MCC Representative for Mexico

at  Mennonite Central Committee

QUALIFICATIONS

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.
Required for all MCC Representative Positions:
Minimum Education Level: BA/BSc or equivalent
Minimum Experience: International experience and MCC experience preferred

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

• Relational Skills: Ability to form, foster and maintain positive, working relationships with MCC service workers, MCC staff, local churches and MCC partners, building trust by demonstrating integrity in actions and communications and modeling the values of the organization. Ability to create an environment on the team that is supportive of staff who may experience oppression, racism or sexual violence.
• Supervisory Skills: Ability to manage/supervise personnel, which includes staff appointments and terminations, performance appraisals, interpreting and enforcing policies, conflict resolutions/problem solving and development of staff (in cooperation with the Human Resources Department).
• Computer Literacy: Ability to use email programs, navigate the internet, locate resources, use Microsoft Excel and Word. Ability to navigate and use MCC specific databases for the purpose of planning, monitoring, evaluation, and recording.
• Adaptability: Ability to adapt as needed to work effectively in ambiguous or changing situations and with diverse individuals and groups.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to analyze and synthesize information to understand issues, identify options and support sound decision making.
• Planning and Organizing: Ability to develop, implement, evaluate and adjust plans to reach goals, ensuring the optimal use of resources.
• Initiative: Ability to be proactive and persistent in efforts, identifying opportunities and needs then taking action for resolution.
• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with others to achieve organizational goals, taking actions that respect the needs and contributions of others.
• Communication: Ability to listen, to model open communication and foster good will among others.
• Self-awareness: Ability to understand one’s own emotional framework, maintain a non-defensive posture and manage personal reactivity when leadership is challenged.
• Cross cultural/multi-cultural awareness: Ability to work with issues of equity in a cross-cultural setting.
• Financial Management: Ability to successfully manage MCC resources within a country program.
• Program, Monitoring and Evaluation: Ability to understand and implement Program, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Results based management.
• Previous experience in making well-informed, effective and timely decisions, taking into consideration impact and implications within local and regional context.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as MCC Representative without bias or conflict of interest, with ability to withstand intense pressure from local constituents.

For this specific assignment:
Minimum Education Level: BA/BSc or equivalent
Minimum Experience: Previous experience in Latin America strongly preferred.

Skills:

• Creativity and Innovation: Ability to generate new approaches and viable solutions.
• Organizational Awareness: An understanding of the structure and organizational culture of large non-profit organizations, such as MCC, and ability to work successfully within the structure to achieve results.
• Development of Others: Ability to foster worker development by providing a supportive learning environment.
• Partnering: Ability to seek and build alliances that further MCC objectives and benefit all people.
• Conflict Resolution: Ability to bring conflict and dissent between others into the open to arrive at constructive solution while maintaining positive relationships with all parties.
• Risk Taking: Ability to identify, assess and manage risk while striving to attain objectives.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to understand and process complex information and exercise sound judgment, considering the situation, the issues and the key players. Is able to propose course(s) of action that further the objectives, priorities and vision of the program and/or MCC.
• Team Leadership: Assumes a leadership role in helping others achieve excellent results.
• Writing Skills: Can communicate ideas and information in writing to ensure that information and messages are understood and have the desired impact.
• Fluence in both English and Spanish, written and oral.
• Appropriate navigation of power dynamics: Awareness of different kinds of power related to position, racism, sexism, colonialism, nationality, among other factors, and willingness to lead measures to mitigate the risks of abuse of power.

LOCATION DESCRIPTION

The MCC Representative lives in Mexico City, a bustling city of over 25 million people, which is also the center of most of the country’s commercial and political life. The city’s ample public transportation system includes a metro (the metro alone transports 5,000,000 people per day), buses, vans, and taxis that are readily available and affordable. The city is built at an altitude of 2200 meters, giving it an almost perfect climate. It can get cool during the winter months of December through February and warmer during the months of April-May. The rainy season is from about June or July through October. There is a wide variety of public and private schools available for children. Quality health services, technology, and communication resources are readily available as well. Mexico City also has an abundance of museums and cultural attractions.
Although Mexico City has much to offer, one also must note that there are limited resources and opportunities for a vast number of its residents. Adults and children do work at many intersections with stoplights. Government help for whom society is disabling lacks severely. Many neighborhoods lack basic services of potable water and access to sanitation. The number of students applying to UNAM, the national public university of 300,000 students, greatly outnumbers the spots available, therefore limiting the possibility of higher education for many.
Mexico as a country is 60% Mestizo (Indigenous/Spanish), 30% Indigenous, and 9% Caucasian, with the indigenous populations concentrated in Guerrero, Chiapas and Oaxaca. The indigenous people are generally marginalized with less access to government and other services. It is primarily Catholic (89% Catholic and 6% Protestant), although the state of Chiapas has close to 40% evangelicals. Spanish is the most spoken language, although there are 62 living languages in Mexico.
Travel distances in Mexico are large and most direct buses between cities travel overnight. For many trips it will be necessary to fly, but not all locations can be reached that way. This job involves up to a 20% travel load, including at least one international trip a year to attend Latin America-Caribbean rep meetings.
Living in a mega city also implies coping with crowds, noise, traffic and pollution. Contamination levels are such that during the months of November-January, the majority of residents in Mexico City use antihistamines. As well, it means adjusting to the idea that it can take up to two and one half hours to travel to some places within the city, although this experience will not be common for every-day work needs. Large open spaces are difficult to come by, although there are green spaces everywhere and lots of exercise options if you are willing to look and / or be creative.
The travel load and the lack of clear office hours, as well as the need to many unexpected situations, are factors that should be taken into due consideration. MCC Reps need to be able to put healthy boundaries and limits on their work, while also understanding that this is not a 9-5 office job!

1. MCC Vision and Mission - Be the carrier/communicator of institutional identity in relationship to: Local partners, church, government, other international NGOs ii. MCC workers: Nurture understanding of and respect for MCC values and witness; reflect upon and communicate the spirituality of the team
2. Oversight of Country Program - Direct and oversee implementation of regional priorities and country-specific strategies
   a.Select, build, maintain and strengthen relationships with partners
   b. Prepare and administer long-term country strategies
   c. Plan, monitor, report and evaluate projects
   d. Facilitatate/coordinate humanitarian responses to disasters or waves of migration
   e. Understand and ensure compliance with local laws (including maintaining legal status in Mexico as a donation-receiving organization, obtaining visas for international staff, meeting labour and tax obligations)
   f. Coordinate and strengthen the local advisory committee
3. Management of MCC Resources
   a. Prepare, monitor and evaluate annual goals in the context of a multi-year strategic plan
   b. Prepare and monitor budgets in accordance with strategic and annual plans and in alignment with Financial Management Policies
   c. Develop and monitor financial record-keeping and reporting, taking corrective action where needed
   d. Develop and maintain lists of inventories of equipment, including computers, vehicles, etc. along with replacement plans e. Maintain and update registration documents in Mexico
   f. Ensure resource stewardship across the country
   g. Prepare and monitor project reporting
   h. Receive and respond to worker reports
   i. Ensure maintenance of personnel records and other documents for MCC Records and Archives
   j. Manage Material Resources distribution if this is considered
   k. Provide information about the country situation through INSIGHT, Annual Plans and Reports, Learning Tours, and written communication.
   l. Support the promotion of MCC among potential donors, particularly among Low German Mennonite communities who express interest
4. Select, supervise, and motivate MCC workers: International Staff and National staff
   a. Negotiate suitable assignments and write assignment descriptions
   b. Select highly qualified international staff and national staff using predetermined criteria based on job content and organizational values
   c. Provide orientation for new workers, including language study as needed
   d. Create an environment where all individuals are comfortable openly addressing concerns/opinions
   e. Connect workers with spiritual, emotional and professional support
   f. Monitor relationships between workers and partners with whom they work
   g. Implement MCC Human Resource policies and assist in policy interpretation for workers
   h. Conduct timely performance appraisals and End-of-Term reports for all staff
   i. Ensure workers’ compliance with MCC values and witness
   j. Develop and/or monitor compensation, benefits and policies for national staff
5. Teambuilding: build and maintain MCC personnel team
   a. Clarify team expectations regularly
   b. Monitor team relationships
   c. Lead team in decision making
   d. Demonstrates skill in resolving difficult situations, drawing on a variety of resources
6. Hospitality: arrange for hospitality as needed
   a. MCC program and support staff, MCC constituents from North America, possibly MCC partners from other countries
7. Represent the Country to MCC and Constituents
   a. Cultivate and maintain awareness of the political, economic, social, cultural, and historical contexts of the country/region
   b. Provide information about the situation, needs and resources of the country/region to the Area Directors and others within MCC and to MCC constituency
8. Relate to the local church
   a. Maintain good relationships with local Anabaptist churches by: minimally visiting churches and church leaders, attending their annual meetings, and including their representatives on advisory committees
   b. Regular attend a local congregation, preferably an Anabaptist congregation.