Counterpart International is seeking a Program Director (PD) for a 3-year Department of State (DOS) funded professional development program to strengthen the practical skills and resiliency of anticorruption actors in Central America. Program participants will leverage expertise to bolster efforts to uncover corrupt practices, build their capacity to combat corruption, and expand partnerships with stakeholders to enhance anticorruption initiatives. With the support of local and headquarters staff, the PD will provide the overall vision, technical leadership, financial and administrative oversight of the program and will serve as the principle institutional liaison to the client, Central American partners, and educational institutions.

The PD should have competence and extensive experience relevant to anticorruption, leadership, project management, program implementation and training of staff. The PD will also provide staff management and development, and ensure the highest quality of program monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communications.

The PD will oversee a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operating plans, align program activities with DOS priorities and ensure the program is compliant with the client and Counterpart International’s regulations.

Responsibilities

• The PD will be tasked with ensuring the program’s successful implementation, providing project management, operational support, and strong leadership. The selected candidate will be expected to liaise with the HQ team, country teams, partners, DOS, and educational institutions involved in the project.
• Serve as primary liaison to DOS, regional and local partners (think tanks, universities and NGOs, community organizations), and other donor organizations.
• Lead design and implementation of all program components and activities.
• Overall leadership, recruitment, training and supervision of office staff and partner organization.
• Facilitate learning and integration of Counterpart’s regional best practices on anticorruption, good governance, human rights and policy advocacy initiatives and the program’s technical areas.
• Provide mentoring and professional development support to project staff, with emphasis on building capacity.
• Oversee budget preparation and provided overall financial oversight to ensure strict fiscal accountability.
• Ensure the highest quality of program implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communications.
• Ensure compliance with Counterpart and DOS rules and regulations, particularly with respect to financial and grant management.
• Facilitate learning and integration of Counterpart’s best practices into program’s technical areas.
• Provide mentoring and professional development support to project staff, with emphasis on building capacity.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree such as Master’s, JD, or PhD in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in managing international projects focused on professional development, capacity-building, rule of law or anticorruption.
• Prior PD or Chief of Party-level experience with USG-funded programs, especially in Central America.
• Experience in Central America working on capacity building, learning activities, and partnership building among anti-corruption advocates (journalists, judges, civil society leaders), implemented with or through government agencies, research institutes, think tanks, NGOs, or community groups.
• Successful track record leading implementation of large DOS, USAID, and other international donor grants in high-profile programs demanding attention to operational details, budgets, monitoring and evaluation, and relations with donors.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, oral and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated supervisory and leadership skills in multi-cultural contexts.
• Professional proficiency in English and
• Excellent organizational, analytical, oral and written communications skills.
• Good command of Microsoft Office, particularly word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Application submission deadline – July 15, 2024