Director, Latin America and the Caribbean

Duty Station: Panama City, Panama

Title of Line Manager: Secretary-General

Context

Committed to the principles and practices of democracy, the Director Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Region has strategic and operational responsibility for delivering International IDEA's mission to support sustainable democratic change through providing comparative knowledge, helping to build capacities in democratic institutions and actors, leveraging International IDEA’s convening power, and engaging in policy advocacy. Leading a diverse and talented LAC team, they provide strategic direction and oversee the development and implementation of high-quality programme plans, objectives, and budgets.

As a member of Senior Management and a member of the Management Committee, the Director LAC Region will be involved in a range of strategic planning and internal initiatives, actively contributing to the overall management of the organization, with an eye toward both future needs and budget realities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership in the promotion, development, implementation, and management of International IDEA’s activities in the LAC Region in line with the Institutional Strategy.
• Strategically manages the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional programme, as well as its sub-regional and country offices, providing leadership and sense of direction to a multinational, interdisciplinary team.
• Identifies opportunities to grow the regional programme in size, visibility, relevance, and impact.
• Assiduously seeking funds and resources for the Latin America and the Caribbean programme.
• Maintains and develops relevant professional contacts and networks of cooperation with those active in the field of political reform and democracy assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean, including regional organizations, democracy practitioners, policy makers, academics, donors, and the international community.
• Maintains and develops relations with International IDEA’s member states in the region and their country representatives in places where IDEA operates; Represents IDEA in the region and, occasionally, beyond.
• Ensures integration between International IDEA’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean and all other International IDEA programmes.
• Contributes to the management of International IDEA, as a member of the Senior Management team, by participating in the generation of new initiatives and approaches to how the organization manages its operation, with a strong emphasis on continuous learning.
• Ensures the successful implementation of International IDEA’s Institutional Strategy, Work Plan and Budget.

General Profile

• Widely recognized expertise in democracy-related issues, including some of the following: electoral processes and systems, constitutions, political participation, democracy assessment, gender issues, digital technologies and democracy, and the interaction between environmental issues and democracy.
• Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of politics in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Broad knowledge of related disciplines within the function, in order to approach the programme’s activities in a holistic manner.
• Established network of contacts in the region with policy-makers, donors, media outlets, academic institutions, and organizations working on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
• Outstanding leadership qualities and abilities to manage a multinational, interdisciplinary team.
• Proven abilities to think strategically and define programmatic priorities.
• Good track record of fundraising for democracy-related knowledge and capacity building projects.
• Solid knowledge of development cooperation and key challenges in the area of democracy assistance, with good understanding of various bilateral and multilateral donor policies and programming procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large and complex research and capacity building projects on democracy-related issues.
• Willingness and availability to travel frequently to any geographical area involved in their projects.
• Proven affinity with International IDEA’s core values: Respect, Integrity, and Professionalism.
• Demonstrated sensitivity towards gender and diversity issues in the workplace and in the work of the programmes under their care.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with, among others, policymakers, media, and academic audiences.
• Excellent diplomatic and networking skills.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is essential; command of another widely spoken language in the Americas, such as Portuguese or French, is desirable.

Education and Experience

• Post-graduate (minimum Master’s degree) qualification in political science, law, economics, international relations, or similar relevant subject.
• Minimum fifteen (15) years’ experience of varied professional experience related to democracy and operations management preferably in various governmental, inter-governmental, non-governmental or academic institutions.
• Minimum six (6) years’ experience at a senior management level in an organization with a record of success in human resources and financial management linking service delivery to strategic objectives.
• Extensive experience in Latin America and the Caribbean is essential.
• Proven record of strong managerial skills - minimum 10 years, including motivating, leading and developing teams.
• Proven experience of project cycle management - minimum 7 years, including planning and implementation of work plans and budgets.
• Experience of high-level representation on behalf of organizations and with donors, member states and partners.
• Proven track record of achieving results in a corporate or a non-profit environment, with demonstrated success in developing policies, procedures and processes and building systems and tools to support a growth-oriented organization.

Terms of Contract:

• Duty Station - Panama City, Panama
• International post
• Start date - 01 January 2024
• Three (3) year fixed term appointment
• Remuneration - EUR 9,951 NET per month + benefits

Applying for this position:

• Applications should be submitted no later than 23:59 (CEST) 30 April 2023.
• Please note that all applications must be made in English.

Selection Process:

• Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.
• Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.
• All candidates will be notified on the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized

International IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality