Program Coordinator

Only Argentine nationals should apply! 

FSD strives to expand its own internal capacity for supporting our partner organization in the sphere’s of grant writing, program management and community outreach while trying to address the need of local communities to create stable, effective community organizations led by competent host nationals.

The Local Program Coordinator (LPC) position should be one offered to talented young professionals from the international communities in which we work and providing them the opportunity to work with FSD in a year-long paid internship. The intent is to find host nationals who have received university degrees and/or work experience in relevant fields, but because of the local economies, have not been able to find paying work in the development field. The LPC position would provide these individuals with a year-long program that provides training, education and hand-on opportunities to have positive development impact in local communities.

The LPC position has been designed to maximize impact within FSD’s scope of sustainable development work. The highlights of the program include:

• Preparing young, local professionals to handle challenging development work while making a direct impact in people’s lives throughout our service area.
• Providing well-educated young professionals without options for employment in their field of education the opportunity to gain a relevant, challenging work in development and gain a foothold for a future career in the community development sector.
• Enhancing local support to our partner organizations involved in the various field FSD focuses its efforts through work that includes carrying out stakeholder meetings, creating and disseminating support materials, engaging in project design and ensuring that financial resources are available to support FSD partner programs.

LPC position

A competitive selection process should be used with the final candidates being selected based upon the following criteria:

• Potential to use the FSD experience as a stepping stone to further a career in community development or not-for-profit work.
• Perceived likelihood that the participant will continue to give back to his or her community and be a leader in ongoing development initiatives.
• The applicant’s skills and commitment to sustainable development as demonstrated by their education and work histories.
• Applicant’s previous involvement in issues regarding the areas of focus which support FSDs mission objectives, such as, but not limited to: HIV/AIDS, Women’s Issues/Human Rights, and Community Development.

Goals and Objectives:

The over-arching goal of the LPC program is to provide rigorous year-long internships that facilitate the professional development of talented local youth who have limited professional or training opportunities. By achieving this goal we expect to provide FSD’s Partner Organizations with more effective program support, better trained and supported volunteers and additional capacity building opportunities. By training future community leaders and empowering local non-profits which provide voice and direct services within these areas, FSD facilitates the growth of sustainable development.

Supervision and Guidance

The Program Coordinator functions under the direct supervision of the Program Director and in coordination and cooperation with the International Program Director and the Executive Director. The Program Coordinator performs many of the designated job functions with general independence. Performance evaluation is based upon successfully meeting the objectives set out in this Position Description. Evaluation of the position will be provided on a bi-annual basis.

Position Description: Program Coordinator

Basic Function of the Position:

The Program Coordinator (PC), under the supervision of the Program Director (PD), provides necessary support to ensure the maintenance and development of FSD Interns, support to host organizations, and programmatic support.

Note: Only Argentine nationals should apply!

Major Duties and Responsibilities

A. Volunteer Support (approximately 40% of the time)

• Travel regularly and extensively throughout the Program Area to establish and maintain working relationships with sponsoring organizations and host families, and visit Interns at their sites.
• Assist Interns to improve their job performance, social and cultural adaptation, through the provision of technical support, cultural insights, and direction to relevant and available resources.
• Assess and address issues of miscommunication, frustration and stagnation between host agencies and interns in order to facilitate the progress towards the successful completion of program plans and mutual satisfaction of the intern and host agency.
• Identify, maintain and distribute, as appropriate, relevant educational information and materials to Interns through orientations, mid-service events, weekly talks, and other appropriate avenues.
• Be knowledgeable on FSD policy and procedures and be able to communicate this information accurately to interns, partner organizations and host families.
• Document and keep the San Francisco Office (SFO) informed of all intern activity.

B. Administrative Support (approximately 25% of the time)

• Assist with and maintain Program written records and files, and perform routine clerical tasks.
• Provide translations when necessary.
• Assist in the collection and analysis of data on Intern, Host Family, and Host Organization performance, and in the preparation of reports on Program development activities.
• In coordination with the PD, review Program related correspondence and ensure that interested parties are kept informed.
• In the absence of the Program Director, maintain relevant information on the whereabouts of the interns.
• Maintain communications with the SFO regarding all details of the Program and intern activity.

C. Project Planning and Support (approximately 15% of the time)

• In conjunction with the PD, assist in identification and development of Internship opportunities following the established requirements for internship sites, housing and safety.
• Assist the PD to initiate and maintain communication with sponsoring organizations and institutions working in the field of community-based, locally-oriented, sustainable development.
• Assist in preparation of program documentation, including: Host Organization Profiles; Pre-Departure Country Packet; Program Proposals; Program Guides; Internship Project Plan; Weekly Monday Reports to the SFO; Quarterly Program Evaluations and Reports; Grant Project Evaluation and Follow Up Reports; and information on the Program for potential applicants.

D. Training (approximately 15% of the time)

• Assist in the planning, design, development, implementation and evaluation of trainings for Interns, Host Organizations, and Host Families. Trainings include, but are not limited to, the following subject areas: strategies for cross-cultural interaction, FSD Program Requirements as indicated in the Site Team Manual, Project Development, and Grant Writing.
• Participate in the evaluation and performance of each Intern, Host Family and Host Organization as well as the assessment of the training design, and recommend improvements.
• Deliver training sessions as necessary, and assist the implementation of high quality training programs.

E . Other Duties and Activities (not to exceed 5% of the time)

• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Program Director, Director of International Programs, Director of Outreach, and Executive Director.
• Provide relevant feedback to the SF staff on how programs and systems of communication can be more effectively carried out.

Desired Qualifications

• Education: A university degree in International Development, International/Regional Studies, Business or related field.
• Prior Experience: Minimum of 6 months working internationally or within a development organization or similar experience.
• Language Proficiency: Spoken and written fluency in both local language and English.
• Knowledge: Good working knowledge of sustainable development and the host-country’s culture/history/current events; demonstrated ability to maintain working level contacts with NGO officials and host families; and experience and skills in facilitation of training events.
• Skills and Abilities: Ability to represent FSD effectively with host organizations, host families, local officials, FSD Interns, and International Sponsors (Donors, Academic Sponsors). Capability to supervise FSD Intern job performance and provide technical assistance as needed. Ability to guide FSD Intern job performance. Counseling ability in Cross-Cultural and performance evaluation situations. Organizational and administrative skills. Excellent computer skills in word-processing and database management. Motivation and commitment to work effectively as part of an inter-cultural team. Excellent interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment under normal as well as complex and often stressful conditions.

Compensation:

• Volunteer stipend commensurate with experience. Four weeks of vacation: two mandatory over the New Year holiday and two weeks during the year thereafter.