Program Senior Manager, Labor Neighbor Initiative, PSEMC

About the Project

Through the Private Sector Engagement Modernization Contract (PSEMC), Dexis supports the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Hub to expand and deepen collaboration with the private sector to achieve greater development outcomes. The PSE Hub's mission is to create the institutional conditions, operating infrastructure, and capacity necessary to expand engagement with the private sector in the United States and partner countries. The PSE Hub works to transform and modernize how USAID does development by institutionalizing USAID's PSE policy and delivering capacity- and systems-building support for PSE across all sectors, operating units, and countries where USAID operates. PSEMC provides technical assistance and capacity building to USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Independent Offices in support of PSE.

About the Position

Since FY 2019, USAID has invested more than $14 million to provide ongoing technical assistance to the governments of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to expand access for their citizens to temporary work abroad opportunities in the United States and beyond. USAID partners with teams within the Ministries of Labor in Guatemala and Honduras and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in El Salvador to build their capacity to ethically recruit, vet, and support their citizens' access to temporary work abroad opportunities. USAID's work has primarily focused on the Ministries' capacity to connect workers with temporary labor opportunities to the U.S. via the H-2A and H-2B visa programs.

Recognizing the impact that USAID's support has had on the lives of Northern Central American workers by connecting them with work abroad opportunities, LAC, in coordination with the interagency, is designing a regional labor mobility initiative, "Alianza de Movilidad Laboral para las Americas," commonly known as the "Labor Neighbors Initiative". This Initiative will build on existing and new work of USAID, the Department of Labor, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to expand access to lawful and protective labor pathways for eligible workers from Latin America and the Caribbean. This interagency initiative will build a regional labor mobility network under Pillar 2 of the Los Angeles Declaration. This will be achieved through regional engagements and exchanges to share best practices and lessons learned, as well as through limited technical assistance to help countries enable circular temporary labor migration that benefits and protects workers and addresses growth-inhibiting labor shortages.

The Program Senior Manager will lead the Labor Neighbors Initiative and manage the team of technical advisors deployed across various lines of effort in the U.S. and in Latin America under the Initiative. The Program Senior Manager will perform duties as part of USAID's Latin America and Caribbean Bureau.

This is a one (1) year, remote-eligible position requiring occasional travel, with potential for extension.

Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary point of contact for USAID on day-to-day implementation and management of the activity, including regular meetings as requested and coordinated with USAID
• Prepare, present and manage reports and deliverables as requested by USAID, including, (1) an annual work plan that includes short-, medium- and long-term goals, and key performance indicators for the Labor Neighbors initiative, (2) quarterly progress reports, and (3) monthly activity summaries
• Lead, manage, and coordinate the activities of a team of about four (4) technical advisors and consultants in consultation with USAID/LAC
• Conduct a baseline market analysis to identify comparative advantages/market niche for eligible workers to meet temporary labor needs in the United States, Canada, Spain, and other interested recipient countries
• Identify and implement good practices around the ethical and efficient recruitment, vetting, and processing of eligible workers for temporary work abroad opportunities;
• Provide guidance to source country governments on the design and enforcement of regulations on private sector recruitment to ensure protective pathways
• Attend meetings at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC as needed and requested by USAID

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Master's degree and at least eight (8) years of work experience or bachelor's degree and 10 years of experience applying expertise in one or more designated functional, operational and/or technical areas described above
• 5+ years experience coordinating technical assistance operations and managing diverse groups of professionals
• Experience in virtual facilitation approaches and collaboration with teams across multiple time zones and geographic contexts
• Experience working in Latin America, with experience with ethical labor recruitment programs from a source country perspective
• Experience working with relevant counterparts (eg. foreign government; International Development Agencies; International Financial Institutions; Civil Society)
• Experience engaging and managing interactions with private sector, industry stakeholders, and other stakeholders working on labor migration
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior representatives of Public and/or Private sectors in various countries
• Experience as a user of common data management programs (excel, access or similar);
• Ability to work in an unstructured environment, creating and driving lines of effort
• Ability to travel as required
• Ability to pass U.S. government security review processes
• Language Proficiency: English (IV) & Spanish (III)

Preferred

• Current or recent holder of U.S. government facilities access and/or security clearance is strongly preferred

All applicants are measured on how they foster a climate of respect in interactions with others, value differing perspectives, and treat others in a fair, equitable, and culturally sensitive manner. All employees and consultants are expected to value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in performing everyday duties and responsibilities.