Search for Common Ground

In a world often divided, Search for Common Ground stands for the power of bringing diverse people together to find solutions. By meeting this moment with Search, you join a powerful global peace movement that believes in the profound impact of courageous multipartiality – that all voices should be heard and respected in shaping a better, more connected world and collaborative vision is essential for lasting peace.

Search for Common Ground takes a dynamic approach by building solutions that are based on the needs of communities. We engage with leaders and elected officials to advance dialogue and collaboration. We are community leaders. We are youth activists. We are women. We are Peacebuilders. We have been doing this work for over 40 years, we have developed our understanding of what peace looks like, being able to quantify our impact and design more effective programming. Peace moves at the speed of trust, so we invest for the long haul. When we’re no longer needed, we leave, leaving behind people and institutions with the ability to manage future conflicts.

Position Summary

Search is seeking an expert in violence prevention and coalition building to lead in bringing together stakeholders to prevent violence.

This position will serve as the Collaboration Lead for the Smart and Secure Cities Project, a multi-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in a consortium. The project aims to reduce violence in 5 municipalities across Guatemala. The Collaboration Lead will facilitate engagement and cooperative problem-solving among different public and private sector actors to prevent urban violence. The Collaboration Lead will initially supervise a three person team in Guatemala City, and then expand to other municipalities as the project advances. The role will work closely with the in-country team implementing different pillars of work as well as with Search’s headquarters office in Washington DC.

The Collaboration Lead will be responsible for overseeing the project’s multisectoral collaboration efforts, providing overall management, technical expertise, and oversight to ensure the successful achievement of project objectives. They will work closely with other members of the senior management team and other Component Leads to ensure that project activities are implemented in line with designed objectives and goals, as well as with USAID and consortium standards. Their primary focus will be on driving the implementation of Component 1.1 activities, maintaining program quality, and providing technical expertise in the fields of multi-stakeholder dialogue, conflict transformation, and crime and violence prevention.

Responsibilities

Serve as Search’s representative in the Safe Cities Coalition
Leads the design and execution of multi-stakeholder dialogue processes to build collaborative systems for violence prevention, leveraging technical expertise in conflict transformation and peacebuilding methodologies.
Lead the implementation of Search’s activities within the larger project, ensuring that project activities are executed effectively and efficiently and in coordination with other project components.
Ensure learnings from previous programming on violence prevention in Guatemala are incorporated into activity design and implementation.
Provide technical expertise in the field of crime and violence prevention, guiding the team in the development and implementation of strategies to address complex issues.
Work closely with other members of the senior management team to ensure alignment with project objectives and goals.
Supervise project staff, consultants, and implementing partners
Coordinate mapping analysis to identify critical stakeholders and collaborate on shared concerns, leading to the identification of key policy leverage points.
Facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including young people, religious actors, police, and national and municipal government agencies to address crime and violence.
Utilize community dialogue approaches to facilitate long-term dialogue processes and shift attitudes and perceptions among stakeholders.
Build the capacity of stakeholders to prioritize collaboration through training programs and the use of the Common Ground Approach curriculum.
Develop networking forums and build relationships between stakeholders to institutionalize collaborative approaches.
Support the integration of local youth violence prevention partners and work-based approaches to reduce social unrest among young people

Contributions

Program implementation: Supports quality utilization of project work plan, reporting, M&E, compliance, partnership/sub-agreement, stakeholder engagement.
Reporting: Contributes to quality and compliant reporting in line with donor rules and regulations, leading on Search’s contributions to the prime’s donor reports.
Compliance: Provides adherence to compliance, capacity building and coaching of staff and partners.
External Engagement: Contributes to communication with government, media and partner organizations as agreed with the consortium lead.
Program management, quality, and project design: Collaboration with the Institutional Learning Team to support relevant project staff with understanding and utilizing the logical framework and the necessary Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) tools for the project
Operations: Support compliance of staff and partners to Search, donor and country rules and regulations
Infuses organizational values into all work
Other duties that are broadly in line with the above key contributions as assigned.

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

Works collaboratively with senior managers and colleagues sharing senior expertise; builds teams for successful implementation of projects and programs.
Effectively influences vendors, organizations, professional associations, and partners.
Makes decisions on existing information when it may not be complete.
Adapts to the personal style and preferences of colleagues to assess their needs and preferences; tolerates ambiguity.
Articulates Search/function program/project goals and objectives within and external to Search; develops program objectives, indicators, and results; and participates in strategy development for the team.
Provides input for standards across functions globally within Shared Services teams with the ability to create a best fit that considers international norms and compliance while supporting an organizational culture for work.
Overcomes obstacles, including personal biases, by following Search’s ethics code in complex situations; displayed in activities as ethical principles and values that guide professional interactions.
Assesses risks and opportunities in a complex environment and convenes discussions to lead to a favorable outcome.
Establishes tools to monitor quality of work and verification of information.
Has knowledge of project management tools including technology as resources and applies delegation skills to support the development of others, as well as the building of efficiency and reduction of stress.
Supports employees in their efforts to achieve job goals (e.g., by providing resources, removing obstacles, acting as a buffer).
Engages with Shared Services teams, cross-functional teams, and colleagues to produce innovative solutions.
Uses analysis (costs, benefits, risks) to manage within a global standards and best practices framework.
Guides colleagues, Shared Services teams, cross-functional teams, and direct reports toward learning resources for purposes of broadening skill sets and understanding for continued growth in both breadth and depth of knowledge for organizational functions, standards, and objectives.
Remain alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills that will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy.

Type and Nature of Contacts

Routinely coordinates with colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolves problem situations with tact.
Represents, as assigned, selected programs or projects and other organizations, including donors, vendors, and international and local partners.
Interacts with the country office and regional staff.
Works directly with stakeholders including government, civil society leaders, youth activists, and educators.

Type and Nature of Contacts

University degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Development, Political Science, International Affairs, Sociology, Project Management, Law, Urban Planning, psychology, or other relevant subjects.
Demonstrated experience in fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders in Guatemala.
Knowledge of youth violence prevention strategies and experience working with youth-focused organizations is an advantage.
Knowledge of urban planning is an advantage.
Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English is required; knowledge of other languages spoken in Guatemala is an advantage.

Education and Experience

Typically BS/BA with minimum 11 years experience.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Usual office environment conditions; ability to travel internationally at least 20%.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

May supervise one or more staff members.