Project Officer – Honduras – CERRADA

We are looking for an experienced professional to join our growing team in Honduras and contribute to the implementation of Solidaridad’s ambitious multi-annual strategic plan (MASP) 2021-2025. The responsibilities primarily include supporting coffee and palm oil producer associations and private sector actors in the implementation of social-inclusion focused improvements with the frameworks of Decent Work and Fair Value Distribution. The position will work closely with Solidaridad’s Honduran and regional teams to deliver ground-breaking solutions that can accelerate and scale the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy.

The Project Officer will work in oil palm- and coffee- producing regions of Honduras, report to the Honduran Programme Manager and Legal Representative, coordinate with Palm and Coffee Project Officers and collaborate with other senior staff, including the Regional Head of Technical Programmes, and specialists in Impact Investment, Landscapes & Climate, Digital Solutions,, and quality management areas of Finance & Administration, PMEL, Development / Fundraising and Communications. Deadline for applications is January 25, 2022 5 p.m. EST.

Honduras Project Officer job description

Solidaridad Central America, Mexico and Caribbean is part of Solidaridad Network, an international civil society organization present in 44 countries, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive supply chains. Solidaridad Central America, Mexico and Caribbean has experienced significant growth in recent years and has a robust regional portfolio that works across entire supply chains, from smallholder producers to large agroindustry actors and brands. We are engaged with the following supply chains: palm oil, sugarcane, livestock, cacao, coffee, aquaculture, fruits & vegetables, and gold. In recent years, Solidaridad expanded its focus beyond supply chains to sustainable landscape management through the convening and capacity-building of multi-stakeholder platforms that facilitate dialogue, transparency, consensus building and co-design of solutions to achieve long-term sustainable solutions to pressing issues, including climate change, water and soil conservation, land-use pressure, food security, poverty, social inclusion, workers’ rights, among others. Honduras is our “anchor landscape” within the wider Mesoamerican Landscape Accelerator. Our team of professionals manages projects in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, with possible expansion to other countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

Solidaridad aims to leverage supply chain actors to move beyond farm and factory sustainability to landscape-level interventions through multi-stakeholder dialogue and consensus-building, and co-design innovative solutions that deliver multiple benefits to multiple actors through a portfolio of interlinking investments and blended finance opportunities where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The Honduras Project Officer will:

• Support the development of programmes and new proposals/fundraising across Honduras in collaboration with the Programme Manager / Legal Representative, Technical Head of Programmes, regional commodity experts, Development Manager, Impact Investment, ICT, Climate & Landscapes and M&E Specialists, partner organizations and potential donors/investors.
• Support proposal development in other countries (as relevant).
• Support the mapping of potential partners and donor/investment sources.
• Manage and maintain positive relationships with relevant strategic partners, including the private sector, government, CSOs, consultants, among others.
• Lead the development and implementation of training and learning programmes for partners on decent work, social and gender inclusion.
• Actively support the development and management of project and operational budgets and financial plans and annual reports and plans.
• Support the development of inclusive and commercially viable business cases and models at farm-, enterprise-, and market- levels as a core input to proposals supporting Solidaridad’s sustainable growth, based on blended support models (grants, investment, technical assistance) and impact investment.
• In collaboration with the regional team of innovation specialists, support the development of impact investment proposal pipeline, digital tool development and usage, landscape and climate solutions, and the integration of gender and social inclusion into all initiatives.
• Ensure the visibility and integrity of the Solidaridad brand by regularly providing content for publication, and collaborating with the communications team for the production of high-quality communications materials based on programming and results achieved at the country level.
• Ensure internal administrative systems (i.e. M&E) are updated regularly, and the use of Solidaridad tools and apps for communication and data management both internally and externally.

The ideal candidate will fulfill the following

REQUIRED:

• University degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. economist, agronomist, social scientist).
• 5 years of professional experience in Honduras, with a proven track record of successful project implementation with experience in decent work, social and gender inclusion.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills required.
• Understanding and experience in the principles and practice of international development in the context of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Proven experience in the complete Project Management Cycle from planning and design, to implementation, PMEL and the delivery of high-quality, reliable and verifiable financial, narrative and quantitative reports.
• Strong leadership skills, with a proven ability to successfully manage and grow interpersonal relationships.
• Ability to work as part of a broader regional and network-level team, in an international, multilingual and multicultural environment.
• Knowledge of and fluency in the use of relevant software systems (e.g., Google Workspace, Salesforce), as well as other communication tools (WhatsApp, Zoom, etc.).
• Professional spoken and written fluency in Spanish and English.
• Excellent public speaking skills and the ability to engage with a wide range of actors, from community members to government officials, donors and finance experts.
• High ethical standards and a commitment to transparency & open communication with colleagues and partners in Honduras, across the region and the broader organizational network; integrity in dealing with confidential information.
• Ability to work proactively and collaboratively in a complex and demanding environment.
• Must be able to travel regularly in Honduras, including to rural areas, and occasionally the region.
• Must be able to work in Honduras.

DESIRED:

• Commodity expertise (palm oil, coffee, cacao, livestock, etc) and/or integrated landscape management a plus. Business development experience is a plus.
• Strategic thinker who is able to understand complex systems and identify key leverage points for action.
• Ability to blaze new trails.
• Service-oriented, pragmatic, flexible.
• Experience in developing and working in partnership with businesses, NGOs, public and private foundations, donors and governments.
• Superb facilitation skills in multi-stakeholder settings that often deal with conflict or sensitive issues and a proven ability to convene diverse actors through a commonly held vision of sustainability, to instill trust and passion in a multi-stakeholder setting.
• Affinity with the vision and mission of Solidaridad.
• Willingness to take on new challenges as the organization evolves and opportunities emerge.
• Capacity and desire to use and contribute to the Ideation and conceptualization of digital tools.
• A desire to learn, develop and implement cutting-edge innovations that will speed and scale our impact.

What we offer

• Competitive NGO salary and benefits
• High flexibility and liberty to operate
• A fast-paced and exciting work environment, in a small but highly motivated and growing team
• Continuous learning within an innovative organization; significant professional growth and the opportunity to make a real difference in the world
• Opportunity to engage in multiple regional and global networks of high professional relevance

Location: Honduras. Ideally, the successful candidate will reside in or near La Ceiba.