Capacity Strengthening Lead

Counterpart International is currently seeking a Capacity Strengthening Lead for an anticipated opportunity with USAID in Latin America. The anticipated project will seek to support Human Rights defenders by prioritizing local-level activities that foster accountable governance while reinforcing positive linkages among Human Rights Protecting Organizations. This is a full position based in Bogota Colombia and will serve the life of the project, which is expected to be 5-years.

Responsibilities

• Identify strategic needs, approaches, and priorities to organizational capacity building for effective HRO strengthening, ensuring continuous adaptation to local context, HRO needs, HRO capacity, and client needs.
• Develop an implementation plan for the capacity development component, facilitating the anticipation and resolution of implementation problems and adaptation of resource priorities in response to funding uncertainties.
• Collaborate with Project technical staff to leverage internal expertise for capacity building.
• Design and manage technical consultancies, partners, and trainers to deliver high quality training, technical assistance and mentoring to local CSOs.
• Form, train, and manage the Project’s capacity assessment team; Conduct capacity assessments and support the creation of strategic action plans.
• Design and implement trainings for adult learners using a wide range of dynamic learning methodologies in topics such as financial sustainability, strategic planning, documentation and reporting of human rights violations, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
• Lead the initiative and manage/coordinate with MEL staff to design and implement a results monitoring framework.
• Design and implement OCD learning spaces and mechanisms for HROs to leverage and enhance existing strengths and create a safe space to share lessons learned and best practices.
• Design OCD grant Requests for Proposals and provide technical oversight and management of grants in collaboration with the Sr. Grants Manager.
• Support Leadership in the design and implementation of learning activities.
• Train staff in Project knowledge management practices related to report writing, use of CPI’s online interface/ Shared Drive/Help Desk, and use of CPI learning tools.
• Document and communicate internally and externally successes, challenges, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Manage and mentor the capacity strengthening associate/officer and Senior MEL Officer.
• Ensure Counterpart’s best practices are institutionalized and adapted to the local context.
• Ensure a gender perspective is integrated into all capacity building tools, methodologies and activities.
• Deliver technical presentations on program achievements to audiences, including implementing partner(s), civil society, government officials, USAID, and other relevant organizations.
• Ensure clear communication with the COP for informed decision-making regarding staff security and human resources matters.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Political Science, Governance and Civil Society and/or other related fields.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in international development; Minimum 3 years working on governance programs.
• Experience supervising teams of diverse staff and demonstrated leadership capacity;
• Previous experience managing USAID-funded programs is required;
• Experience in in-person and remotely managing programs in insecure and rapidly changing environments;
• Demonstrated experience in building networks amongst civil society organizations.
• Experience in managing program start-up in complex, politically sensitive, and resource constrained environment;
• Experience managing and monitoring cash grants to local organizations;
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadline and deliver quality outputs;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English required;
• Professional fluency in Spanish is required.