Project Director, the Americas

Internews is seeking to hire a Project Director who will lead an expected regional media assistance project in Central America, responsible for providing the overall strategic direction and operational and managerial leadership to ensure the achievement of project goals.

The Project Director will supervise project and support staff, including a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Officer and two Program Officers.

The Project Director 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.

Key responsibilities

• 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 Program Manager.
• Establish and implement tactical and operational plans for the Project with attention to the achievement of short- and medium-term operational results.
• In close collaboration with the Program Manager and Program Officers, lead the development of tracking systems to monitor the project’s contracts and funding pools for regional partners, including budget/agreement negotiation with partners and monitoring of budgets.
• Oversee the administrative and operational aspects of the project, including staff management and adherence to security protocols.
• 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.
• Provide high-level budget direction for the project in coordination with the Regional Business Manager and project staff.
• Coordinate with the Program Manager, MERL Manager, MERL Officer, and project staff on 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.
• Working closely with the Program Manager and project staff, lead on 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 the 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.

Required qualifications

• University degree or equivalent lived/professional experience.
• Minimum 10 years’ relevant 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.
• 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 qualifications

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

• 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 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, censorship circumvention and anonymity tools (such as Signal, VPNs, and Tor).
• Experience in 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 is a significant asset.
• Experience and 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.

How to apply

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. To learn more about this position and apply, please click here.