Project Associate

Title: Project Associate

Program: ATraCSI (Agricultural Trade and Climate Smart Innovations)

Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala

Start Date: On/around October 2026

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BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

I mproving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that catalyzes private sector growth and creates economic opportunity for people and communities across the economically developing world. Since our founding in 1964, we have delivered lasting solutions across 139 countries.

IESC is a valued partner to people and communities throughout the economically developing world. We share proven business skills and experience with entrepreneurs, jobseekers, businesses, farmers, cooperatives, and governments. We also offer resources—human, technological, financial—that sustainably build capacity and empower communities. Our long legacy of strengthening developing economies is matched by our vision for the next generation: a world with economic opportunity for all, where people and communities thrive.

IESC is recruiting for a Project Associate to provide support to the USDA-Food for Progress funded Agricultural Trade and Climate Smart Innovations (ATraCSI) project in the Northern Central America Region (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras). ATraCSI focuses on implementing international and risk-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary Regulations (SPS) measures, implement measures under the existing World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreements (TFA), and assist in strengthening agricultural productivity and food safety through development and transfer of agriculture technologies that maximize efficiency, competitiveness, and resource optimization, with a focus on high-value horticulture value chains 

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

As a Project Associate (PA), this is a full-time position (40 hours per week), based in Guatemala City, requires a versatile professional who will serve as the backbone of our operations. Reporting to the Chief of Party (CoP),  the PA serves as a key coordination, management support, and information management resource to the Chief of Party (CoP). The PA will work closely with the CoP to ensure that priorities, decisions, commitments, deadlines, and emerging risks are effectively tracked and followed through the project. The PA is expected to operate with a high degree of initiative, ownership, judgment, discretion, and attention to detail. The position requires the ability to anticipate the CoP’s information and coordination needs, independently prepare high-quality written products, synthesize complex information, identify potential bottlenecks and risks, and proactively follow up with project staff and partners until agreed actions are completed or appropriately escalated. The PA will also serve as a key coordination link between the CoP, the project leadership team, Home Office, and other internal and external stakeholders, helping ensure that the CoP has timely, accurate, and decision-ready information to manage project implementation effectively. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to impactful projects and work collaboratively in a dynamic environment. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Executive Coordination and logistical Support:

· Serve as a primary coordination and triage point between the CoP and the project team, screening, prioritizing, routing, and tracking issues according to urgency, importance, and required level of decision.

· Anticipate the CoP’s information, briefing, documentation, and coordination needs for upcoming meetings, decisions, deadlines, travel, and project milestones.

· Maintain and actively manage a consolidated tracker of CoP decisions, commitments, requests, and follow-up actions, ensuring clear ownership, deadlines, and closure.

· Proactively follow up with relevant staff members on actions agreed during meetings or instructed by the CoP, escalating delays, unresolved issues, or emerging risks as appropriate.

· Conduct an initial quality review of reports, correspondence, presentations, memoranda, and other documents submitted for the CoP’s review or approval, checking for completeness, clarity, consistency, accuracy, appropriate formatting, and required supporting information, and coordinating necessary revisions with the responsible staff before forwarding them to the CoP.

· Identify matters requiring CoP attention and distinguish them from issues that can be resolved or routed at another level.

· Prepare briefing notes, talking points, meeting briefs, decision summaries, agendas, and follow-up communications for the CoP.

· Provide relevant background information, status updates, supporting documentation, and identified decision points to the CoP, to support preparation for key internal and external meetings

· Manages complex business calendar and CoP’ schedule; communicates calendar changes to those affected in a timely manner; coordinates travel for Director and Department team, including compiling travel briefs.

· Project Implementation and Monitoring:

· Assist the CoP in monitoring key project commitments, milestones, deadlines, and action items and proactively identify delays, gaps, dependencies, or emerging implementation risks to inform the CoP decision-making

· Maintain visibility over priority project actions and provide the CoP with concise and regular status updates identifying completed actions, pending items, risks, and decisions required.

· Compile, consolidate, analyze, and review project-relevant data from various systems including Power BI, Notion, dashboards, and project trackers to support the CoP’s decision-making, ensuring completeness and accuracy while identifying inconsistencies, missing information, delays, trends, or issues that may require management attention.

· Maintain, organize, and file project documents and supporting materials, working with relevant colleagues to ensure filing systems are complete, accessible, and compliant with IESC document retention requirements and project needs.

· Coordinate and consolidate inputs across technical and operational teams to support the CoP in preparing and submitting USDA monthly updates, calendars of project meetings, events and travel, travel approval requests, responses to USDA information requests, project completion reports, and other required deliverables, ensuring completeness, accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with contractual and reporting requirements. 

2. Stakeholders Management Support:

· Support the CoP in communications and coordination with USDA Post, Home Office, ATraCSI partners, and other key stakeholders, including follow-up on requests, commitments, meetings, and agreed actions, as directed by the CoP.

· Participate in meetings with partners and stakeholders, documenting key discussions, decisions, commitments, and follow-up actions, and ensuring that relevant information is incorporated into the CoP’s action tracking and decision-making processes.

· Research, compile, and synthesize information needed by the CoP for stakeholder engagements, meetings, special initiatives, and management decision-making.

· Prepare briefing materials, presentations, talking points, background information, and other documents for the CoP, ensuring that key issues, previous commitments, pending actions, and matters requiring the CoP’s attention are clearly identified. 

3. Knowledge Management Support

· Support the CoP in maintaining organized and accessible records of key project decisions, management documents, lessons learned, and other information needed for project reporting, management follow-up, and institutional continuity.

· Capture, consolidate, and organize relevant lessons learned, good practices, and key project knowledge, as requested by the CoP, to support reporting, presentations, management reviews, and project closeout.

· Support the CoP in planning and coordinating annual team meetings, retreats, and other capacity-building processes, including preparation of agendas, materials, logistics, follow-up actions, and documentation of agreed priorities and commitments.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants for this position must have Guatemalan citizenship or authorization to legally work in Guatemala.

1. Education and Experience

· Bachelor’s degree or at least three years of university studies in business administration, international relations, communications, public administration, project management, finance, accounting, or another relevant field.

· Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in project coordination, executive support, program management support, administrative management, or a comparable role, preferably within an international development organization or donor-funded project.

· Experience supporting senior management with priority coordination, follow-up, and preparation of professional documents.

· Experience managing travel, expense reports, reimbursements, and other administrative and financial support processes.

· Ability to prepare complete and accurate administrative documentation for CoP review and approval. 

2. Knowledge and Technical Skills

· Demonstrated ability to draft, review, edit, and format high-quality professional documents, including reports, correspondence, briefing notes, meeting summaries, presentations, management updates, and other project documents, in both English and Spanish.

· Strong research, analytical, and synthesis skills, with the ability to consolidate information from multiple sources and translate it into concise and useful information to support CoP decision-making.

· Working knowledge of administrative and financial documentation processes, including expense reporting, reimbursements, travel documentation, supporting records, and compliance with established organizational procedures.

· Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, and familiarity with project management and information tools such as Power BI, Notion, dashboards, and project trackers.

· Familiarity with U.S. Government-funded project administrative, travel, documentation, reporting requirements, and applicable rules and regulations is an asset.

· Strong understanding of document management, filing, version control, and information organization practices.

· Fluency in English and Spanish required, with strong professional written and verbal communication skills in both languages. 

3. Core Competencies

· Initiative and proactivity: Anticipates needs and takes appropriate action with limited supervision.

· Execution and follow-through: Drives assigned tasks and agreed actions to completion and flags issues requiring CoP attention.

· Judgment and prioritization: Prioritizes competing demands and identifies matters requiring CoP review or escalation.

· Risk awareness and problem-solving: Identifies potential delays, bottlenecks, and risks and supports practical solutions.

· Attention to detail and quality: Produces accurate, complete, and well-prepared work for CoP review or approval.

· Organization and time management: Effectively manages multiple priorities, deadlines, and information flows.

· Communication and relationship management: Communicates effectively and professionally with internal and external stakeholders.

· Adaptability and teamwork: Works effectively in a fast-paced environment, independently and as part of a team.

· Discretion and confidentiality: Handles sensitive project and management information with professionalism and confidentiality.