In Country Director (Honduras)

POSITION: In-Country Director (ICD) 

LOCATION: Cofradía, Cortés, Honduras (with regular presence at school sites) 

ABOUT BECA: BECA recruits, trains, and supports recent college graduates and other adult volunteers to teach in our network of Honduran bilingual schools as well as some Honduran bilingual educators still completing or recently having completed university. Currently, BECA’s teaching team provides high-quality instruction to more than 500 students at our two partner schools in financially disadvantaged communities in northern Honduras. As we have grown over the past twenty three years, our grassroots model has been sustained by robust partnerships between Hondurans committed to creating educational opportunities in their communities and English-speaking volunteers drawn towards a truly authentic cultural collaboration. Learn more about us at www.becaschools.org. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION: BECA’s In-Country Director (ICD) provides on-the-ground leadership for BECA’s teaching team and staff. They also act as the primary liaison between BECA and our local partners. He or she is responsible for supporting our volunteer teachers, managing our on-the-ground leadership at each school, and collaborating with the Honduran School Directors and staff in order to facilitate the efficient, coordinated, and mission-driven operations of our two school and community programs. Moreover, the ICD is responsible for seeking out, developing, and stewarding relationships with organizations and individuals who share BECA’s mission and may provide opportunities for collaboration – requiring comfort with public speaking in both English and Spanish. This person has a unique opportunity to facilitate the collaboration between a service-minded group of individuals and the Honduran communities in which they operate. The highlight of this job is the “genuine” nature of the experience: getting to know our students and their families, seeing our teachers succeed in the classroom, and immersing oneself in the communities where we work. 

The ICD will maintain regular communication with BECA’s Board of Directors. We consider the ICD to be an integral voice in shaping BECA’s programmatic growth and our long-term strategy. 

REQUIRED DUTIES: 

❖ Supervise Program Manager, Instructional Administrator and Program Administrators 

❖ Monitor the condition, quality and continuous improvement of BECA programs
❖ Communicate regularly with BECA’s Board of Directors for the purposes of quality assurance and the continuous improvement of BECA programs
❖ Take a lead role in collaboration with the Program Manager in building a spirit of teamwork and cohesion among volunteers and with other school staff/partners and community members
❖ Oversee the Instructional Administrator’s role in providing pedagogical support

❖ Oversee current partner relationships with an eye to maintaining the long-term sustainability of each of our partner schools and addressing the changing landscape in Honduras and each partner school community 

❖ Organize monthly partner and school director meetings, school summits, weekly administrator meetings, annual retreats, and quarterly leadership team rallies 

❖ Coordinate and track important pedagogical and administrative information and logistics

❖ Oversee in-country finances in coordination with Program Manager 

❖ Support the PM in proactively identifying and responding to potential issues of risk management: security threats, health and safety concerns and/or other related incidents 

❖ Support the PM in securing housing and other logistics for volunteer residencies and summer homestays

 ❖ Support the PM in the implementation and evaluation of key programs such as Libros y Familia, Escuela para Padres, Continuing English Program, Service Learning programs, BECA Bachillerato Program, and Culture in Context 

❖ Plan and supervise summer camp and the Summer Institute Teacher Training Program 

❖ Identify and launch new community and country partnerships 

❖ Other duties as assigned 

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS: 

❖ A commitment to BECA’s mission and a dedication to social justice 

❖ No fewer than 3 years in nonprofit management, community development, and/or

education administration, including two or more years of supervision experience 

❖ Advanced level of Spanish and English (near-fluent to native fluency in both) 

❖ Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural management skills (experience living in Latin America is preferred) 

❖ Ability to independently manage a large team and solve problems 

❖ Capacity to manage multiple tasks simultaneously 

❖ Teaching experience or working in a multicultural education setting a plus 

❖ Willingness to operate in a low-resource environment under challenging living conditions 

❖ Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience 

HIRING DETAILS: Salary (which includes housing/living expenses & flight stipend) commensurate with candidate’s experience and skills. 

 

APPLY: If interested in applying or referring a potential candidate, please email a resume and cover letter to volunteer@becaschools.org with “in-country director” in the subject line. Your cover letter should specifically speak to some of the following:

How have your past experiences prepared you to lead and support a diverse team in a challenging, low-resource environment?

What strategies have you used in the past to manage and improve program quality, and how would you apply these strategies to BECA’s programs in Honduras?

Can you provide examples of how you have successfully built and maintained relationships with stakeholders and partners in previous roles?

What motivates you to work in the field of bilingual education and community development?

How does BECA’s mission align with your personal and professional goals?