[Coral-List] Job: Regional Program Manager for Olazul

[Jos Hill]

Job posting for Olazul: Regional Program Manager, Mexico

http://www.idealist.org/view/job/688jnhx94K5P/


Regional Program Manager, Mexico

Olazul is a 501c3 non-profit headquartered in San Francisco, California with fiscal sponsorship from the Trust for Conservation Innovation.


Our vision is to build vibrant coastal communities and healthy marine ecosystems. Fishing communities seek to maintain their connection to the ocean, but declining resources limit opportunity. Olazul creates sustainable ocean livelihoods for men and women that offer alternatives to overfishing and allow local fisheries to recover.

Olazul connects local wisdom to the expert knowledge of engineers, researchers and aquaculture scientists. We build strong relationships and supply chains between communities and global markets. Along the Baja Peninsula, Olazul is developing seaweed and bivalve ocean aquaculture farms to create new revenue streams for marginalized coastal communities.

 

Role:

The Program Manager is responsible for implementing Olazul’s NW Mexico program strategy, leading community engagement and enterprise design, and supporting strategic partnerships. This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious change maker who seeks to improve the lives of fishing communities and enhance the health of our oceans.  

The candidate will be part of Olazul’s leadership team. We are looking for a positive, determined and energetic person with strong self-motivation and commitment to our mission. The candidate will uphold Olazul’s values and contribute to organizational cohesion, high quality collaboration, teamwork, commitment to outcomes and transparency with our key stakeholders. 

The Program Manager will lead a team of innovative people, working closely with the Operations Director in Mexico and reporting to the US-based Executive Director.  The position requires 25-50% travel to remote communities, Mexico City and internationally to represent the organization. The Program Manager will be responsible for building and managing external relationships, fundraising and representing the organization. The position requires a strong strategic thinking skills and teamwork; innovation and creativity; the ability to work across disciplines; and results orientation and learning.

 Location:

La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

  

Main Tasks:

Management of programs (25%)

-       Support development and oversee implementation of Olazul’s regional program strategy;

-       Support management team in developing and refining Olazul’s innovation and engagement processes;

-       Responsible for the results, impact and continuous learning associated with work performed in the region;

-       Work with management team to develop and manage program plans and budgets;

-       Build and maintain strategic relationships;

-       Oversee monitoring and evaluation of programs.

 

Rural enterprise development & community engagement (50%)

-       Build and oversee relationship management and engagement processes with target communities and relevant stakeholders;

-       Support livelihood design through advice on appropriate design elements for partner communities and develop community enterprise business plans;

-       Oversee capacity-building activities and stakeholder relationships associated with community enterprise development and financing;

-       Identify and support development of incentive structures that can be translated into contracts (such as conservation agreements) with communities;

-       Manage community and social research studies to improve Olazul's understanding of needs, success and opportunities.

 

Business partnerships (5%)

-       Oversee market or economic analysis projects for existing and future potential livelihood products;

-       Market development for livelihood products, or management of market partners;

-       Build and develop business partnerships to support community enterprises.

 

Fundraising (20%)

-       Identify and develop capital streams to support implementation of community livelihoods (to include loans, fee-for-service contracts and grants, including government funding opportunities);

-       Contact potential donors (individuals, businesses or foundations) in the region and follow up in coordination with Olazul’s development team;

-       Develop and implement a plan for procurement of regional funds in coordination with Olazul’s development team;

-       Contribute to publications to share stories of success, photos of recent activities, lessons learned and other results.

 

Minimum requirements

-       MBA, business or economics degree with demonstrated experience in a small-scale business development role;

-       Training in the field of natural / marine resource management, sustainable livelihood development and/or aquaculture desirable;

-       At least 8 years professional experience, including a minimum of 2 years in a leadership and/or managerial role;

-       Ability to travel up to 50% of the time, including to remote or international locations.

 

Desired experience

-       Managing complex relationships involving diverse internal and external stakeholders;

-       Working in and coordinating multidisciplinary teams;

-       Developing or supporting community enterprise

-       Developing business and financial plans;

-       Working across different cultures and with remote communities;

-       Negotiating contracts and agreements;

-       Program management, including managing budgets, activities and personnel;

-       Implementing field trainings with participatory resource management tools.


Skills and behaviors:

-       Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate expectations clearly;

-       Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and spoken;

-       High level of professionalism and ethics;

-       Ability for strategic thinking;

-       Adaptive leadership style to get the best out of each team member;

-       Good sense of humor and ability to create a collaborative professional environment;

-       Strengthens internal culture through exemplary action.

 

Candidates who wish to be considered should submit a letter of interest and CV to

jobs at olazul.org and address the Executive Director, Jos Hill.