Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Presence (FORPP) provides protective international accompaniment to at-risk human rights defenders and grass-roots communities, organisations and leaders in Colombia who are committed to social, racial and environmental justice. At this time a vacancy has arisen for a Programme Coordinator with FORPP in Bogotá, Colombia. We are looking to fill this post as soon as possible, so our ideal starting date would be at the beginning of July, though for an exceptional candidate, we would consider a degree of flexibility.
For an informal conversation about the post, please contact Peter Cousins, Executive Director of FORPP: peter@peacepresence.org. To apply for this post, please send an up-to-date CV, a letter of motivation and the names and contact details of two referees, to the same address by 5am Bogotá-time on 9th June. Interviews will be scheduled during the two weeks thereafter. Please note that, due to the nature of this work, we cannot engage Colombian citizens (applications from Colombian dual-nationals will be considered).
Title: Programme Coordinator
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week plus on-calls)
Description: Working as part of a three-person staff team, the principal purpose of this post is to provide direction, coordination and oversight of FORPP volunteer accompaniers in the San José de Apartadó and Bogotá teams. The Programme Coordinator reports to, and is supported by, the Executive Director.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Recruitment, training, support, and ongoing guidance for five-person FOR team in Colombia. This includes: monitoring security situation, reviewing accompaniment petitions, sending timely feedback to teams, and coordinating two full-team retreats per year. It also requires being on-call in case of emergencies.
- Ensuring the accompaniment team’s logistical needs are met, includes securing visas, scheduling deployment, procuring equipment, etc.
- Design and implement strategies for political accompaniment that includes regular meetings with embassies, multilateral agencies and Colombian authorities.
- Maintain strategic relations with FORPP accompanied partners, including occasional visits to the field.
- In collaboration with the Development and Communications Coordinator, provide regularly-updated information on Colombian human rights scenarios and peace initiatives to FORPP’s international audience, including work by accompaniers.
- Co-organisation with team in Colombia of 1-2 annual delegations to Colombia.
Person specification
Essential:
- Commitment to active non-violence and the goals of the FORPP.
- Demonstrable leadership skills, preferably with experience working in a supervisory role.
- Excellent understanding of current political and human rights issues in Colombia, and US/European foreign policy as it relates to Colombia.
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills, including fluency in Spanish and English.
- A deep understanding of the goals and methods of international protective accompaniment.
- Proven advocacy skills vis-à-vis a variety of interlocutors and audiences.
- Willingness to work on-call and to travel to potentially-dangerous areas of Colombia.
- Ability to work well with colleagues, make consensus-based decisions, and comfortable in diverse cultural and class settings.
Desirable:
- Experience as an international accompanier, preferably in Colombia.
- Experience dealing with Colombian bureaucracy.
- Facility with computer systems (preferably Macintosh); familiarity with website and media software.
Compensation
A permanent contract (subject to successful evaluation at six-months) remunerated in the sum of 3 million COP per month. Comprehensive health coverage and 20 working days holiday per year are also included. If the successful candidate requires a flight from their country of origin, this will be purchased by FORPP.
FORPP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender and gender identity, race, religion and belief, or sexual orientation. However, given the nature of international accompaniment, we are unable to accept Colombian citizens for this role.