Director of People and Culture

Position: Director of People and Culture (Staff Member)

Organization: Amazon Frontlines

Country: Ecuador

Work Modality:

Based in Quito, Puyo, Tena or Lago Agrio, Ecuador with travel

About Amazon Frontlines

Amazon Frontlines (amazonfrontlines.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Amazon Frontlines fights the climate crisis by securing indigenous stewardship of the Amazon rainforest. We build power with Indigenous leaders to form a bulwark of resistance throughout the upper Amazon, working together deep in the forest, at our organizing hub in northeastern Ecuador, and in the halls of power worldwide. Our mission is driven by a commitment to environmental conservation and empowering indigenous communities through partnership and sustainable practices.

The Position

Amazon Frontlines is going through a dynamic period of growth and your job is to jump in with both feet to gain a deep understanding of our team’s needs and the opportunities for growth in order to take our People and Culture game to the next level. You will do this by applying your knowledge and skills to support our growing team and AF’s commitment to this urgent cause. This is a new position for the organization, and we are looking for someone with deep practical experience and commitment to help us architect a culture focused on the diversity, strength and wellbeing of our team and partners.

Your top priorities in this role will be to strengthen our organizational culture through innovative staff-centered approaches and build out our human resources systems and legal compliance infrastructure as we prepare to launch a local Amazon Frontlines entity in Ecuador.

You will do this through providing consistent, high-quality direction and leadership of our People and Culture team, working shoulder-to-shoulder with all team members to structure and cultivate the participatory organizational culture and professional environment that aligns with the values of the work we do in the Upper Amazon and supports each team member to activate their full potential in the pursuit of doing excellent work. You’ll build strong relationships within the whole AF team and key stakeholders and will be a key resource on personnel matters, bringing consistent, respected and values-aligned decision making and leadership approaches to the organization. You’ll thrive on ensuring our staffing structure is on point, recruiting and retaining top notch staff, developing growth and training opportunities; you will relish the chance to integrate a high caliber People and Culture program that supports our work in this dynamic, multinational setting. You will also help develop policies and accompanying staff benefits and support to match the needs of our current situation.

Your impact will influence our partners and broader community by helping to establish and promote our values and commitment as an organization to the communities and people with whom we work. This is a chance to be at the center of a passionate and international network of people who are deeply invested in the fight to protect the Amazon, Indigenous cultures, and our global climate. You should be committed to supporting a successful grassroots movement that succeeds through hard work, transparency, humility, mutual respect and honest partnership.

You will be a key leader within the organization as we evolve to support a local Ecuadorian entity that employs staff in addition to operating a US-based contracting model, complying with regulations in both cases, and providing competitive and sustainable benefits to our team. We’ll be looking to you to help us navigate complicated implementation challenges for Ecuador specific personnel policies, local payroll functions, and Ecuador social security benefits registration and enrollment. The job is a great fit for an HR professional with substantial management experience in Ecuador, particularly with NGOs, and knowledge of U.S. organizations. We’re looking to apply your skills as we transition from a start-up into the robust and sustainable organization we are becoming.

This full-time position will be based in Ecuador. Regular travel within Ecuador and possibly other Amazonian countries will be required, including to our headquarters in Lago Agrio.

The Ideal Candidate

You’ll have an exceptionally strong background in the work of progressive approaches to people and culture, as well as traditional human resources functions, honed in an NGO or other professional setting, with experience leading people operations in complex and dynamic settings with clear success. You’ll be organized, kind, diplomatic, and a dependable resource within our team. You’ll be bilingual (Spanish/English), and knowledgeable in Ecuadorian employment practices and compliance.

What you will do and how you will impact Amazon Frontlines:

• Strategic HR leadership and direction. As an organizational leader, you’ll manage your own team and budget and serve in a senior organizational leadership role. Through a defined vision and solutions-oriented approach, you will build and continuously evolve a culture of support, professionalism and communication within the organization, ensuring that your team has the pulse of needs of the wider AF team related to culture and workplace ecosystem.
• Manage HR set up for Ecuadorian Entity. You’ll manage the build out of new, compliant HR systems in Ecuador (HRIS, payroll, benefits management, etc) and be a strategic communicator to the AF team about HR changes.
• Talent Management Expert. You’ll oversee AF’s hiring, onboarding and employee support systems and provide coaching and support to managers to detect and define staffing needs and solutions, support teams during times of staffing transitions and make the most of each new hire opportunity. Your team will support drafting and posting openings, screening applicants, interviewing candidates and onboarding candidates. You’ll also work with DFO and COO and managers to ensure sound budgeting planning related to staffing.
• Onboarding. You’ll provide key HR leadership to managers to ensure new staff are welcomed, given proper training, and supported as they learn the ropes, and marshall organizational resources to develop new tools, systems and video content to take our onboarding program to the next level. Your ingenuity and creativity in this area will make a significant impact.
• Team member advocate: Support healthy collaborative relationships between team members, partners and supporters, building a harmonious workplace that complies with employment laws and respected standards of labor rights and healthy workplaces.
• Personnel Policies. Working closely with our COO and DFO, you’ll manage a thorough review of our current and draft personnel policies to ensure compliance with the Ecuadorian labor code, proposing adjustments and revisions as needed, and facilitating opportunities for feedback and consultation.
• Training and Professional Development. You’ll lead the way in building a culture of learning and growth by establishing a robust and culturally-appropriate training and professional development program and maintaining compliance with legally-mandated training requirements You’ll also advise staff and managers, and provide guidance on matters related to people and culture, seeking outcomes that reflect organizational values.
• Safety. Drawing on the expertise of AF’s Security Committee and others, you’ll support drafting of safety and security policies and lead on development of an effective safety and security training program. You may also serve as an emergency contact.
• HR Data and Systems. You’ll administer AF’s HR platforms and work with key staff to maintain accuracy of HR data.
• Compensation and Benefits. You will lead a review of the current compensation and benefits offered to staff to ensure a package that is comprehensive and competitive. In collaboration with COO and DFO, manage the portfolio of benefits offered to staff and maintain compensation framework and associated compensation practices.

Essential Skills, Experiences and Requirements

• This position will require significant HR chops and very solid leadership, communication and interpersonal skills. You should have at least 3-5 years of professional experience leading HR operations in Ecuador and a robust understanding of HR functions, labor laws, and HR best practices.
• Your team will rely on you for honest, proactive and reliable written and in person communication.
• This role involves working closely with an incredibly diverse group. You’ll need to bring awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from varying cultures and backgrounds into your work and a commitment to their experiences as team members and the importance of team wellbeing to the success of our work.
• People will depend on the work that you’ll accomplish in this role, so you’ll need to stay organized, prioritize, plan, and solve problems as you go. We’ll be looking for a track record of follow through and effective management in a professional setting.
• AF is a multilingual team. To be effective in your role, you’ll need to be bilingual in both English and Spanish and able to communicate at a high level in both.

This role will require some travel. Opportunities will also be provided for you to travel into the rainforest to get to know partner communities, which is strongly encouraged. There will also be times you’ll need to work outside normal business hours.

Physical and Travel Requirements

This position involves traveling and working in diverse environments. Team members must be able to travel with the necessary reasonable accommodations and have the flexibility to adapt to the physical challenges of varying travel conditions, which include climate and terrain variations, as well as limited access to medical care and treatment. Travel may involve transportation by foot, canoe, car, and/or small plane to reach remote areas.

You will also need to perform general administrative tasks, such as working for extended periods on a computer (typing, using a keyboard, and navigating through various digital platforms) and maintaining frequent communication, whether in person, via email, messaging platforms, online meetings, or by phone.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

How to Apply

Please submit a one-page cover letter describing how your experience and skills apply to supporting Amazon Frontlines and why this role excites you, along with a resume.

Amazon Frontlines is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.