Country: Colombia
Closing date: 11 Aug 2018
Transform the lives of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities and be at the forefront of social change.
About YOU: A driven and passionate mid- to late-career professional hoping to manage an inspiring, dynamic team of leading human rights workers. Collaborative, hard-working, and visionary, the CD will have exceptional leadership skills and the ability to grow an office and take HAI’s successful programming to the next level. This person has experience living and working in hardship countries. The ideal CD has strong English writing skills, speaks Spanish, and has management experience in diverse and challenging environments.
Organization Summary:** Heartland Alliance International is a leading non-profit organization in the provision of trauma-informed mental health services for Colombian victims of armed conflict and forced displacement. The Colombia program approaches its work through three pillars: access to justice, access to mental health care, and advocacy. The Country Director of HAI’s Colombia programs is responsible for management, implementation, and oversight of a range of programming throughout Colombia. Current program areas include mental health services for survivors of torture, trauma, forced displacement, and gender-based violence.
Position Summary: This position is based in Bogota, Colombia and provides supervision of and support to all Colombia projects and offices (Cali, Buenaventura, and Quibdo). It serves as the senior representative of HAI in the country and leads the offices in strategic planning, creative program development efforts, and effective project implementation. The incumbent will grow HAI’s presence in Colombia with the strategic vision, expertise and passion necessary to execute an ambitious work plan and solidify HAI’s reputation as the United States’ largest service-based human rights organization and an innovative leader in social justice programming globally. The position requires national and international travel (30%+).
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:**
This is not an exhaustive list of duties. The need for flexibility is required and the incumbent is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee’s skills and capabilities whenever reasonably instructed.
Program Development and Senior Leadership (65%)
Collaborate with Chicago-based senior management to develop a long-term country strategy to guide and inform future program development initiatives
Lead implementation of HAI’s strategic plan in Colombia
In-country lead for preparation of project proposals for external donors, conceptualizing and developing new project concepts, in close collaboration with Chicago-based staff
Promote the work of HAI and provide HAI program briefings to donors and other stakeholders as needed
Identify, evaluate, and cultivate new partnership opportunities with other international and local non-profits by regularly participating in local and regional coordination meetings
Maintain close and positive collaboration with major donors and partners in the area of operation
Represent HAI to local authorities, donor representatives, international organizations, and NGOs in the area of operation
Work closely with Chicago-based staff regarding service issues, strategic planning, new opportunities, management issues, program successes, and security and safety concerns
Oversee the design and implementation of research processes that are built into HAI’s mental health service provision interventions in Colombia
Monitor and communicate changes in the external operating environment, especially in regard to government and donor policy changes and security in the region
Negotiate and/or approve contracts and agreements with suppliers, distributors, federal and state agencies, and other organizational entities in accordance with HAI signing authority policies
Oversee staff supervision and supporttraining opportunities for Colombia office staff, including, applying all related security measures for their safety in adherence with HAI’s training and staff supervision principles and security policies
In collaboration with HQ Human Resources department and Colombia office Director of Administration, develop and ensure compliance with human resources best practices, including the approval of local human resource policies and procedures; recruitment, selection, and on-boarding of in-country international or national staff
Serve as HAI’s legal representative in Colombia
Project Supervision and Coordination (35%)
Supervise implementation of projects to ensure that activities are implemented in accordance with agreed strategies, principles, implementation and M&E plans, and donor requirements
Conduct frequent site visits and makes site assessments to ensure project goals are progressing and to strengthen and encourage staff as needed
Ensure all monthly, quarterly and bi-annual updates/reports are prepared and submitted, in accordance with donor & central office requirements
Provide project planning documents and recommendations to central office as requested.
Oversee compliance with all relevant external and internal standards and associated reporting across all projects
Direct, plan, and implement policies, objectives, and activities of the organization to ensure continuing operations and to increase productivity
Cultivate a positive, inclusive, and creativework environment by fostering a mission-driven learning environment
Supervisory Responsibilities: Manages and directly supervises staff, subaward recipients, and volunteers in Colombia including, but not limited to, Director of Finance and Administration, Deputy Country Director, and Clinical Director.
Qualifications: Demonstrated passion for human rights work and eagerness to fill a senior leadership position that has the opportunity to design human rights programming; build the capacity of local staff and partners; and secure the sustainability of HAI’s resources for years to come. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skillset, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Education and Experience: Master's degree (M.A.) or equivalent and at least five years of relevant senior leadership experience preferred; or, eight to 10 years related experience and/or training; a Bachelor’s degree with eight years of senior leadership experience may be considered.;
- Past experience must demonstrate: commitment to advancing human rights; living in challenging, insecure environments;
- budget development and financial management;
- success in identifying funding opportunities and preparing successful proposals to international donors;
- working in partnership with NGOs and other civil society organizations and networks
- Language Skills:** Superb written and spoken English and Spanish
- Preferred Qualifications:** Previous technical experience with one or more of the following program areas strongly preferred: mental health,
- forced migration and displacement; gender justice; access to justice; and LGBT rights. Previous work experience in the region or in comparable environment preferred
Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual must demonstrate the following competencies.
External Leadership
- Represents the organization externally; Formally and informally participates or leads coalitions; Makes presentations at conferences; Effective in fundraising; Represents organization in external projects and advocacy.
Leadership
- Exhibits confidence in self and others; Ability to foster effective communication and teamwork with staff from a range of economic, cultural, ethnic and social groups; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
Analytical
- Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs work flows and procedures.
Business Acumen
- Understands organizational and strategic implications of decisions; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves organizational resources; Demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; Demonstrates the ability to lead strategic planning, program development and evaluation; Aligns work with strategic goals.
Oral Communication
- Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings; Effectively communicate utilizing a variety of technologies such as phone or video phone (i.e. Skype); Effectively communicate with non-native English speakers; Effectively communicate with non-English speakers.
Written Communication
- Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet target audience needs, including cross-cultural needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information. Effectively communicates and manages electronic communication.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to be based in Bogota and to make frequent trips to Cali and program sites.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds for purposes of carrying in-kind gifts that need to be lifted, stored or delivered for the program. Also to carry a laptop computer, materials for presentations, and documents.
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Work full-time in areas that might be considered unstable, insecure, and dangerous
Heartland Alliance makes all hiring and employment decisions without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, sexual identity, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief.
How to apply:
https://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=HEARTLANDALLIANCE&cws=38&rid=5178