International Operations & Mentorship Specialist

Position Description: Limitless Horizons Ixil (LHI) seeks a creative, flexible, and relationship-oriented team member with excellent project management, communication and interpersonal skills, passionate about international community development and nonprofit administration. The International Operations & Mentorship Specialist will support the mentorship team, the international team, monitoring and evaluation, and build local team capacity.

Our journey began in 2004 in Chajul, a rural, war-affected, and resource-scarce indigenous Maya community where opportunities for education beyond primary school—especially for girls—were virtually nonexistent. Through our evidence-based programs, we have significantly increased access to education for girls, enabling many to graduate from high school and even become the firsts in the community to attend university or pursue master’s degrees.

In 2022, we reached a pivotal milestone by opening Chajul’s first girl-focused middle and high school, Colegio Horizontes. In addition to the learner-focused education that we offer, students participate in a comprehensive mentorship program. Our local, indigenous mentors guide students in developing emotional, social, and academic skills through safe, supportive environments. They teach classes in the areas of hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, mental health, and leadership. Additionally, they conduct individual sessions with students, home visits with families, and they lead workshops with parents. We firmly believe that this holistic approach to education and social-emotional well-being supports our students in cultivating the agency that they need to accomplish their dreams.

The International Operations & Mentorship Specialist will work in partnership with the rest of the Guatemalan and international team. The ideal candidate is adaptable, self-motivated, a strong critical thinker, diplomatic, fluent in English and Spanish, and comfortable working with a diverse, often remote team. This is a unique opportunity to join a 20-year-old NGO led by a passionate indigenous staff in Chajul, offering a challenging yet rewarding experience in community development.

Organizational Overview: Limitless Horizons Ixil is a non-religious, non-partisan Guatemala-based organization with legal status in Guatemala and 501(c)(3) status in the United States. Our mission is to create opportunities for the indigenous youth, women, and families of Chajul to develop the academic and professional skills needed to effect change in their lives and community. [LHI Overview here for more organizational info].

We achieve our goals through the integration of these core programs:

• Colegio Horizontes is the innovative middle school we opened in January 2022. We began with a class of 24 7th graders, and we will add one grade each year until we reach full capacity with 5 grades. Colegio Horizontes brings culturally responsive, rigorous, and engaging academics to Chajul for the first time, opening doors for girls to attend and thrive in school along with a group of boy allies (minimum: 66% female, 33% male). Students will be part of a new generation of civic-minded youth who are academically prepared for college and well-paying careers.
• The Saber Sin Límites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library serves nearly 500 yearly active members and offers the entire community access to around 10,000 books, literacy programming, academic support, and other resources.
• The Emerging Leaders Program provides alumni with ongoing support in their transitions to university, employment, and/or entrepreneurship.

Responsibilities:

• Mentorship support & strategic planning
  • Support the Mentorship Coordinator to oversee the strategic planning and management of the mentorship program
  • Support the Mentorship Coordinator with developing new systems, documents, manuals, reports, and updates
  • Support the mentorship team with program development through classroom observations, coaching, one-on-one sessions
  • Support in finding and contacting strategic alliances, contacts and finding materials to support mentorship and Colegio Horizontes
  • Collaborate with mentorship coaches and specialists
  • Lead or support with any strategic research or other projects that the team may identify
  • Research potential partners and curriculum and training opportunities
  • Collaborate with leadership team to ensure mentorship goals are met and communicated effectively
  • Depending on skill set: support the academic team with program development through classroom observations, coaching, one-on-one sessions
• Networking and donor/volunteer support
  • Organizational networking with a portfolio of contacts (universities, businesses, organizations, volunteers,etc).
  • Host donors, volunteers, and partner visits
  • Support with volunteer coordination
  • Lead community engagement trips with visitors and donors
  • Depending on skill set: support the academic team with program development through classroom observations, coaching, one-on-one sessions
• Monitoring & evaluation
  • Administer and improve LHI’s monitoring and evaluation plan with support from the team and board
  • Design and implement data collection tools and methods, including surveys, key informant interviews, and focus groups
  • Produce effective communications to report evaluation findings to staff, board members, partners, grantors, and donors
  • Research and update statistics related to education, gender equality, Guatemala, and Chajul
  • Conduct research related to the school and education and help to translate best practices into the Chajul context
  • Collaborate with local and international research partners
• Grants & reporting
  • Collaborate and support the grants manager with reviewing budgets
  • Quarterly report to board and major donors
• Capacity building, trainings, & facilitation
  • Individually support leadership team with project management skills and training
  • Facilitate meetings with local staff
  • Depending on skill set: capacity building with local team
• Communications support
  • Report, coordinate, and facilitate information-sharing between staff in and outside of Chajul
  • Take photo and video footage for Communications Team
  • Taking and sharing notes at important meetings
  • Support the team in communications with partners
  • Share stories, updates, and pictures with Limitless Horizon Ixil’s communications team
  • Translate and interpret from English to Spanish and Spanish to English occasionally in meetings and reports

Qualifications:

Required

• Excellent project management skills
• At least 1 year of professional work experience
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a relationship-oriented work ethic
• Flexible, patient, diplomatic, and friendly with a positive attitude
• Fluent in English (native or near-native level) and excellent verbal and written Spanish
• Extremely detail-oriented and organized
• Responsible, reliable, and proactive
• Excellent independent worker
• Reflective and eager to learn
• Respectful of local and indigenous cultures and committed to integrating equity practices in daily work
• Interested in international development and indigenous communities
• Prepared for the challenges (and rewards) of living in an isolated and developing indigenous community
• Commitment to the mission and work of Limitless Horizons Ixil and Colegio Horizontes

Preferred

• 3+ years of professional work experience, including nonprofit/NGO, and/or school experience
• Master’s degree in Psychology, Education, International Development, or related field
• Experience living in a developing country (Latin America preferred)
• Experience working with youth and/or families, and/or in a school, or educational setting
• Experience in capacity building with teams and/or adults
• Experience with monitoring and evaluations and data collection and analysis
• Experience with budgets

Work & Housing Location:

The Ixil region is isolated by beautiful mountains (7000 ft/2500 meters) and has maintained its rich Maya Ixil traditions and language. Chajul, Nebaj, and Cotzal are the three towns that make up the Ixil region in the Department of Quiché in the western highlands of Guatemala. LHI serves Chajul, which consists of an urban center (pop. 20,000) and many outlying rural villages (pop. 30,000). Having been at the heart of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war, Chajul experiences post-war challenges such as land displacement and fragmented families. Within the community, 93% of families live in poverty with 27% in extreme poverty. Limited educational opportunity remains a significant impediment to progress with only 11% of youth in Chajul graduating from middle school.

The International Operations & Mentorship Coordinator will live in Nebaj and commute to Chajul each day with the team, about a 45-minute drive. The role will be in-person and based at our school, Colegio Horizontes. While the Ixil region is a rewarding and beautiful place to live, it is not without its challenges. As is the case in much of the developing world, water quality is poor and illness is common. LHI works hard to maintain the health of its team, providing water filters as well as reimbursing travel insurance and maintaining a wide network of quality healthcare providers in the region and beyond. The ideal candidate will be understanding of these risks, eager to tackle the challenges of living in the developing world for the reward of participating in truly meaningful work.

How to Apply: Upload your resume and cover letter through idealist.org. If selected for an interview, references and work samples may be requested. Feel free to email: operations@limitlesshorizonsixil.org with any questions or concerns.