Field School and Volunteer Coordinator in Cusco, Peru

Start date: June 2015
Duration: 3-6 months
Application Deadline: May 29, 2015

Mosqoy is a registered Canadian charitable organization that works in remote communities of the Peruvian Andes, offering opportunities for economic development while nurturing the threatened Indigenous Quechua culture. We operate three main programs: the Textile Community Program, which supports Indigenous communities by revitalizing textile traditions and supporting women weavers; the Andean Youth Program, which offers promising youth of the region opportunities for post-secondary education; and the Global Stewardship Program, which aims to raise global awareness and responsibility in schools and universities through courses, presentations and group initiatives. For more information, please visit www.mosqoy.org or www.facebook.com/mosqoy.

If you are passionate about not-for-profits, hiking, working abroad with a culturally diverse team, textiles and hand-woven fabrics, and working with communities at the grassroots level, then this could be the ideal position for you!

Position Overview

Mosqoy is excited to be offering a unique position within our new social enterprise! Based out of Cusco, Peru, the successful candidate will be taking on a two-pronged position. 1) Coordinating and developing our Field School, and 2) Coordinating Mosqoy’s field volunteers.

The objective of the Field School Coordinator position will be to develop, coordinate and facilitate a field school that consists of three branches:
1. High School Global Stewardship Program
2. University Field Studies Program
3. Public Community Tours

Duties include regular visits to our partner communities, setting up tour logistics and curriculum, trouble-shooting and guiding during the tours, and working in collaboration with our Global Stewardship Program Manager in Canada to develop a successful program.

The Field Volunteer Coordinator aspect of the job description includes receiving new volunteers at the airport, training and orienting new field volunteers, organizing volunteer appreciation events, coordinating welcome packages, providing general supervision and support, and ensuring each volunteer has a positive experience while volunteering with Mosqoy.

Specific Duties include:

1) Coordinate Tours
• Liaise with GSP Manager in Canada
• Confirm travel dates
• Organize specific activity requests
• Provide program information to GSP Manager
• Coordinate community meetings and activities
• Coordinate Accommodations, transportation and meals
• Organize academic curriculum

2) Supervise Tours
• Travel throughout Cusco and to remote indigenous commutes in the Andean Mountains
• Provide Spanish/English translations
• Facilitate relationships between Mosqoy students and travellers
• Facilitate “Daily Review” discussions

3) Create Marketing content (for Marketing Manager in Canada)
• Blogs
• Photos of tours
• Collect feedback from all program participants (international participants, Mosqoy students, and community hosts)

4) Program Development
• Coordinate new tour options
• Revise tour programs as per student feedback
• Create a network system in Peru
• Meet with local stakeholders
• Negotiate travel rates

5) Field Volunteer Management and Coordination
• Recruit assistant
• Provide volunteer orientations
• Review volunteer’s work deliverables
• Coordinate volunteer airport pick-ups and welcome packages
• Coordinate volunteer appreciation activities
• Communicate with Volunteer Coordinator in Canada, to make sure both programs align
• Act as field volunteers’ first contact for emergencies and trouble-shooting

Candidacy

A successful candidate for this role will have:

Requirements:
• Advanced language skills, written and spoken, in both Spanish and English
• Undergraduate degree in a related field
• Awareness of theoretical issues and critiques regarding international development, sustainability, tourism, and cultural diversity
• Knowledge about indigenous rights and development issues
• Presentation skills
• Experience working with youth
• Experience facilitating intercultural relationships
• Demonstrated ability to supervise volunteers
• Physical capability to travel to remote communities by foot
• Demonstrated self-starter and the ability to work autonomously
• Multi-tasking and time-management
• Demonstrated excellent organizational and administrative skills
• Strong IT skills with demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office, social media platforms, and electronic communications platforms
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to new environments, be resourceful, and be sensitive to cultural differences
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to work in multi-cultural, collaborative environment
• Creative and enthusiastic, to seize new opportunities and identify potential areas for improvement and growth
• Basic digital photography skills and ability to upload photos online

Assets:
• Certificate in Volunteer Management
• Wilderness First Aid
• Demonstrated project development experience
• Previous fieldwork experience, preferably with indigenous communities
• Previous experience living abroad
• Experience working with disadvantaged populations
• Volunteer experience in international development
• Experience in activity facilitation and/or outdoor recreation

This position will be physically demanding, and the candidate should be able to hike long distances and ideally have some background in outdoor recreations and activity facilitation. This position requires an ambitious candidate with a desire to help disadvantaged populations.

As a Mosqoy representative, the Tours Coordinator will have a high level of responsibility to maintain our organization’s reputation, including our relationships with community members. Advanced communication skills, knowledge regarding inequity and development issues, as well as shared values with Mosqoy are essential.

Remuneration
• Unpaid internship with subsidized living costs and all expenses covered during field tours.

Application Deadline: Application deadline is May 29, 2015. International applicants are encouraged to apply and interviews will held over Skype. Start Date: Preferably June 2015. This position includes a 2-week training period.

To Apply

For more information on this position, or to apply, please contact Reanna McMillan at fieldschool@mosqoy.org. Complete applications consist of a resume/CV and cover letter in English, and names, relation, phone numbers, and emails of three references. Please indicate how you learned about this opportunity. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.