Senior Vice President for Latin American Operations

Organizational Background:

Covenant House International is one of the largest charitable agencies in the Americas providing housing and other essential services to unaccompanied children, youth and young families experiencing homelessness, hunger and human trafficking. Incorporated in New York City in 1972, Covenant House International has a presence in 31 cities throughout the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.

Covenant House International’s work has been recognized with several of the world’s most distinguished human rights awards, including the Vital Voices Award (for our Honduran affiliate) in 2019; The Olof Palme International Foundation (FIOP) Medal (for our Guatemalan affiliate) in 2019; the Merced Foundation’s Razon de Ser Award (for our Mexican affiliate) in 2019; the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Award (a $1 million prize in 2000 for our work across Latin America that funded the establishment of our Nicaraguan affiliate); and the WOLA Human Rights Prize (for our Honduran affiliate) in 2016.

Covenant House International has an impressive and dedicated Board of Directors, including the chairman of CBS, Strauss Zelnick; Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman; investment banking executive and former Covenant House resident Tracy Jones-Walker; multiple-award winning actors Audra McDonald and Rachel Brosnahan; 60 Minutes Correspondent John Dickerson; and Tom McGee, the president and CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers, who also serves as chairman of the Covenant House Board of Directors The agency’s 5 year strategic plan (2016-2020) includes an aggressive expansion to reach 70,000 children and youth a year, and the construction of new purpose-built housing in Mexico City, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Toronto and Vancouver. In addition, the agency expanded to its first new state in 17 years when it launched Covenant House Illinois in Chicago in 2016. The agency is currently planning its next 3-year strategic plan.

To support this expansion, the agency has built an international Sleep Out movement, involving thousands of participants across the United States and Canada who raise funds to house, feed and help children, youth and young families.

Covenant House International sites are located in Anchorage, Asbury Park, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Berkeley, Chicago, Coatapeque, Detroit, Elizabeth, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Jersey City, Grand Rapids, Guatemala City, Los Angeles, Managua, Mexico City, Montclair, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Pedro Sula, St. Louis, Tegucigalpa, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, D.C. and York.

In addition to food, shelter, clothing and immediate crisis care, Covenant House provides a variety of services to children and youth including medical care, educational and vocational programs, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal aid services, recreation programs, mother/child programs, life-skills training, pastoral care and street outreach. Covenant House International’s revenues totaled more than $180 million in 2018. About 85 percent of Covenant House’s annual budget comes from private sources.

Position Summary:

The Senior Vice President for Latin America Operations (SVP) is a member of Covenant House International’s senior leadership team and reports to the Chief Operating Officer. The SVP is responsible for providing operational support, oversight and strategic counsel to Covenant House’s four international affiliates in Latin America: Casa Alianza Mexico, La Alianza Guatemala, Casa Alianza Honduras and Casa Alianza Nicaragua, all of which serve children who have endured homelessness, hunger and human trafficking. The SVP collaborates with affiliates in the implementation of strategic planning; affiliate Board recruitment and stewardship; budget development and monitoring; enterprise risk management; program service tracking and evaluation; public communications and advocacy; resource development; management and performance reviews for each affiliate national director and Covenant House International staff as assigned. The SVP plays a central role in convening the national directors semi-annually on issues and initiatives of common concern. The position requires extensive travel among Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and the United States.

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES:

This person is an outstanding operational & financial professional and an exceptional leader. He/she has a profound sense of humanity, empathy and respect for others. The ideal candidate is culturally competent and understands the social, economic, cultural and political norms of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. S/he possesses a high degree of general administrative and management knowledge along with specialized knowledge in finance, nonprofit management, and human services. Experience working directly with a Board of Directors is essential.

• This person is a thoughtful, collaborative leader who works well with individuals at all levels of the organization, including in affiliate countries that are geographically dispersed.
• S/he is an exceptional communicator with strong presentation skills. The successful candidate designs and presents transparent, understandable reports and data that meet the needs of a variety of constituencies.
• This person is a natural problem solver who anticipates and deals with problems quickly and effectively. S/he is detail oriented, but is a talented manager who empowers competent staff members to do their jobs well. S/he is well-organized with an open leadership style—not wedded to a top-down chain of command.
• This person has a genuine passion for Covenant House’s mission to help children, youth and families in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. S/he is an excellent verbal and written communicator who can clearly and passionately articulate the organization’s mission and current objectives.
• S/he is a proactive leader and a team player who understands that respect is earned through collaboration and results, not position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Persuasive Communication Skills – presents his/her own ideas to others in a manner that achieves clarity, buy-in and commitment.
• Mature Confidence – leads and interacts with others assertively, responsibly and supportively.
• Decisiveness makes decisions effectively and maintains a firm sense of direction.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout New York City, Mexico and Central America Latin America. To manage highly-skilled and capable affiliate national directors who have garnered national and international recognition for their leadership, service and advocacy. Ability to interact with great skill and ease with donors and board members in business. To be personable, creative, focused and flexible and anintensely collaborative spirit. To excite anyone about our mission and provide them with a unique experience as a supporter
• Absolute Integrity – demonstrated honesty and strong values through consistent action.
• Profound and demonstrated commitment to human service and social change
• Outstanding communication skills, articulate and persuasive, with well-honed relationship building skills
• Drive and sophistication, excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of the organization as a whole
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with the presence and personal style to represent the organization to multiple constituents
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with a strong attention to detail
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills
• Availability to work a flexible schedule including weekends, evenings, and night hours as needed

MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• This position requires a Master’s Degree in a relevant area of study and ten years of professional experience. Or a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant area of study and fifteen years of progressive managerial responsibility in nonprofit management and operations, preferably in an international nonprofit focused on services in Latin America.
• Experience managing executive level staff.
• Strong bilingual English-Spanish fluency required.
• Previous experience living and working in Mexico and/or Central America is strongly preferred.
• Valid US Driver’s License and Passport

Work Location:

• One location

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off

This Company Describes Its Culture as:

• Outcome-oriented — results-focused with strong performance culture
• People-oriented — supportive and fairness-focused
• Team-oriented — cooperative and collaborative