Position Location: San Salvador, El Salvador
Travel Requirements: Regional travel required on an as-needed basis to support program implementation, including meetings with Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), government counterparts, regional and international conferences, technical assessments, training activities, and other project engagements.
Background: Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a global field presence with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Department of State and Department of Labor, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
Project Summary: Through the Americas Partnership for Security and Financial Integrity (APSFI), Creative, in partnership with ABA ROLI and GovRisk, supports select foreign governments in Central and South America in strengthening their ability to identify, investigate, prosecute, and disrupt terrorist financing and related illicit financial activity, while promoting regional cooperation to address transnational threats.
APSFI provides targeted technical assistance, embedded advisory support, operational mentoring, interagency coordination mechanisms, prosecutor-led case collaboration, and public-private engagement. Through these activities, the program strengthens the abilities of beneficiary-governments to identify vulnerabilities, generate actionable financial intelligence, investigate and prosecute terrorist-financing cases, and disrupt the financial and logistical networks that enable foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and their facilitators to operate across the region. The program also supports beneficiary countries in strengthening Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-aligned legal and regulatory frameworks, improving the collection and use of financial intelligence, strengthening terrorist-financing investigations and prosecutions, and increasing private-sector understanding and mitigation of terrorist-financing risks.
To promote sustainable results, APSFI works with partner institutions to strengthen standard operating procedures (SOPs), interagency coordination training and mentoring capabilities, and public-private coordination partnerships. By embedding these capabilities within national institutions and regional networks, the program aims to provide sustainable solutions to support law enforcement cooperation, and operational capacity to detect, disrupt, investigate, prosecute, and financially isolate FTO-linked networks.
Position Summary: Creative Associates seeks a Senior Regional Subject Matter Expert (SME) Advisor to provide senior technical leadership for APSFI in one or more of the following areas: anti-money laundering (AML), law enforcement, countering the financing of terrorism (CFT), combatting organized crime, or financial intelligence. The Senior Regional SME Advisor will be responsible for the design, delivery, monitoring, and reporting of technical assistance and training activities aligned with their technical expertise. The Senior Regional SME Advisor will also serve in a representational role with regional and country-level stakeholders; manage stakeholder engagement and relationships; and lead needs and readiness assessments to inform program activities. The Senior Regional SME Advisor will provide a regional focus and contextual understanding of relevant issues and dynamics in Central America and the Caribbean, to complement other APSFI presence and expertise in South America.
Reporting & Supervision: The Senior Regional SME Advisor will report directly to the Team Lead and will not have direct supervisory responsibilities. The Senior Regional SME Advisor will collaborate closely with the Regional Project Manager, short-term technical assistance (STTA) SME consultants, the M&E Officer, and other program staff, and maintain close coordination with Creative’s Home Office Project Support Pool and other relevant support staff.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Provide senior technical leadership and subject matter expertise in AML, law enforcement, CFT, combatting organized crime, or financial intelligence with regional emphasis on these issues in Central America and the Caribbean to ensure program activities are technically sound and aligned with program objectives and international standards, including FATF recommendations.
- Lead needs and readiness assessments of beneficiary-government institutions and other stakeholders to identify capacity gaps and priorities and to inform the design and sequencing of program activities.
- Lead the design of technical assistance, training, mentoring, and other capacity-building activities, including the development of activity concepts, curricula, training materials, and other technical products.
- Deliver technical assistance, training, and mentoring to beneficiary-government counterparts, and provide technical direction and quality assurance for activities delivered by STTA SME consultants.
- Monitor the implementation and results of technical assistance and training activities, in collaboration with the Regional Project Manager and M&E Officer, and recommend adjustments to improve effectiveness.
- Prepare technical inputs for work plans, quarterly and annual progress reports, activity reports, and other required program deliverables, and ensure they are accurate, complete, and submitted on time.
- Represent APSFI with regional and country-level stakeholders, including Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, regulators, senior government officials, regional and international organizations, private-sector entities, and U.S. Government counterparts, as directed by the Team Lead.
- Manage stakeholder engagement and relationships, including developing and maintaining strong working relationships with counterparts and coordinating with implementing partners to plan and deliver program activities.
- Identify technical, political, and operational risks and opportunities affecting program implementation and communicate them, along with recommended actions, to the Team Lead.
- Support the development of SOPs, interagency coordination mechanisms, and public-private partnerships to promote the sustainability of program results.
- Travel to APSFI program locations across the Caribbean, Central and South America, and other designated locations as required, to conduct assessments, deliver technical assistance and training, attend meetings with FIUs and other government counterparts, participate in regional and international conferences, and support other program activities as directed by the Team Lead.
- Ensure that technical activities comply with applicable U.S. Department of State award requirements, U.S. Government regulations, Creative policies and procedures, and local laws.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Team Lead, as needed.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
- Required BA degree in a relevant field (law, criminal justice, finance, economics, international relations, etc.), MA degree preferred.
- Minimum of eight years of professional work experience, including at least five years of relevant experience in AML, law enforcement, CFT, combatting organized crime, financial intelligence, or a related field. Previous direct supervisory experience a plus.
- Demonstrated experience designing and delivering technical assistance and training to government institutions, preferably for donor-funded programs. Experience with U.S. Department of State-funded programs preferred; comparable experience with other U.S. Government agencies or international donors will also be considered.
- Demonstrated experience conducting institutional needs or capacity assessments and using findings to inform program design.
- Demonstrated knowledge of FATF standards and recommendations, including the work of FATF-Style Regional Bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT) and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), and AML/CFT legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks; experience in the Western Hemisphere preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to represent an organization and build effective working relationships with senior government officials and other high-level stakeholders.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural team.
- Must have existing work authorization for El Salvador.
- Fluency in English and professional proficiency in written and spoken Spanish are required.
Only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
Creative Associates International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer (gender/race/disability/veteran) and provides equal opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. Please view Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here.