Senior Regional Program Manager- Latin America and the Caribbean

Salary Range:
$125,000.00 To $145,000.00 Annually
Location: Based in Miami, FL, due to its proximity to US SOUTHCOM headquarters.

Work Days in Office: Remote

Travel: Frequent regional travel (often 40–60%), including to fragile or conflict-affected environments.

Position Type: Full-time

FLSA Status: Exempt

About Spirit of America:

Spirit of America is a privately funded 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Our mission is to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. We do this by working alongside US troops and diplomats and providing private assistance to defend freedom, and strengthen America’s national security, and save and improve lives.

Spirit of America leverages an unprecedented partnership with the US military based on a groundbreaking agreement with the Department of Defense. Our agreement with the Department of Defense allows the military to collaborate with us, identify needs, receive and distribute our assistance, and provide us with logistical support. No other nonprofit has such an agreement. Thus, every dollar invested in Spirit of America builds on and leverages investments made by the US government and military. That leverage — combined with our entrepreneurial, venture capital capability — provides philanthropic investments in Spirit of America with asymmetric impact and return on investment.

Our work saves and improves lives, prevents conflict, and strengthens America’s security. In the world’s toughest places, people experience the best of who Americans are and what we stand for.

About the Role:

Spirit of America seeks an experienced manager to serve as a Senior Regional Program Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean to work in close cooperation and coordination with US military, development, and diplomatic personnel across the region. The Senior Regional Program Manager’s mission is to design and manage Spirit of America’s programs and partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean, utilizing private philanthropic funds to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. The Senior Regional Program Manager supports the Regional Director in implementing and refining Spirit of America’s regional strategy to advance US national security interests and democratic resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean.

A Spirit of America Senior Regional Program Manager must have boots-on-the-ground experience in fragile or conflict-affected environments and recent experience working on US stability and security operations, development, or diplomatic initiatives. Prior service with the US Department of State, USAID, Department of Defense, other US government civilian agencies, or as a returned Peace Corps volunteer is strongly valued. Candidates should bring optimism, patience, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a great sense of humor in the face of adversity. Professional Spanish fluency is required; Portuguese or Haitian Creole proficiency is a plus.

Reports To: Regional Director, Latin America & the Caribbean

Direct Reports: None, at this time

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Regional Program Manager will:

Support the Regional Director in refining and operationalizing the regional strategy through country-level analysis, opportunity identification, and program proposals.
Contribute to the development and implementation of the regional strategy to support US national security interests in Latin America and the Caribbean, under the direction of the Regional Director.
Identify priority countries, sub-regions, and thematic lines of effort for Spirit of America engagement based on evolving political, security, humanitarian, and governance dynamics.
Develop projects and initiatives where Spirit of America assistance can make a rapid and meaningful impact on mission success, complementing or filling gaps in US government and partner programs.
Recommend projects and priorities for approval; major commitments and final program prioritization are reviewed with and approved by the Regional Director.
Identify, build, and manage stakeholder relationships with US military command elements (including SOUTHCOM and subordinate commands), US Embassies and Country Teams, and regional bureaus, host-nation institutions and civil society partners, and other key interlocutors aligned to Spirit of America goals.
Serve as a credible Spirit of America representative in regional engagements, ensuring strong coordination and trust with US and local partners.
Represent Spirit of America in regional meetings and field engagements as delegated by the Regional Director.
Communicate and coordinate activities and projects with US military and civilian personnel and, as appropriate, donors.
Manage the development, execution, and closeout of projects supported by Spirit of America funds to a high standard of accountability and performance, including compliance, finance, procurement, and risk processes.
Ensure programs are appropriately scoped, budgeted, monitored, and documented; support rapid response and adaptive management when conditions shift.
Coordinate with Spirit of America headquarters teams to align project approvals, contracting, financial tracking, and reporting.
May lead multi-country initiatives or serve as project lead for Latin America and the Caribbean lines of effort, coordinating Spirit of America staff, consultants, and partners without formal supervisory authority.
Monitor, evaluate, and document results and lessons learned from projects supported by Spirit of America in assigned countries and across the regional portfolio.
Maintain and deliver timely financial reporting, forecasting, and budgeting for relevant program lines.
Partner with Spirit of America Development and Marketing teams by generating field-based content, success stories, and partner visibility materials; review and provide input on content produced by broader regional and Headquarters teams.
Provide timely field insights, draft success stories, and donor-brief inputs to the Regional Director and Development team; participate in select donor briefings as delegated.
Maintain situational awareness of regional security and operational risks; promptly flag concerns to the Regional Director and follow Spirit of America safety protocols for travel and field operations.

Key Qualifications:

Required:

Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
At least ten (10) years of professional experience in international development, diplomacy, defense, or related contexts, including a minimum of three (3) years on the ground in fragile or conflict-affected settings with increasing responsibility.
Professional fluency in English and Spanish (spoken and written).
Proven ability to engage directly with local populations and partner with host-nation militaries, governments, and NGOs to solve problems.
Experience relevant to stability operations, democratic resilience, humanitarian/disaster response, counter-transnational threats, civilian protection, or other non-lethal effects at the field level.
Solid understanding of America’s 3Ds — defense, diplomacy, and development — and of US interagency roles and processes.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong attention to detail, and excellent organizational skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and budgets across more than one country.
Prior US military service is strongly preferred, particularly with experience in the SOUTHCOM AOR. In lieu of military service, extensive experience coordinating closely with the US military may be accepted.
Candidates must be US citizens, as this role requires eligibility for a US Government security clearance.

Preferred:

Master’s degree.
Substantive experience working in or with a US Embassy, Country Team, USAID mission, or DoS/USAID regional bureau.
Deep knowledge of Latin America and the Caribbean’s cultural, political, security, and migration dynamics gained through work or academic study.
Portuguese and/or Haitian Creole language proficiency.
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in complex, fast-moving environments and manage competing priorities across multiple countries.

Compensation Range:
Salary ranges from $125,000.00 to $145,000.00 based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 403(b) contribution match to 4%.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Spirit of America is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender

Apply here