ROLI Latin America – ABA ROLI Deputy Country Director at American Bar Association

Reporting to the Director – ABA Rule of Law Initiative [ROLI], the position is accountable for the overall, day-to-day leadership of ABA ROLI’s operational activities. This direction includes establishing and monitoring priorities in the areas of administration, finance, regulatory compliance, security, recruitment, training, development, communications, outreach, and evaluation of program effectiveness. The position is accountable for establishing and monitoring appropriate controls, policies, and procedures to ensure that ABA ROLI operations and activities are executed properly and in accordance with all regulatory and ABA requirements. May assist with ABA ROLI Board relations, and is a principal interlocutor with the heads of various ABA departments (e.g., Finance, Human Resources, Communications, General Counsel’s office, and substantive ABA entities (e.g. Sections, Commissions). During absences of the Director of ABA ROLI, will represent ABA ROLI within the constraints of approved delegated authority. Seeks continuous improvement opportunities within the ABA ROLI operating venue that drive efficiency, cost avoidance, service delivery enhancements, and relationship-building and improved organizational image within the community.

Principal Duties/Job Responsibilities

• Supervise, coach and develop ABA ROLI international support, security, communications and outreach, and monitoring and evaluation departments as well as the ABA grants and compliance office, to work as a cohesive ABA ROLI support team that employs best practices in all work areas, including financial, operational, and administrative management, and with regard to supervising their respective staffs.
• Support, sustain, and strengthen each of the five geographic Divisions, M&E function, the R&A office, and the finance, communications, and international support functions by providing ongoing leadership and operational management, understanding each component’s responsibilities, achievements, requirements, challenges and concerns.
• Oversee the operation of the ABA Grants and Compliance Office ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations and donor requirements for domestic and international grants as well as providing appropriate training to staff on compliance matters. Coordinate activities with ABA General Counsel and Finance Departments as appropriate.
• Manage the operational finance function within ROLI so as to provide ROLI Staff with timely and accurate financial information, analyses, business insights and decision support in an understandable, cost-effective manner. Also coordinate the annual budget process for ROLI.
• Conduct annual performance reviews of all direct reports and oversee performance appraisal of staff overseen by those direct reports in international support, security, communications and outreach, monitoring and evaluation, and the ABA Grants and Compliance Office.
• Take the lead for the operations-related components of the ABA ROLI Strategic Plan, while maintaining overall responsibility for monitoring implementation of the strategic plan and preparing status reports for the Director to provide the Board of Directors.
• Day-to-day collaboration with and support of the ABA ROLI Director as needed, reporting to the ABA ROLI Director and leading ABA ROLI in the Director’s absence.
• Support the integration of ABA ROLI’s work across all five Divisions and the R&A office by facilitating ongoing communication, cross-regional learning, problem solving, and management consistency. Guide decision making that supports consistency across Divisions regarding resource and information management, as well as the development of and adherence to policies and procedures (effectiveness and efficiency).
• Enhance, develop and implement effective and efficient operational systems that support ABA ROLI’s work, particularly in light of ABA ROLI’s growth and increased complexity both in DC and overseas, assuming overall administrative management of the program.
• Lead efforts with ABA entities/departments in Chicago and DC to develop and/or adjust policies and procedures in order to enhance and streamline the implementation of ABA ROLI programs and to ensure effective and adequate provision of services, ensuring compliance with such policies and procedures.
• Together with the ABA ROLI Director, outreach staff and regional directors, coordinate the development and implementation of plans to grow and diversify ABA ROLI funding.
• Develop and implement development systems that strengthen ABA ROLI grant-seeking activity and ensure that program proposals are consistently of a high caliber, increasing the successful funding of such proposals that are approved by donors.
• Oversee robust, efficient, and effective international recruitment and staff support function, and facilitate efficient coordination with ABA Human Resources department as necessary.
• Strengthen and ensure implementation of operational systems, policies, procedures and internal controls for each field office, working in conjunction with the ABA service departments and ABA ROLI regional division leadership.
• Ensure responsiveness by ABA ROLI departments to informational and operational requests from ABA entities/departments and other ABA ROLI components, such as Outreach and Communications, Administration, and Finance. Actively work with such entities/departments and components regarding the timing of such requests (e.g., establishing reasonable deadlines) in order to promote maximum and timely compliance with such requests.
• Together with the M&E Director, ensure that M&E practices are effective, manageable and consistent across the organization and responsive to donor and stakeholder interests.
• Advise the ABA ROLI Director on internal communications and coordination processes, including meetings and internal staff communications, in order to promote a more unified and well-informed staff in both DC and the field.
• Work with Division Directors to identify and solve common problems in the field offices and work with them and the overseas Country Directors to optimize field staff contributions to ABA ROLI’s overall work, effectiveness and success.
• Represent ABA ROLI in ABA Finance decisions and negotiation with donor agencies regarding ABA negotiated indirect cost recovery agreements.
• Manage all aspects of ABA ROLI annual budget process and budget monitoring and analysis throughout the year.
• Support effective staff development and advancement at every level, ranging from the Directors of the five Divisions and R&A Office to the more junior staff, identifying in conjunction with ABA Human Resources the training and professional development needs of ABA ROLI staff in DC and the field.
• Work with the ABA ROLI Director to support the ABA ROLI Board of Directors and its interactions throughout the broader ABA. May represent ABA ROLI before the Board of Directors, the ABA Board of Governors, and other ABA leadership bodies.
• Provide leadership, coaching, counseling, development, and, where appropriate, discipline, to and through assigned employees.

Basic Qualifications and Interests

• Possession of a JD, doctorate or graduate degree from an accredited law school or graduate school, respectively
• At least ten (10) years’ experience in management of international operations, including at least five years in successively responsible management roles.
• Previous experience of responsibility for budgeting and financial management, including responsibility for compliance with regulations governing U.S. government procurement, in particular through grants and cooperative agreements.
• At least five years’ experience mentoring, coaching, counseling, and evaluating teams with various and diverse levels of expertise.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.

Preferred Qualifications and Interests

• fluency in Spanish
• Experience in the human rights field
• Successful track record of work in Colombia
• Previous experience in the field of development with an emphasis on the rule of law, democracy, and/or governance arena. Previous experience leading and managing teams within one or more international non-profit organizations.
• Previous experience identifying and implementing operational best practices in the field of international program development, including monitoring, evaluation, assessment and management of U. S. government-funded awards.
• Previous experience functioning as a supervisor of expatriates, TCNs, and/or local nationals while being based outside of the United States.
• Previous work experience in a work location outside of the United States.
• Extent of Travel Required in the Job
• As a normal course of business, this job will typically require travel of up to 15% of the time.