Team Lead/Regional Office Director – El Salvador

4 min read

San Salvador, El Salvador

Background:

Creative Associates International (Creative) is a professional services company with more than 48 years of experience delivering turnkey services in sensitive, austere, and conflict-affected environments. With a legacy of trusted performance across 115+ countries around the world and deep subject matter expertise in security sector assistance, Creative is a proven leader in delivering solutions across the spectrum of counterterrorism, stabilization, and peacekeeping. We leverage existing operational platforms, including registrations/business licenses in over 60 countries, infrastructure, and in-country relationships to deliver services quickly across the Western Hemisphere, the Middle East & North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.

Project Summary:

The Western Hemisphere Counterterrorism Legal and Financial Disruption Program is a two-year project funded by the Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. It aims to strengthen the capacity of governments across Latin America and the Caribbean to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and their financial networks. The program will provide practical, multi-agency training and technical assistance for investigators, prosecutors, judges, financial intelligence units, and regulators to improve counterterrorism legal frameworks, enhance regional cooperation, and strengthen information sharing with U.S. counterparts. Through targeted support on terrorist financing, sanctions regimes, and institutional coordination, the program seeks to advance U.S. national security objectives by countering transnational criminal and terrorist threats, including networks linked to Iranian proxies operating in the region.

Position Summary:

The Team Lead/Regional Office Director will provide overall strategic, technical, operational, and managerial leadership for the Western Hemisphere Counterterrorism Legal and Financial Disruption Program. The Director will oversee program implementation across regional offices in El Salvador and Paraguay, ensuring activities are effectively coordinated, compliant with award requirements, and responsive to evolving regional security dynamics, U.S. Government priorities, and host-country needs.

Serving as the principal representative of the program, the Team Lead/Regional Office Director will maintain strong working relationships with the U.S. Department of State, host government counterparts, law enforcement and judicial institutions, financial intelligence units, private sector stakeholders, and regional partners. The Director will guide the development and delivery of technical assistance, training, and mentoring activities focused on counterterrorism investigations, terrorist financing disruption, sanctions implementation, interagency coordination, and regional information sharing.

The Team Lead/Regional Office Director will also lead the regional hub office in El Salvador, providing supervision and support to program staff, managing operational planning and risk mitigation, and ensuring high-quality programmatic and financial performance. The position requires demonstrated expertise in counterterrorism, anti-money laundering, transnational organized crime, illicit finance, rule of law, or related security sector programming in the Western Hemisphere.

Reporting & Supervision:

The Team Lead/Regional Office Director reports to the HQ Project Director. They will have direct reports, including subject matter experts and the Regional Director for the Paraguay office.

Primary Responsibilities

Provide overall strategic, technical, operational, and managerial leadership for the program in El Salvador and Paraguay.

Oversee implementation of program activities and ensure alignment with Department of State priorities, award requirements, and regional counterterrorism objectives.

Manage and supervise program operations across regional offices in El Salvador and Paraguay, including staff oversight, coordination, and performance management.

Serve as the primary liaison with the U.S. Department of State, host government counterparts, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, financial intelligence units, judicial actors, and other stakeholders.

Lead engagement with regional and national partners to strengthen interagency coordination, information sharing, and collaborative approaches to counterterrorism and terrorist financing disruption.

Oversee the design, delivery, and quality assurance of training, mentoring, and technical assistance activities related to counterterrorism investigations, prosecutions, sanctions, terrorist financing, and legal frameworks.

Ensure effective coordination and deconfliction with other donor-funded and U.S. Government-supported initiatives, including regional training programs and institutions.

Provide strategic guidance on emerging regional threats, operational risks, and political or security developments affecting program implementation.

Oversee work planning, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, budgeting, compliance, and risk management to ensure timely and high-quality program delivery.

Ensure compliance with U.S. Government regulations, cooperative agreement requirements, security protocols, and organizational policies and procedures.

Support the development of sustainable institutional partnerships and capacity-building approaches, including train-the-trainer models and long-term coordination mechanisms.

Represent the program at high-level meetings, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder engagements throughout the region.

Minimum Skills and Qualifications

Advanced degree in law, international relations, criminology, public policy, security studies, counterterrorism, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing complex international development, rule of law, counterterrorism, security sector, anti-money laundering, counter threat finance, or transnational crime programs.

Demonstrated experience managing U.S. Government-funded programs, preferably with the Department of State, DOJ, USAID, or other relevant international assistance agencies.

Strong knowledge of counterterrorism legal frameworks, terrorist financing, sanctions regimes, anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), and regional security dynamics in Western Hemisphere.

Experience working with law enforcement, prosecutors, judicial institutions, financial intelligence units, and host government counterparts.

Proven leadership and team management experience overseeing multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams in complex operating environments.

Demonstrated ability to manage program operations, budgets, compliance requirements, monitoring and evaluation systems, and donor reporting.

Strong diplomatic, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, including experience interacting with senior government officials and international partners.

Professional fluency in English required; professional proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred.

Ability and willingness to live in El Salvador and travel to Paraguay, as needed.

Experience living and working in Western Hemisphere preferred.

EEOC Statement: Creative is an equal opportunity employer.

Chief of Party

2 min read

USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program – Guinea

Position Summary:

Creative Associates International seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated USDA-funded McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Guinea. The program will support school feeding, literacy improvement, nutrition, and food security outcomes for school-aged children while strengthening local systems, government capacity, and community participation.

The COP will provide overall strategic, technical, operational, financial, and managerial leadership for the program and serve as the primary liaison with USDA, Government of Guinea counterparts, consortium partners, and key stakeholders.

This position reports to the Home Office Project Director in Washington, D.C.

Primary Responsibilities

Provide overall strategic leadership and direction for the McGovern-Dole program in Guinea.
Lead project implementation and oversee achievement of program objectives, targets, and deliverables.
Ensure compliance with USDA regulations, commodity management requirements, financial controls, and reporting obligations.
Oversee systems related to commodity accountability, warehousing, transportation, inventory management, and risk mitigation.
Coordinate closely with consortium partners responsible for commodities and school feeding operations.
Provide oversight for literacy, teacher training, nutrition, school feeding, community engagement, and sustainability activities.
Serve as the primary liaison with USDA, Government of Guinea ministries, development partners, and key stakeholders.
Oversee monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems and promote data-driven decision-making.
Recruit, supervise, mentor, and support a multidisciplinary project team.
Monitor operational and security risks and support mitigation planning.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Education, International Development, Agriculture, Nutrition, Public Administration, or related field.
Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing large donor-funded international development programs.
Minimum 5 years of senior leadership experience as Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Program Director, or equivalent.
Demonstrated experience managing USDA-funded programs strongly preferred, including McGovern-Dole, Food for Progress, Food for Peace, or related food security/school feeding programs.
Demonstrated experience overseeing complex operational or commodities management systems preferred.
Experience managing multi-sectoral programs involving education, nutrition, food security, school feeding, or community development.
Demonstrated experience working with government counterparts, donors, local organizations, and consortium partners.
Strong financial, operational, compliance, and risk management experience.
Demonstrated experience in fragile or complex operating environments preferred.
Professional fluency in French strongly preferred.
Professional working proficiency in English required.
Previous experience working in Guinea or West Africa strongly preferred.

Only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls, please. This position is contingent upon project award.

Creative Associates International is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Consultant: Law Enforcement & Security Sector Reform

3 min read

Creative is seeking global law enforcement consultants and subject matter experts (SMEs) (based in the United States, Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East) to support various projects currently at the proposal phase. Creative is looking to expand its pool of available SMEs to support the development of effective, professional, and transparent law enforcement capacity that protects human rights, combats corruption, and reduces the threat of transnational crime and terrorism, in support of U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives. This support may include expert assistance to foreign counterparts to help develop criminal justice systems that will effectively combat transnational crime, corruption, and terrorism consistent with international standards and in furtherance of the rule of law and U.S. national security.

To this end, we are seeking mid-level and senior individuals with expertise in law enforcement and security sector reform specializations listed below to submit their CVs for short- or long-term opportunities, all of which are contingent upon contract award.

Areas of Expertise Sought

Institutional Development

Organizational Development

Individual Unit Development

Academy and Instructor Development

Information Systems

Law Enforcement Capacity Building

Basic and Advanced Police Service

Specialized Law Enforcement and Tactical Operations

Basic and Advanced Criminal Investigations

Basic and Advanced Interview Skills

Maritime and Border Security

Policing in a Democratic Society

Terrorism and Transnational Crime

International Post Conflict Law Enforcement Responders

Public Integrity and Anticorruption

Forensics Development

Criminal Justice Coordination

Crime Scene Investigations

Corrections

Money Laundering and Economic Crimes

Organized Crime

Anti-Corruption

Cybercrime

Intellectual Property Crimes

Counter- Trafficking in Persons

Counter-Trafficking in Narcotics

Combatting Transnational Criminal Activities

Counterterrorism Capacity Building

Counterterrorism Tactical Training

Lawful Detainment & Repatriation of Foreign Terrorist Fighters

Counterterrorism Financing

Complex Investigations and Countertrafficking of Narcotics,

Intelligence-Led Policing

Complex investigations of other Transnational Criminal Activities

Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) Operations

Responsibilities (Illustrative)

The tasks listed below are meant to cover the various types of work that may be negotiated with Creative for either programs or proposals with the desired security sector, law enforcement, or justice-related components:
Designing, delivering, and evaluating specialized training initiatives, including all training materials, i.e. curricula, case studies, simulation activities, pre- and post-training evaluations and assessments, facilitator manuals, and participant materials
Serving as embedded advisors with host-country law enforcement entities to support institutional reform, establishment of training academies, anti-corruption, and other vetted investigative and police units
Conduct in-country assessment in collaboration with the host law enforcement and security sector
Serving as mentors to host-country counterparts to facilitate knowledge transfer of new techniques and technologies, as well as international standards for policing, evidence management and analysis, prosecution, management of prisons and inmates, and other specialized topics
Serve as SMEs on a rotating basis, dependent on the services required
Developing and/or conducting trainings for task order staff and/or partner nation organizations and units
Liaise closely with Washington, DC-based Creative staff to develop indicators, data collection tools, and reporting mechanisms to track implementation progress

Qualifications

Required

Bachelor’s degree (Master’s or higher preferred) in criminal justice, psychology, political science, public administration, public policy, government, law, forensics, national security or a relevant field.
At least 5 years of experience working in U.S. law enforcement, criminal justice, corrections management, national security, counter narcotics, or law.
Specialized professional development training and certifications may be considered in combination with professional law enforcement experience in lieu of university degree.
Ability to assess and evaluate law enforcement practices and develop recommendations, action plans, and training tools to build capacity.
Experience facilitating workshops, trainings, and simulation exercises.
Ability to work on a team across time zones.
Must be eligible to obtain a Secret Clearance; holders of existing Clearances preferred but not required.
Experience working with U.S. local or federal law enforcement entities required.

Preferred

Additional professional written and oral language capabilities in Spanish, French, and Arabic preferred, but not required.