Director, Latin America

About RRI

The Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) is a global coalition of more than 150 organizations dedicated to advancing the forest, land, and resource rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, Afro-descendant Peoples, and in particular the women within these groups. RRI’s members capitalize on each other’s strengths, expertise, and geographic reach to achieve solutions more effectively and efficiently. RRI leverages the power of its global coalition to amplify the voices of local peoples and proactively engage governments, multilateral institutions, and private sector actors to adopt institutional and market reforms that support the realization of rights.

RRI is coordinated by the Rights and Resources Group (RRG), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC.

If you are passionate about working with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant Peoples to secure their rights; supporting women’s rights and governance; and combatting climate change, this could be the place for you. RRI does meaningful work to make a positive difference at the global, national, and local scale. For more information about our inclusive and purpose-driven work, check out our current openings.

People of color, people from Indigenous and local communities, women, and LGBTQ+ persons are strongly encouraged to apply.

Director, Latin America

The Director for Latin America is the key instigator in setting and guiding implementation of the RRI Coalition’s strategy for the Latin America Region within the diverse countries of Mesoamerica and South America. The Director should possess political savvy, diplomacy, flexibility, problem solving abilities, and a proven ability to communicate effectively across multiple cultures with diverse actors ranging from civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples and Local Community organizations, women’s and youth organizations to government agencies.

The Latin America Director will have the opportunity to work with a coalition of key grassroots organizations, civil society organizations, donors and international agencies focused on RRI’s mission – to support local communities’ Afro-descendants Peoples and Indigenous Peoples’ struggles against poverty and marginalization by promoting policy, market and legal reforms that secure their rights to own, control and benefit from their land, forests and other natural resources. The Latin America Director proactively leads the strategy development and implementation of RRI’s Latin America program and ensures accelerated achievement of RRI’s goals in the region. The Latin America Director also leads country and regional planning processes with RRI’s Partners and Collaborators to prioritize their collective goals, agree on the best strategies to reach those goals, and develop concrete plans for action and engagement. Moreover, the Director supports the implementation of this strategy in collaboration with RRI Partners and Collaborators in Latin America and the secretariat staff/the Rights and Resources Group (RRG). The Latin America Director’s work will be supported by Regional Facilitators based in Latin America to assist Partners and Collaborators to build new working relationships, and by a Regional Associate. The Latin America Director is also a member of RRG’s Senior Management (SMT) team and will contribute to donor engagement in-country, and at regional and global levels.

The Director also contributes to RRI’s global strategies, activities, and outreach and ensures that its global knowledge informs strategic action in Latin America and vice versa. These responsibilities require effective and proactive decision-making to link strategic engagement and activities in the Latin America region to the coalition’s broader goals and vision and thematic areas agreed to by its members. The Latin America Director reports to RRG President and Sr. Director of programs who is the direct supervisor.

The Director will engage closely with the former Director for Latin America who will be transitioning to lead RRI’s Gender Justice Program full-time. The former Director will play an advisory role, especially during the initial transition period.

This is a full-time position based in Washington, DC.

Applications will be accepted immediately and interviews conducted on a rolling basis.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Program Direction and Technical Assistance (55%)

• Lead and provide strategic orientation for the Latin America country and regional Program, working closely with the President and Sr. Director of Programs, RRI Partners and Collaborators, and RRG Senior Management, making effective use of available resources.
• Actively promote collaboration and collective action amongst Coalition members in Latin America, and across the different regions and scales of work (national/regional/global).
• Manage Latin America program budget, approve disbursements, and ensure that activities are completed with the resources available.
• Lead regional and country planning processes for identifying strategic activities that contribute to RRI’s overall objectives and have direct impact on country/regional level policy reform processes, in collaboration with Partners and Collaborators active in Latin America and by using processes that build capacity and ensure fluid communication.
• Provide intellectual leadership to strategy formulation and implementation by RRI collaborators in Latin America to achieve impact at country and regional levels; ensuring the strategic orientation of a coordinated suite of activities to reach RRI’s land tenure and poverty reduction targets; and strengthening local organizational capacity to advance RRI’s agenda of tenure rights policy and market reforms.
• Guide the program Associates and Facilitators in the preparation of concept notes, grants, and contracts for approved activities.
• Manage grants and support the management of consultants contracted by RRG, including negotiating compensation, development of terms of reference, and tracking and review deliverables.
• Guide the vision and preparations for international dialogues/convenings in Latin America and supervise logistical preparations, where appropriate.
• Prepare technical, progress and monitoring and evaluation inputs and reports in accordance with RRI and donor guidelines.
• Strengthen networks of civil society, Indigenous, Afro-descendent and local community organizations working on tenure policy reform in Latin America with support from regional facilitators, using knowledge of the technical capacities of the organizations and political contexts to build effective learning networks across the region and in priority countries.
• Oversee and contribute to the preparation of financial reports and financial projections related to project and program budget implementation.
• Represent RRI in multiple contexts and with a wide variety of stakeholders, including civil society organizations, governments, and multilateral institution, Indigenous, Afro-descendent, local community, and women/youth organizations as a thought leader in the field of natural resource tenure and resource rights in Latin America.
• Maintain fluid communication with the President and the Sr. Director of Programs to ensure that they are fully aware of activities, opportunities and challenges in the Latin America region, and other key issues as they arise in the region.
• Apply an equity lens to all programmatic work and strive to advance racial and gender equity both within the program internal processes and through its external campaigns and activities.
• Lead and guide the identification and timely assessment and strategic opportunities for funding under RRI’s Strategic Response Mechanism (SRM) in the region.
• Support coordination with CLARIFI funding mechanism for the identification of projects in the Latin America region, including the coordination of the Tropical Andes project implementation.
• Support development of global advocacy initiatives to advance RRI regional Partners and Collaborators goals and objectives.

2. Staff Management (15%)

• Manage and supervise the work of the Latin America Regional Associate, overseeing adherence to RRG protocols in monitoring and evaluation, reporting and proper documentation of program activities, and written contributions to RRG reports.
• Oversee the work of Latin America facilitators, closely monitoring assignments and work performed, and providing orientation and feedback.
• Lead to the recruitment of facilitator(s) or Associates as required.

3. Contribution to organization-wide strategic thinking, and global programs (25%):

• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team and contribute to the organization’s strategy and success.
• Contribute to RRI global activities to ensure alignment with RRI global and Latin America regional program strategies, and other demands of the organization.
• Contribute to the integration and advancement of RRI’s strategic themes (climate change and conservation, livelihoods, tenure tracking, private sector engagement, and gender justice) in RRI’s Latin America Program, and provide timely and strategic inputs to global analyses/studies produced by Thematic Programs (whether by staff, consultants, rightsholders, or their allies).
• Deliver presentations on behalf of RRI related to the coalition’s mission and objectives and contribute text describing RRI’s Latin America strategies and programs to publications.
• Contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of RRI’s communications outreach, in multiple languages if appropriate.
• Oversee the development, management, and timely updating of the Latin America program content on the RRI website and donor reports.
• Proactively support learning and exchange of experiences between the Latin America Program and other regional and thematic teams, and between regional and global coalition members.
• Lead or contribute to as appropriate the preparation of donor proposals, concept notes and budgets to support institutional-wide fundraising.
• Network and build relationships with regionally-focused funders and support the RRI’s engagement with global level funders.

4. Participate in organization wide governance and planning meetings and periodic assessments of RRI progress and performance, present the work of Latin America Program as appropriate, and lead Latin America country and regional planning processes (5%)

Basic Qualifications:

• A strong background in land tenure reforms, natural resource management or forestry, rural development policies, including Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, Local communities, and women tenure rights. An advanced degree is required; Master's Degree or PhD preferred, or a strong mix of academic training and country, field level experience.

• 10 to 15 years’ professional experience in the policy reform processes that deal with rights-based forest conservation, rural development, poverty alleviation, and/or human rights in the Latin America region.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate and coordinate projects without intensive supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to manage personnel and lead teams (including remote staff), and build an inclusive and diverse team culture of trust and care.
• Demonstrated fluency in spoken and written English and Spanish are required, Portuguese proficiency a plus.
• Strong writing and analytical skills.
• Ability and confidence to effectively and respectfully facilitate meetings that include a range of diverse participants, from representatives of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and local communities, including women and youth, to high-ranking government ministers.
• Understanding of policy advocacy methodologies in global and Latin American regional contexts.
• Respect for different cultural perspectives and approaches toward accomplishing shared goals.
• Knowledge and understanding of the technical capacities of civil society organizations, particularly Indigenous, Afro-descendant, or Local community and women’s organizations.
• Clearly demonstrated career interest in advancing community land and resource tenure rights; community-based livelihoods, natural resources management and conservation systems, and political voice and representation.
• Flexibility, humility, and eagerness to learn and collaborate with a diverse set of actors.
• Willingness and ability to undertake frequent international travel.

Ideal Qualifications

• Proven knowledge and understanding of the technical capacities of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and local community organizations, forest and land agencies in Latin America, and similar experiences in other parts of the developing world.
• Particular experience and understanding of RRI priority regions and countries in Mesoamerica and/or South America.
• Strong interest in advancing the collective land and forest rights and improving the livelihoods of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and local community and women/youth within these groups.
• Strong interest in strengthening capacities of developing country civil society organizations and leaders
• Openness to and familiarity with a plurality of worldviews and epistemologies that explore the diverse relationships between humans and nature.
• Familiarity with rights-based approaches to international climate interventions and biodiversity conservation.

Salary: $115,000 to $135,000 annually, based on experience

Benefits

Rights and Resources Group recognizes the value of benefits to employees and their families. We take great pride in offering our dedicated and committed employees a competitive benefits package. Our comprehensive benefit programs provide you with a reliable, effective, and affordable array of choices that will meet your needs and those of your family.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; dependents and domestic partners eligible
• 100% coverage of employee premiums for the following: short-term/long-term disability insurance, life insurance, travel insurance, and the employee assistant program
• If eligible, 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• 25 days of PTO annually, in addition to paid holidays
• Flextime, teleworking, and work from home options
• Tuition reimbursement up to $1,500 per year after 1 full year of employment
• Dynamic growth opportunities with merit-based promotion philosophy

Rights and Resources Group (RRG) is committed to creating and maintaining a workplace in which all employees have an opportunity to participate and contribute to the success of the organization and are valued for their skills, experience, and unique perspectives.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, RRG makes all employment-related decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, political affiliation or belief, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation or any other category protected by applicable law.