Country Program Director, Dominican Republic / Haiti
Solidarity Center
The Solidarity Center, founded in 1997 by the AFL-CIO to tackle the enormous challenges workers face in the global economy, now works with union and community group partners in more than 60 countries through a network of 26 field offices. This not-for-profit organization offers education, training, research, legal support, and organizing assistance to help build strong and effective trade unions and other workers’ organizations and more just and equitable societies. Its programs promote democratic rights and respect for workers; raise public awareness about abuses of the world’s most vulnerable workers; and, above all, help the world’s workers secure a voice in their societies and the global economy.
The Center seeks a country program director to lead the work of advancing the Center’s mission in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The country program director reports directly to the Center’s regional program director for the Americas, and works in close partnership with AFL-CIO affiliates, the ITUC- Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, and various NGOs active in the region, particularly in Haiti. The Washington, D.C.-based Center has a staff of 245and an annual budget of $30 million. The position requires residency in the Dominican Republic and frequent travel to Haiti.
Responsibilities
· With the Americas regional staff, develop and implement program priorities for work in the DR/Haiti, consistent with the strategic vision of the Solidarity Center’s global and regional work; revisit those priorities as needed to reflect changing national regional realities.
· Lead and oversee the department’s local staff and consultants in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and manage local office operations
· Serve as the representative of the US labor movement in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
· Represent the interests and issues of the Haitian and Dominican labor movements, their labor issues, and their global importance within the Center, the AFL-CIO, and the U.S. labor movement broadly as well as to U.S. government programs in the region, other NGOs, and the academic community. Build bridges to and coalitions and collaborative efforts with allies in the Dominican Republic and Haiti working to advance worker rights.
· Assure the high quality and effectiveness of the Center’s work in the Dominican Republic and Haiti through monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of program work
Qualifications:
· Knowledge of the region, and experience in the U.S. and/or international labor movement and/or the human rights movement. Understanding of the political economy of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and their place in the global economy is critical, as is an understanding of the U.S. labor movement.
· Experience in leading grassroots campaigns, including union or community organizing, and conducting popular education with a range of audiences.
· The ability to communicate ideas and information effectively to U.S. and international: Spanish fluency is required, Haitian Creole or French language proficiency highly desired.
· Proven ability to work successfully in complex political environments and collaboratively as part of a dynamic team.
· Grant management skills including proposal writing, program monitoring, budget tracking, and regular reporting.
· B.A. degree in a relevant field
Personal Qualities:
The successful candidate will bring a sense of passion about the region and its politics, a strong social justice orientation, and a clear understanding of gender equity as a critical component of workers’ rights. He or she will have good judgment in U.S. and international political environments and the confidence, tenacity, energy, patience, and drive to work with others in this multilayered international organization to advance the cause of workers around the world.
The duration of this position, as with all positions at the Solidarity Center, is contingent upon continued grant funding. Although this position is posted for the Dominican Republic and Haiti, overseas staff may expect to be transferred to other areas of the world.
If interested, please send cover letter and résumé to:
Lisa Humphries
Human Resources Officer
Solidarity Center
888 16th Street, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20006
E-mail: lhumphries@solidaritycenter.org
Fax: (202) 974-8266
