Job Description

Program Director, Western Hemisphere Counterterrorism Legal and Financial Disruption, Washington, D.C.  

About PADF

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity, for all. We work across Latin America and the Caribbean to make our region stronger—more healthy, peaceful, just, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for current and future generations. For over 60 years, we have served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout the hemisphere. We partner with and enable civil society, governments, and the private sector for the greater good of the region.

PADF through its Peace, Justice, and Security thematic area, is pursuing an opportunity to implement a regional counterterrorism legal and financial disruption program funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT). This program seeks to strengthen the capacity of partner countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to counter terrorism and disrupt the financial networks of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The program is expected to improve legal and regulatory frameworks, strengthen the investigation and prosecution of terrorism-related cases, enhance financial intelligence capabilities aligned with international standards, and deepen multi-agency and cross-border cooperation, including with U.S. Government counterparts.

As part of this preparatory process, PADF is identifying experienced professionals who may be suitable for leadership roles in the project. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their profiles for consideration.

This position is preferably based in Washington, D.C. and requires frequent travel throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Program Director will provide overall leadership, strategic direction and management, and serve as PADF’s primary liaison with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism. This role requires a highly experienced leader with expertise in counterterrorism, financial disruption, and justice-sector strengthening, as well as demonstrated success in managing complex, multi-country U.S. Government-funded programs. The Program Director will be responsible for ensuring that all program activities are strategically aligned with U.S. Department of State CT Bureau priorities, responsive to evolving regional threats, and effectively implemented across participating countries.

The Program Director will oversee technical design and delivery, ensure compliance with cooperative agreement requirements, and lead high-level engagement with U.S. Government stakeholders and regional counterparts. This position requires a strong combination of technical expertise, strategic leadership, and diplomatic engagement skills to ensure that the program achieves measurable results in disrupting terrorist networks and strengthening institutional capacity.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Program Vision:

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for program implementation across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Ensure the program is aligned with U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism priorities, including efforts to strengthen legal frameworks, financial intelligence, terrorist financing investigations, prosecutions, and public-private awareness of terrorist financing risks.
• Guide program strategy to remain responsive to evolving regional threats, partner-country needs, and U.S. Government policy priorities.

Program Management and Operations:

• Lead development and execution of workplans, implementation strategies, and performance monitoring processes.
• Ensure timely, efficient, and compliant delivery of all program activities, deliverables and reporting requirements.
• Oversee program operation, ensuring effective use of resources and alignment with program objectives.

Technical Oversight and Quality Assurance:

• Provide high-level technical oversight of all program activities to ensure quality, strategic relevance, and alignment with CT outcomes.
• Guide the development and delivery of technical assistance, training, tools, and coordination mechanisms related to counterterrorism, terrorist financing, financial investigations, legal processes, and justice sector strengthening.
• Ensure program implementation reflects rule of law principles, institutional accountability, and politically sensitive engagement.

Donor, Government, and Regional Engagement:

• Serve as PADF’s primary liaison with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism throughout the period of performance.
• Coordinate with U.S. Government agencies, U.S. Embassy country teams, partner governments, implementing partners, and regional stakeholders to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication.
• Build and maintain partnerships with relevant law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, prosecutors’ offices, judicial institutions, and other national or regional counterparts.

Team Leadership and Learning:

• Supervise senior program staff, including technical, operational, and regional implementation personnel.
• Promote a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team environment with clear roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
• Ensure performance data, implementation experience, and lessons learned are used to inform adaptive management and strengthen program results.

Competencies

• Nurture knowledge – Models continuous learning, builds systems that institutionalize knowledge, and uses insights to drive strategic decisions.
• Be creative and promote creativity – Drives a culture of innovation and aligns creative initiatives with organizational strategy.
• Lead & inspire – Inspires at organizational scale through values-driven leadership.
• Adapt – Leads strategic adaptation, anticipating change and ensuring organizational agility.
• Optimize resources – Drives organizational excellence through strategic resource allocation and systems that support continuous improvement.
• Communicate effectively – Communicates vision, strategy, and priorities with clarity and inspiration to diverse internal and external audiences.

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in law, criminology, international relations, public policy, security studies, finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of twelve ( 12) years of progressively responsible experience in counterterrorism, financial crime, AML/CFT, justice sector strengthening, or related security fields.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex U.S. Government-funded programs, preferably with a regional or multi-country scope. Strong technical expertise in one or more of the following areas:
  • Counterterrorism operations
  • Terrorist financing and financial intelligence
  • Criminal investigations and prosecutions
• Experience working with government counterparts, including law enforcement, prosecutors, judicial actors, and financial intelligence units, or other security and justice sector actors.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in complex and high-risk environments.
• Strong understanding of international standards (e.g., FATF) and U.S. counterterrorism policy frameworks.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Preferred

• Prior experience serving as Chief of Party, Program Director, Deputy Chief of Party, or equivalent senior leadership role on a U.S. Government-funded program.
• Experience with U.S. Department of State CT Bureau programs or cooperative agreements.
• Familiarity with international AML/CFT standards, including FATF recommendations, FATF-Style Regional Bodies such as GAFILAT, or Egmont Group financial intelligence cooperation.
• Familiarity with the current FTO, terrorist financing, and organized crime threat landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Experience living or working in Latin America or the Caribbean.

Salary Range: $125,000 - $150,000

A candidate’s salary is determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, job-related knowledge, skills, abilities, and internal organizational equity.

More About PADF

PADF is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962.  www.padf.org

PADF’s core values.  “ H-E-A-R-T” = Honesty, Excellence, Authenticity, Respect, and Trust.  

EEO Statement. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. PADF does not discriminate based on ability, age, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record.

PADF is committed to safeguarding employees and those we serve, addressing inappropriate behavior, discrimination, and harassment. We take an intersectional approach, promote gender equality, and follow our Global Code of Conduct emphasizing our H.E.A.R.T. values. The code covers various aspects, including anti-trafficking, PSEAH (Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment), whistleblowing, and online safety.

PADF is an Equal Opportunity Employer