Project Director, USDOL (FLIP), Regional

Pan American•Quito,

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

PADF seeks a full-time Project Director for an upcoming U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Project in Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The project will build accountability in key trade partner countries to implement and effectively enforce a prohibition on imports made wholly or in part with forced labor. In particular, the project will leverage labor commitments in trade agreements, including Agreements on Reciprocal Trade (ARTs), to address gaps in forced labor enforcement that create unfair competition for American workers and producers. The Project Director should have a background in labor law, labor rights, human rights, or related areas, alongside demonstrated experience in international trade-related labor commitments. The selected individual will lead a diverse team of technical specialists and partners in Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala to strengthen labor standards, enforce compliance, and eliminate unfair trade practices. The Project Director will be based in either Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador or Guatemala. This position is contingent on funding. Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish is required.

Requirements

Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in project management, supervision, administration, and implementation of a cooperative agreement and/or contract requirements (including meeting deadlines, achieving targets, establishing and maintaining systems for managing project operations, working with multiple subrecipient(s) and/or contractor(s), and overseeing the preparation and submission of required reports to donor agencies), preferably in one of the countries of implementation.
Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or law or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree reflecting expertise in areas relevant to this project, such as trade law, customs and border enforcement, labor law, public policy, international development, or a related field relevant to labor rights or trade agreements.
Deep expertise in trade and labor law enforcement, labor rights, and international trade-related labor commitments.
Experience working with organizations promoting labor rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Demonstrated ability to maintain working relationships with all project stakeholders and to engage in coalition building and multi-stakeholder partnerships, specifically with the public and private sectors.
Demonstrated experience as an effective public speaker.
Fluency in English and Spanish is required. Fluency includes speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Nice To Haves

Experience establishing and maintaining systems for managing project operations across several countries preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead project activities according to the approved work plan and in consultation with USDOL and key stakeholders.
Liaise with USDOL; national, state, and local governments; and target populations, bringing in and leveraging stakeholders to support project activities as required.
Maintain working relationships with all project stakeholders (including government, civil society, academia, and employers) and engage in coalition-building and public-private partnership promotion.
Manage a team of project staff, technical experts, consultants, and local partners, while coordinating with headquarters and in-country project staff.
Provide strategic guidance to the team for the completion of project activities in prioritized sectoral and geographic areas.
Perform strategic, financial, and operational planning, including work planning, and ensure project compliance with all USDOL financial, contractual, and reporting requirements.
Ensure that milestones, performance goals, and indicators are monitored and achieved.
Lead high-quality report preparation in English, capturing project activities, documenting impacts related to all activities, and ensuring timely submission.
Foster partnerships and alliances to leverage additional funds and support for project activities.
Travel to areas of intervention within target countries (Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala) and to PADF headquarters in Washington DC as needed.
Other duties as required.