Position: Director of Programs (Staff Member)
Organization: Amazon Frontlines
Country: Ecuador
Work Modality: Based in Quito, Puyo, Tena or Lago Agrio, Ecuador with travel
The Position
The Director of Programs position is a dynamic role that helps shape and lead all of Amazon Frontlines’ Regional Programs. The DoP facilitates collaborative, coordinated visionary leadership, strategic guidance and operational and technical support alongside the AF Program Leadership Team. This person works closely with the Managing Director (future hire), organization operational and program leadership and partners to ensure the design and implementation of impactful programming and the achieving of lasting results that serve the Amazon Frontlines’ mission. The DoP also works closely with the AF Development Team to coordinate program inputs for donor reporting and to pursue new proposals and opportunities. The position is based in Ecuador (Quito, Puyo, Lago Agrio or Tena) with frequent travel to locations around the Amazon and occasional international travel. The DoP should be a confident leader, an excellent communicator, coordinator and visionary with meaningful experience implementing similar programming in complex operational environments.
This is an exciting opportunity to be at the center of a dynamic and passionate multicultural network of people who are deeply committed to the fight to protect the Amazon, indigenous cultures and our global climate. You will need to be committed to supporting a successful grassroots movement based on hard work, humility, mutual respect and honest partnership. The job is perfect for someone who wants to apply their experience in a growing NGO.
The Ideal Candidate
The Amazon Frontlines Director of Programs will be a skilled programs and people manager with deep experience working in complex multicultural and multilingual settings. The person will be prepared to facilitate internal coordination, strategic planning and program implementation efforts between Amazon Frontlines program team leads, as well as help manage external coordination with partners. They are also experienced in monitoring and evaluation of similar programming as well as adaptive management and donor engagement and reporting. The Director of Programs will bring strong and diverse program management and coordination and exceptional team leadership and communication skills, rooted in empathy, creative solutions-seeking, participatory dialogue and decision making and an unwavering commitment to Amazon Frontlines’ mission, purpose and approach. They must be proactive in managing individual workflows with a strong capacity to work autonomously and be able to keep tasks on track and moving forward.
Key Areas of Responsibility
Program Leadership
- Hold overall responsibility for the development and implementation of sustainable and high-impact programs at Amazon Frontlines in accordance with the organization’s mission.
- Provide leadership for the development of all program-focused elements of Amazon Frontlines’ strategic plan and support Program Team Leaders to design, execute and adapt successful program plans that are aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives and priorities.
- Contribute to shaping the direction and effective growth of the organization by facilitating the Program Leadership Team (made up of the ED, Managing Director, DoP, and the program Team Leaders).
- Work closely with the Partnerships team to help facilitate and promote a transparent, respectful, and effective accompaniment model with AF’s indigenous partners.
- Lead the development of policy positions on key issues by identifying critical topics, supporting research and analysis, formulating strategic responses, and communicating effectively to advocate for the organization’s stance.
- Ensure robust communication and learning across programs.
- Support the program teams to maintain effective monitoring and evaluation practices with both individualized and standardized components across programs to detect best practices and promote continuous adaptive management.
- Support Program Team Leads and the AF Development Team with narrative inputs for donor reporting and new proposal development.
Organizational Leadership
- Serve as a thought partner to the ED, Amazon Frontlines Managing Director and other Departmental Leaders (People and Culture; Operations and Finance; Fundraising and Development, and Comms) and serve as a member of AF’s Senior Leadership Team.
- With the Managing Director, act as a bridge between programs and other AF departments, facilitating collaboration, alignment with organizational priorities, and effective allocation of organizational resources.
- Maintain effective internal communications; communicate frequently and openly with relevant program and department leaders and staff about program changes, deadlines, requests for support and other significant updates.
- Model and ensure implementation of organizational safety and security protocols, and participate in the development of organizational policies and procedures.
- Show leadership at staff meetings and retreats to build team culture, connections and organizational effectiveness.
Team Management
- Provide overall leadership for the Program Department, including direct support and accompaniment to AF’s program Team Leaders and indirect support and accompaniment of program staff and consultants.
- Support hiring and onboarding processes for members of the program teams as needed.
- Support Team Leaders to develop short and long-range work plans for each program with clear priorities and timetables for achieving results.
- Facilitate an open and cohesive team culture among program and operational staff; delegate functions and responsibilities as appropriate, while monitoring and ensuring achievement of team objectives.
- Promote accountability among the program team and demonstrate a strong commitment to communicating expectations and providing and receiving constructive feedback informally and formally via regular 1:1 and team check-ins and performance reviews. Monitor staff workloads to ensure they are realistic and promote sustainability and well-being, with the support of the People and Culture team.
- Help develop the capacity of the programs team, and support professional development opportunities as needed and desired by team members, working with the People and Culture team.
Budget Management and Development
- Maintain team systems that ensure transparent and effective use of all financial resources and timely and accurate reporting that complies with Amazon Frontlines and donor policies and procedures.
- Support Team Leaders in developing and managing program-level budgets, and foster alignment among program teams to ensure resources are marshaled in support of the highest priority work areas and are allocated realistically and responsibly.
- Work closely with the Finance and Development teams to mobilize resources for our work; play a key role in grant management and involve program teams in development efforts.
- Build a culture of transparency and information sharing within the Program Department and work with Finance and Development teams to ensure reporting requirements are met and information or material required is shared in a timely and clear manner.
- Ensure that the Programs team adheres to organizational financial policies.
Communications
- Provide continuous support to the Communications team, ensuring that program teams provide the necessary inputs to develop press releases, op-eds, alerts, articles, and blogs.
- Create collaborative partnerships with other NGOs on current and future campaigns.
- Build and maintain relationships with indigenous leaders and represent AF externally as required.
- Serve as a spokesperson for Amazon Frontlines in the media and at public events as required.
Essential Skills, Experiences and Requirements
- Minimum of 10 years of professional experience, including 5 years working directly to support related programming, and 1-2 in a leadership role. Direct experience working in Ecuador, Peru and/or Colombia is a significant plus.
- Proven experience managing and providing technical support to development, conservation and/or humanitarian programs in and operating in complex and insecure field contexts, including in a leadership position.
- Developed skills in programmatic budgeting and sound financial monitoring and management.
- Strong monitoring and evaluation background including field experience in developing practical and effective M&E tools and systems that promote data-driven approaches to research, learning and adaptive management.
- Proven track record in successful program development, donor engagement and proposal writing.
- Deep commitment to Indigenous rights, mitigating climate change and environmental conservation.
- Demonstrated capacity for effective team management, motivation, and development, including attention to detail and ability to work independently and collaboratively with other team members.
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, coupled with an ability to adapt to changing scenarios.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, with a talent for building relationships across diverse cultural contexts.
- Share the organizational values of Amazon Frontlines and a commitment to working hard and with humility to support our team, Indigenous partners and key stakeholders.
- Proven ability to work autonomously and to independently troubleshoot problems, complete tasks on time and free of errors with the ability to prioritize effectively.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite with experience with CRM and email marketing applications a plus.
- Fluency in Spanish is required; professional fluency in written and spoken English is a plus.
- Prior engagement with standard security protocols and working in complex and insecure operational environments; ability to regularly travel to program sites and engage effectively with communities and partners in the field.
This role is expected to be based in Ecuador’s Amazonian region and will require travel (between 20-40% approximately). There will also be times when you will need to work outside of regular work hours.
Physical Requirements
This position requires travel and work in diverse settings, including remote rainforest locations with the following physical demands:
- Comfort and ability to navigate and work and travel in challenging outdoor environments, including variable weather conditions, terrain, and ecosystems found in the rainforest.
- Preparedness to adapt to the logistical and physical challenges of working in remote locations, including limited access to medical facilities and amenities.
- Ability to travel by foot, canoe, car, and/or small plane to access remote areas and carry your gear when necessary.
You must also be able to perform general office duties, including prolonged periods working on a computer (typing, using a keyboard, and navigating through various digital platforms) and frequent communication, including in person, by email, via messaging platforms, online meetings, and telephone.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
How to Apply
Please submit a one-page cover letter describing how your experience and skills apply to supporting Amazon Frontlines as Program Director and why this role excites you, along with a resume to https://amazonfrontlines.bamboohr.com/careers/60
Amazon Frontlines is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, or class. Additionally, Amazon Frontlines is proud to have a diverse group of people within its various spaces, and we strongly encourage individuals from Indigenous peoples and nationalities and/or Afro-descendant communities to apply. You will be warmly welcomed.
