looking for an  Activity Director who will lead an expected media assistance and misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) project in South 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; development and implementation of workplans; ensuring quality of project deliverables; and representation of the project to the donor. The Activity Director will be a key member of the South America team within the Americas PMU and will 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 proceses.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

• Provide the overall strategic managerial and technical leadership to ensure the achievement of project goals, in coordination with the Regional Program Manager for South America and the Technical Lead.
• Establish and implement tactical and operational plans for the Project, with attention to the 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 negotiations with partners, and developing and monitoring of budgets.
• Review and approve programmatic reports to funders and stakeholders; serve as the main project representative to the donor, and prepare regular briefings for the donor and other stakeholders as required.
• In coordination with the Regional Program Manager for South America and Regional Director for the Americas, coordinate project implementation and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders.
• Provide high-level budget direction for the project, in coordination with the Regional Accountant, Technical Lead, and project staff.
• Coordinate with the Regional Program Manager for South America; Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Specialist; and project staff on tracking progress towards project deliverables and assessing impact.
• Recommend changes in policy or practice as well as strategic guidance that result in moderate to significant improvements in the performance of America’s programming.
• Liaise closely with the Technical Leadership Unit and other departments to achieve operational results and develop team-wide strategy.
• Oversee the development of annual workplans and goals; provide leadership to develop and execute plans to meet these goals.
• Communicate with colleagues outside their 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 the Regional Program Manager for South America, Technical Lead, 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 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.
• Full Spanish and English fluency.
• Advanced knowledge of the South American media landscape and information ecosystem, including regulatory environments pertaining to freedoms of information and 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 the Americas and willingness to work with a broad range of media actors in the region.
• Prior experience managing multi-year 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.
• 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 project team members and 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.
• Experience with 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.
• Familiarity with and experience in implementing projects to strengthen organizational capacity and inclusion of marginalized communities.
• Proven experience in change management.

Learn more here and apply.