Seed- Guatemala/El Salvador Coordinator

All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active participation in a Christian church or Christian community; and nonviolent peacemaking. MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

• *(Necessary skills, experience & education)
  1. Ability to understand, speak, read, and write Spanish and English.
  2. Knowledge of and interest in the contexts of Guatemala and El Salvador.
  3. Minimum of bachelor’s degree in social sciences, education, peace studies, international development or similar fields. Master’s degree a plus.
  4. Cross-cultural/international experience.
  5. Knowledge of or interest in transformative education.
  6. Maturity in relational skills.
  7. Strong listening skills.
  8. Ability to build bridges in the midst of differences.
  9. Strong ability to work with and facilitate dialogue amongst a diverse, intercultural team.
  10. Ability to work in collaboration with the MCC team and local partners, each with its own interests, perspectives and needs.
  11. Ability to think creatively and strategically.
  12. Ability to work independently in a self-directed manner, as well as with a team.
  13. Knowledge of global issues and the ability to connect them with service and advocacy.
  14. Solid organizational skills.
  15. Willingness to travel frequently by bus and accept the sometimes-challenging physical realities of the Guatemalan/Salvadoran context.
  16. Serious, careful, and thoughtful about self-care, personal growth, and personal emotional health.*

​Invitations to serve with MCC are contingent on the successful outcome of criminal background check(s).

Job Synopsis

The Seed Coordinator will coordinate the second SEED Cohort for Guatemala and El Salvador. This position involves the planning, organization and implementation of a service, reflection and peacebuilding program with an intercultural team of young adults in the complex and enriching context of Guatemala and El Salvador. This position will be based in Guatemala and will be supervised by the MCC Representatives for Guatemala and El Salvador.

Interested individuals are welcome to apply via MCC’s Online Application Portal at https://mcccurrentopenings.secure.force.com/recruit/fRecruit__ApplyRegister

What is Seed?
The Seed program consists of three main components: Service, reflection and peacebuilding. Seed Guatemala-El Salvador brings together five to six young people from the United States, Canada, Latin American countries to serve for two years with local MCC partners in Guatemala and El Salvador while actively and intentionally reflecting on their context. The program encourages participants to discern the personal and professional roles they can play as people of faith in the mutual transformation of societies and each other.

MCC’s Seed program began in Colombia as a pilot program from 2009-2010. The first experience was challenging, but also successful in meeting many of its goals. The lessons learned during the first cycle shaped the second and third cycles of Seed in Colombia, which began in 2011 and 2013, respectively. MCC Bolivia started its first cycle of Seed in January 2014, ending in December 2015. The pilot Seed program in Guatemala began in February 2021 and will end in February 2023.

What is the job like?
The Seed Program Coordinator works in consultation with the MCC Representatives for Guatemala and El Salvador and will be required to carry out many tasks in a self-directed fashion based on input and counsel from the Representatives. The demands and rhythm of this position will vary throughout the year from intense to relaxed, which can be a challenge. This position requires traveling approximately 40% of the time, especially concentrated at certain times of the year. The entire MCC team in Guatemala and El Salvador meets three times a year for team meetings and retreats and maintains other forms of support throughout the year.

The Seed Program Coordinator will be responsible for implementing all aspects of the Seed program in Guatemala and El Salvador. The Program Coordinator is responsible for the administrative, logistical and programmatic details of Seed and, together with the MCC Representatives for Guatemala and El Salvador, provides ongoing vision and support for the program and its participants. This person helps develop, revise and then implement the curriculum and methodology for the educational aspects of the program. The Program Coordinator is the primary person responsible to provide worker care for the participants of Seed, with support from the MCC Reps in Guatemala and El Salvador.

For MCC Guatemala and El Salvador a Seed cohort helps fulfill the following strategic priorities

1. A Seed cohort allows MCC Guatemala and El Salvador to strengthen its current relationships with geographically dispersed partners.
2. A Seed cohort allows MCC Guatemala and El Salvador to accompany key strategic partners in specific projects and/or specific areas of institutional/organizational concern that partners themselves have identified.
3. A Seed cohort assists MCC Guatemala and El Salvador in developing a recruitment base/pipeline for achieving strategic goal of developing a diverse MCC Guatemala and El Salvador team that reflects local constituencies.
4. A Seed cohort helps MCC Guatemala, and El Salvador bring together partners around areas of common interest and MCC strategic priorities.

The program seeks to strengthen a service ethos among young people along with accompanying them in analyzing structures that contribute to poverty, violence and inequality. The program also seeks to discern actions that can help transform these conditions and consolidate strategies for advocacy work and peacebuilding that is based on grassroots actions in Guatemala and El Salvador.

Challenges

Key Responsibilities

1. Work with MCC Representatives in Guatemala and El Salvador to define appropriate placements and partners for Seed.
2. Work with MCC Representatives for Guatemala and El Salvador and MCC partners to develop the assignment descriptions for the Guatemala and El Salvador Seed Program.
3. Develop, adapt and implement a curriculum for the participants in this program with the collaboration of MCC Guatemala and El Salvador partners and organizations.
4. Participate in the selection of Seed participants.
5. Coordinate and lead Seed team reflection times.
6. Coordinate and lead the adjustment and training processes for each participant.
7. Work with MCC Representatives to develop and implement strategies to integrate Seed participants in the larger MCC team and promote understanding and healthy relationships between one-year, two-year, and three-year workers.
8. Provide worker care to participants through regular site visits and email/phone contact.
9. Evaluate and make adjustments to the job placements as necessary and in coordination with partners.
10. Ensure the Seed program augments the larger strategic goals and plans of MCC Programs in Guatemala and El Salvador.
11. Plan, monitor, and evaluate the progress of Seed in coordination with the MCC Representatives for Guatemala and El Salvador.
12. Complete worker evaluations and assist country representatives in analyzing Seed partnerships.
13. Participate in MCC Guatemala and El Salvador team retreats and activities.
14. Attend a local Mennonite congregation.
15. Ensure that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is exemplified in the performance of all job responsibilities and through personal example.
16. Model nonviolent peacemaking through daily interactions with staff and the public.
17. Participate in a local church and gatherings, being willing to use his or her gifts within the local faith community.
18. Participate in regular staff meetings, spending time in devotions and prayer with all in attendance.
19. Stay aware of politics and conflict related developments in the area; evaluate security conditions of Seed placements and make changes as necessary in consultation with MCC Representatives.

Challenges:
• This is a program in Guatemala and El Salvador that requires the ability to function and work as a sub-team within the larger Guatemala and El Salvador MCC team.
• This position provides the opportunity for creative thinking and action, but the implementation of the Seed program will be a continually evolving process that requires much flexibility and willingness to adapt.
• The position involves relating to people and groups operating from many different perspectives, cultures and theological perspectives, which demands a high level of tolerance and humility.
• The Seed program coordinator travels frequently to visit Seed participants and partners, which requires a willingness to accept the varied and challenging conditions of travel in Guatemala and El Salvador, including long bus rides. Likewise, the frequency of travel required by this job can make it challenging to build deep relationships with any one particular place or partner.
• The Seed program coordinator will need to keep in mind that no one individual can provide solutions in a community and will need to remember that they are responding to their context in community with the rest of the Body of Christ, the churches and the people around them. Problem solving and decision making therefore are done in concert with MCC reps after consulting appropriate resources.
• Sometimes the expectations of participants and partners do not always coincide. Finding ways to bridge these gaps can be challenging, though also rewarding.
• Guatemala and El Salvador have a reputation for high crime and MCC takes security precautions according to the recommendations of our partner organizations and communities very seriously. The worker needs to become accustomed to using their community and host family as their most important source of security, even when it might infringe on one’s independence.
• Dengue fever, Chikungunya and Zika are health concerns in various parts of Guatemala and El Salvador.