Mexico-based Strategic Advisor, International Interventions Team (Nuevo Leon-based)

Careers

Mexico-based Strategic Advisor, International Interventions Team (Nuevo Leon-based)

The National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) at John Jay College is seeking a full-time Strategic Advisor to support our violence reduction work in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The Advisor will be a senior member of the International team, which provides hands-on strategic advising to partner cities implementing NNSC’s interventions internationally. This position is based in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico. Remote work will not be considered.

In the summer of 2018, NNSC launched a new partnership supported by the private sector, the Office of the Governor of Nuevo Leon and USAID to support violence reduction efforts in Monterrey and Escobedo. NNSC will serve as a sub-contractor to SUPERA, a local organization with significant investments in violence reduction and public safety. While the Advisor will work for NNSC, s/he is expected to work very closely with all local partners.

The Advisor would be the on-the-ground representative of NNSC, providing technical and strategic advising support through all aspects of implementation. The Advisor will work with all partners, including local and state law enforcement, elected officials, non-governmental and community organizations, private sector stakeholders, and public sector agencies.

The Advisor will receive significant support from and be under the direction of NNSC’s home office in New York. The Advisor must fully appreciate the technical, academic and normative principles of NNSC’s violence reduction approach and work in concert with New York leadership on adapting these principles to Nuevo Leon. Working collaboratively both with Nuevo Leon-based partners as well as New York, this position requires substantive expertise and a proven track record of managing relationships, including distance relationships.

In addition to Nuevo Leon, NNSC is also supporting the adaptation of its violence reduction approach in both Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City, in Chihuahua State. These two state adaptations represent the first application of Focused Deterrence in Mexico. The Advisor will be at the forefront of re-conceptualizing violence reduction while fostering an exciting exchange of ideas across Mexico and between Mexican and U.S. cities.

The Advisor will report to the Director of the International Interventions Team (IIT) and be supported by a New York-based team. The Nuevo Leon partnership has been funded for an initial three-year period.

Technical Responsibilities

This position is substantive and highly technical. It is also relational and highly interpersonal. The ideal candidate will have significant experience working collaboratively on highly sensitive matters of violence or community safety, be willing to take and receive feedback and constructive criticism, and be emotionally intelligent. The Advisor will:

Provide support to the local project management team[1] with a specific focus on providing technical guidance and ensuring retention of the core principles. This will be done through in-person communication, regular advising calls, reach-back to the New York office, and fostering peer exchanges with Mexico and U.S. city partners.
Build and manage strong, functional and collaborative relationships with government, community and law enforcement leaders and partner organizations.
Draft internal and external reports, including quarterly and annual reports as needed.
Represent NNSC’s Nuevo Leon-State based portfolio in public, for example at conferences and roundtables both in Mexico and the U.S.
Design and execute collaborative learning opportunities including peer exchanges and working sessions to support Mexican-based adaptations.
Report outcomes, challenges, and opportunities to Director, IIT and the NNSC-New York team. Participate in ongoing development and refinement of the application of NNSC’s principles to contexts outside the U.S. as part of the International team.
Oversee maintenance of up-to-date, accurate site-specific information (contact information for key partners, high-level implementation summary, call and meeting notes, etc.) in NNSC’s project management system.
Support the Director, IIT with organizational strategic planning, fundraising, budgeting, and identifying areas for programmatic improvement. Help to guide NNSC as it shifts into working more deliberately and regularly in Mexico.
Support partners in determining best methods through which to measure progress against specific goals and outcomes.
Continuously review operational data to achieve desired public safety outcomes by incorporating the best available evidence.

Organizational Relationships

The Advisor will work closely with the Supera team. In addition, s/he will be required to work closely and collaboratively with a range of local actors, as stated above. A proven track record of and interest in working with across communities of practice is essential.

Support the functioning of project governing structures, including the Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from Supera, State and Municipal Police, the Governor’s office, Mayor's Offices, Attorney General’s Office and others to be determined. Other Governing structures will include a Law Enforcement Working Group, Social Services Working Group and Community Working Group.
Work closely with Nuevo Leon (Supera) and NYC-based teams to monitor ongoing initiatives, troubleshoot common challenges, and build on established violence-prevention best practices.
Work with a diverse range of experts to garner their input and expertise in ways that could contribute to positive pro-peace outcomes.
Build and maintain strong relationships with donors to ensure the timely preparation and submission of all required grant reports, including progress, quantitative, and qualitative performance, annual, and final reports.

Qualifications

We are looking for a highly-organized individual with experience in providing strategic advising and a desire to contribute to more safe and peaceful communities. The candidate must also have experience in project management; an established knowledge of proven strategies that reduce violence and improve public safety; and be skilled in fostering cross-sector communication and building collaborative partnerships with law enforcement, government, and community officials. Specific qualifications include:

Bilingual fluency in both written and verbal English/Spanish required.
Master degree in criminal justice, political science, public policy or related field required.
Minimum of 7 years of experience in project management, strategic advising, violence reduction efforts, or related fields. Proven commitment to supporting peaceful, healthy communities.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, in both Spanish and English, and experience working with interdisciplinary teams. Confidence, tact, and nuance are considered critical for correspondence with senior political and law enforcement personnel.
Strong knowledge of Mexican criminal justice issues, actors, and trends, and deep commitment to addressing injustices.
Experience and ability to work with law enforcement (police, military, prosecutors, etc.) agencies, communities, government officials, and social service agencies to implement multi-disciplinary initiatives.
Demonstrated success in organizing and leading new projects in partnership with other stakeholders. Specifically, experience effectively managing international projects, interdisciplinary teams and coordinating among multiple collaborative structures.
Organized and detail-oriented, with demonstrated initiative, persistence, and optimism towards work that can be immensely rewarding and immensely taxing; enthusiasm and humor are advantages.
Expert level of experience with entire Microsoft Office suite; proficiency in Microsoft Excel also required.
Flexibility to travel, both national and internationally.
Ability to make independent decisions regarding planning, organizing and scheduling work.

How to Apply

Visit https://nnscommunities.org/join-the-network/careers/apply. Cover letter and resume required. Salary commensurate with experience.

[1] Supera will be hiring a staff to support implementation of the work in Nuevo Leon. They will be the primary actors responsible for managing the implementation of the work. The Advisor will provide direct, strategic advising with and through them.