Latin America Regional Coordinator Revenue Watch Institute

Latin America Regional Coordinator

Revenue Watch Institute

Job Description

January 2012

Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) is a non-governmental organization that promotes responsible management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good. Too often natural resource wealth results in corruption and poverty, instead of growth and development. With effective revenue management, citizen engagement and government accountability, natural resource wealth can drive economic growth and development. RWI provides the expertise, funding and technical assistance to help countries realize these benefits. Please visit our website for more information: www.revenuewatch.org.

The Revenue Watch Institute seeks a Latin America Regional Coordinator (LA RC) to lead our work in the region. The LA RC manages the Latin America Senior Regional Associate, the Research Assistant and the Latin America Regional Associate to meet RWI’s strategic objectives. Our Latin America team is based in Lima, Peru. Countries of focus in 2012 include: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, as well as regional research, training and advocacy activities. The Latin America Regional Coordinator reports to the Director of the Regional Offices, also based in Lima.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• The LA RC is responsible for the development and implementation of Revenue Watch’s strategy of engagement in the region. This includes conducting assessments of the current environment and opportunities for impact, and considering how to best to leverage and apply RWI’s approaches, such asstrengthening support to civil society and developing research, grant-making, advocacy and technical assistance projects in new countries in consultation with RWI senior staff and management.

• The LA RC is responsible for identifying and communicating research, capacity-building and technical assistance needs at the local, national and regional levels, and working with relevant RWI staff and/or outside experts to address these issues as they arise. This may include sub-national and parliamentary capacity building, technical assistance on legislation and fiscal regimes. The RC provides valuable perspective on priorities for work in the region, trade-offs and new opportunities for engagement.

Knowledge Generation and Intellectual Leadership

• The LA RC is responsible for the development and oversight of a regional research / knowledge generation agenda, based on the research capacities of the regional team and in collaboration with both the central RWI research staff and the regional network and its counterparts.
• The LA RC is responsible for the tracking, analyzing and reporting on regional trends, drawing on the capacities of the regional and international RWI team, and utilizing this analysis in order to identify new opportunities and potential for impact.

Program Planning, Management and Oversight

• The RC is responsible for facilitating relationships with current and potential partners and grantees. This may include working with grantees to develop proposals, communicating issues and questions to relevant RWI staff, helping grantees to understand RWI’s resources and support, managing expectations, and handling unsolicited proposals in the region.
• The RC is also responsible to monitor the implementation of projects and grants and manage ongoing projects, to ensure objectives are met and activities are executed and impactful.
• The LA RC is responsible for the annual planning of RWI’s work in the region, and contributing to larger organizational strategic planning, as well as facilitating budget discussions and making recommendations to senior management.

Advocacy

• The LA RC is responsible for promoting good governance in the extractive industries, including the adoption and implementation of the EITI and targeting regional bodies to support and institutionalize transparency standards; the adoption of adequate national policies regarding the more efficient distribution and use of the rent generated by the extractive sector; local content and economic diversification policies aimed at preventing both enclave and overdependence situations; and consultation and territorial management policies to ensure local people´s rights and sustainable use of renewable resources.

Communications and Representation

• The Regional Coordinator represents RWI in the region, contributing expertise and strategic guidance through active outreach, participation in conferences and events, and stimulating public debate about the responsible and sustainable management of the extractive sector across the region.
• The RC is expected to contribute/facilitate policy briefs and commentary from local actorson issues of concern in the region related to the extractive sector´s good governance, and to contribute to RWI’s media outreach and communications on our work.

Fundraising

• As RWI seeks to expand work in Latin America, the RC is expected to prioritize and participate in regional and global fundraising for the organization. This may include following up with interested parties, putting together proposals for RWI work, and organizing fundraising trips. These RWI fundraising activities are supported by the senior staff.

REQUIREMENTS

• 10+ years of experience in the extractive industries or related field, working to promote good governance;
• Experience working with a variety of stakeholders, including government, civil society, and the private sector;
• Familiarity with international transparency and multi-stakeholder initiatives, including the EITI, or relevant knowledge in petroleum and mining sectors and/or public financial management;
• Experience working in Latin America at regional and national levels, including in RWI’s target countries;
• Experience providing training to civil society, government and/or legislators;
• Experience providing technical/policy advice to governments and civil society;
• Graduate degree in relevant field preferred (political science, economics, social sciences, finance/accounting, law, or international affairs);
• Fluency in English and Spanish;
• Strong research, writing and organizational skills;
• Integrity, professional discretion and an ability to interact effectively with diverse partners.

COMPENSATION: Commensurate with experience.

TO APPLY: By February 13, 2012 please submit:

· CV/Resume

· Cover letter

· Brief writing sample (no more than 15 pages, academic papers acceptable)

Via email to rwi@revenuewatch.org. Please refer to job code in subject line: RWI/LA RC.

No phone calls, please. Revenue Watch Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.