Senior Manager, Latin America

Background: Global Fishing Watch is an international, non-profit organization committed to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency. We create and publicly share knowledge about human activity at sea to enable fair and sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015 through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, GFW became an independent non-profit organization in June 2017. Using cutting-edge technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data and analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in how we manage our ocean. Our major focus is on commercial fishing because it is the most widespread human activity at sea, the most impactful on ocean health, and the most crucial for global livelihoods and food security. By 2030, we aim to monitor and visualize the impact of ocean-going vessels, both industrial and small-scale, that are responsible for the vast majority of the global seafood catch. We believe human activity at sea should be common knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean commons for the common good of all. 

Latin America is a region intertwined with the ocean. With more than 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) of coastline, it is no surprise that its communities, economies and cultural identities are intrinsically linked to the sea. Global Fishing Watch program team in Latin America demonstrates the value of transparency in fisheries and biodiversity; we generate visibility, identify opportunities for transparency to add value, and obtain support from our government constituencies. We work closely with multiple countries in the region, including Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. 

The Position

We are looking for an experienced ocean expert with excellent project management skills as well as policy and technical expertise and experience.

The Senior Manager will work as part of the Global Program to enable and support the delivery of impact goals of the Latin America region. The candidate will support identifying and securing landmark policies to embed transparency as a fundamental principle of ocean regulations. This role will involve making data accessible and actionable to reduce threats such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and biodiversity loss. Additionally, the candidate will work with the regional team to oversee and deploy a suite of interventions based on an agreed work plan with the government and stakeholders, ensuring the delivery of specified outcomes. This includes developing, providing, and pursuing policy and transparency objectives.  

Flexible working hours to accommodate calls across time zones is essential and some travel may be required to support country representatives at external meetings as needed. 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Policy development and Transparency workplans implementation

• Proactively monitor relevant national, regional, international political developments, policy landscape, and emerging issues in the fisheries and biodiversity sectors, including conducting policy research and generating insights. 
• Provide timely updates to internal teams on key policy developments and their potential implications for the organization's advocacy work.
• Collaborate with the regional and global teams to draft policy recommendations and legal specifications for changes to fisheries and biodiversity-related policies and programs, ensuring alignment with the organization's advocacy goals.
• Identify policy opportunities and windows for advancement, leveraging partnerships and government collaboration.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, and represent Global Fishing Watch in various activities and events that address issues related to transparency.

Government Actions and workplan implementation

• Work with the country officers to provide technical advice and other support to deploy a suite of interventions to support the achievement of the identified areas of work around fisheries and biodiversity.
• Work with the regional and global analysis team to execute all the country work plans and the projects co- identified and developed with the government and other stakeholders

Oversee the Latin America  Country Officers

• Oversee and support the country officers in Latin America, ensuring that policy and transparency approaches align with the programmatic principles.
• Identify gaps and opportunities to enhance the competencies of country officers, providing targeted support as needed.
• Assist country officers in building local partnerships to advance expected outcomes and relevant national policies.
• Identify opportunities to engage with existing transparency initiatives in target countries.

Fundraising, Communications, Partnerships 

• Draft progress reports to funders and assist in measuring impact. 
• Support the efforts in fundraising, external representation and partnership engagements. 
• Maintain an external network of partners and advisors to gather input and feedback.

Candidate description

Required

• Masters Degree public administration or policy, or equivalent degrees
• At least 7+ years of experience in policy work, both in national and international settings
• Demonstrated track record in helping secure national policy instruments related to the oceans or broader environment work
• Familiarity on fisheries management, marine biodiversity, or ocean governance
• Experience in policy work and knowledge on transparency as a principle for governance, and understanding of key challenges
• High level proficiency in program and project management
• Native Spanish and proficient in English language skills.
• Highly organized, analytical, detail oriented and self-motivated
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently to a very high standard of detail.
• Ability to take ownership of projects and communicate project updates to stakeholders in a transparent and proactive manner.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines while performing in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• An understanding of the complexities and internal communications surrounding collaboration in a global matrix and remote organization.

Preferred

• Advanced proficiency in French.
• Experience in international fora like FAO COFI, UN CBD, or engagements with RFMOs.
• A sound understanding of marine spatial planning, fisheries compliance and marine biodiversity is an asset. 

The successful candidate will meet most, but not necessarily all, of the criteria above. If you don’t think you check all the boxes, but believe you have unique skills that make you a great fit for the role, we want to hear from you!

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Additional Information

Note: The application period for this role closes on March 20, 2025

Reporting to: Head of Latin America, Global Programs

Manages: Country Officers in Panama, Perú, Chile and Brazil

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not supported at this time.

Location: LATAM, candidates must be legally authorized and based in the following countries to be considered. : Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia.

Permanent/Fixed Term/Contractor: Fixed Term - 2 years

Full Time hours: Yes 

Recruiting process: Recruiting Process: A cover letter along with a CV will be requested to see how your experience and interest connect to the position. We expect the cover letter to allow applicants an opportunity to explain details on how their skill set aligns with the role and provide a better understanding of their suitability for the position. If selected for consideration, the hiring process for this position will include an initial call with our Talent Acquisition team, followed by a formal 45 minute interview with 1-3 team members. Candidates advancing beyond this round will be asked to take a technical assessment and/or submit a representative code sample. Lastly, a final interview with 2-4 teams members to review your assessment and assess functional skills.

Compensation: A compensation range for this position is for Argentina, Chile and Brazil-based employees USD 40-45/h. For applicants located outside of these countries the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. Compensation is commensurate with experience and will vary depending on the hired candidate’s country of residence, in accordance with local laws and regulations. GFW offers pension/retirement, health and other benefits commensurate with similar level GFW employees in the country of employment. The position may be a GFW employee or consultant, depending on the country of residence  

Equal opportunities: Global Fishing Watch is an equal opportunities employer. Global Fishing Watch is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our organization and in the greater ocean management and conservation community. We believe that diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger organization. Bringing together professionals who possess broad experiences and a spectrum of perspectives will enable us to reach our goal of improved ocean governance faster. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or parental status, national origin, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organizational goals match the urgent challenges facing our global ocean, and our mission is designed to help secure a healthy ocean for all. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of humanity’s diversity, by providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of Global Fishing Watch and for our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.

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