Selection process developed by matteria

Location and Work Mode

Full-time, contract-based position based in Guatemala, with a hybrid and trust-based working model.

Who we are

The Luis von Ahn Foundation is a private foundation committed to building a more inclusive and prosperous Guatemala where all people are equally valued, can thrive, and can fully exercise their rights. Founded in 2021, the Foundation has supported local organizations working across education, women's and girls' equality, democracy and citizen participation, and nature conservation. Beginning in 2027, the Foundation will enter a new strategic chapter focused on strengthening the next generation of Guatemalan leaders.

Our impact

• Founded in 2021: The Foundation has built its work around supporting local organizations and community leaders in Guatemala.

• 35 organizations supported: The Foundation has partnered with organizations working to create positive change across Guatemala.

• 4 areas of focus: Its first strategic chapter supported education, women's and girls' equality, democracy and citizen participation, and nature conservation.

• Next strategic chapter: Beginning in 2027, the Foundation will focus its grantmaking on leadership development through educational pathways, leadership accelerators, and platforms that elevate exemplary Guatemalan leaders.

Purpose of the Position

Lead the collaborative design, completion, implementation and continuous learning of the Foundation's 2027–2032 leadership strategy. The Director will translate an evolving strategic vision into a coherent portfolio of investments, partnerships and programs that cultivate and accelerate the next generation of Guatemalan leaders.

This is the first leadership hire specifically designed for the Foundation's new strategic chapter and will play a central role in moving the organization from strategy development into implementation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Portfolio Leadership

• Lead the completion and ongoing refinement of the Foundation's 2027–2032 leadership strategy.

• Translate strategic priorities into clear investment frameworks, grantmaking criteria, annual priorities and actionable plans.

• Ensure coherence across the Foundation's leadership pipelines, accelerators and Premio-related initiatives.

• Identify emerging needs, opportunities, research and promising practices and translate them into strategic recommendations.

• Help the Foundation make thoughtful trade-offs and maintain focus as the strategy evolves.

Strategy-to-Action & Implementation

• Translate a partially developed strategy into concrete priorities, programs, timelines and decisions.

• Move effectively between strategic thinking and hands-on implementation, particularly during the first year.

• Establish the structures, processes and priorities required to operationalize the new strategy.

• Maintain ownership and follow-through while navigating ambiguity, evolving priorities and incomplete information.

• Ensure that strategic ideas lead to concrete action, learning and results.

Portfolio & Grantmaking Development

• Help develop and launch the Foundation's leadership accelerators and related investments.

• Develop grantmaking criteria and assessment frameworks for new portfolio organizations.

• Identify and select high-performing organizations aligned with the Foundation's leadership strategy.

• Initially support the development of a portfolio of approximately 3–5 accelerator organizations, while contributing to the broader leadership portfolio.

• Over time, help build and manage an integrated portfolio that may grow to approximately 10–20 organizations.

• Ensure that individual investments connect to one another and contribute to a coherent leadership ecosystem.

Learning, Evidence & Adaptation

• Develop learning questions and evidence priorities in collaboration with the Foundation's Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning partner and grantee organizations.

• Use evidence, feedback and experience to test assumptions and refine strategy.

• Help define meaningful indicators of progress without turning measurement into a compliance exercise.

• Synthesize insights from the portfolio into clear strategic recommendations.

• Foster a culture of experimentation, iteration and continuous learning.

Ecosystem & Network Building

• Build trusted relationships with organizations and leaders across Guatemala's leadership ecosystem.

• Convene partners to share learning, reduce fragmentation and identify opportunities for collaboration.

• Strengthen connections among emerging leaders, alumni, organizations, funders, universities, civil society, government and the private sector.

• Develop opportunities for collaboration and co-investment across sectors.

• Represent the Foundation externally in Guatemala and internationally.

Executive, Board & Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director.

• Prepare concise, evidence-based recommendations for the Executive Director, Board and Founder.

• Communicate complex issues with clarity, rigor and sound judgment.

• Translate the realities and nuances of Guatemala into language and recommendations that resonate with a business-oriented Board.

Contribute to organizational planning, annual priorities, budgets and cross-functional

Requirements and competences to work with us

Education

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant fields may include social sciences, education, public policy, business, economics, international development, organizational development or related disciplines.

• Advanced studies in leadership development, social impact, philanthropy, public policy, education, management or a related field are desirable but not mandatory.

Experience

• 8+ years of relevant professional experience, including significant responsibility for designing, leading, growing or improving complex programs, initiatives, portfolios or organizations.

• Demonstrated experience translating strategy into implementation in complex or evolving environments.

• Experience in one or more relevant areas such as leadership development, youth development, education, talent development, philanthropy, social innovation or social impact.

• Experience working across multiple stakeholders and sectors.

• Experience developing programs, investment strategies, partnerships or portfolios is strongly valued.

• Experience with philanthropy, grantmaking or working with funders and grantee organizations is desirable.

• Experience working directly with emerging leaders, youth, cohorts, fellowships or accelerator programs is desirable.

• Experience with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning is desirable, but deep technical MEL expertise is not required: the Foundation expects to work with specialized MEL support.

Knowledge and Skills

• Professional fluency in Spanish and English, both written and spoken.

• Deep understanding of Guatemala's social, cultural, institutional and, ideally, political context, and the ability to recognize how history, power and inequality shape access to opportunity. Being Guatemalan is not a requirement: what is essential is demonstrated contextual understanding, credibility and the ability to work thoughtfully across Guatemala's different realities and communities.

• Ability to synthesize complex, diverse and sometimes contradictory information, and to turn a loosely defined strategy into priorities, plans, decisions, programs and measurable progress.

Competencies

• Strategic thinking and synthesis: identify what matters most, make thoughtful trade-offs and translate insights into clear strategic direction.

• Strategy-to-action: turn an ambitious or loosely defined strategy into priorities, plans, decisions and measurable progress.

• Guatemala context and equity: translate an understanding of history, power and inequality into strategy and grantmaking decisions.

• Executive communication: communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively with community organizations, civil society, government, funders, international partners, the Executive Director and a business-oriented Board.

• Communication "code-switching": adapt language, level of detail, tone and style to the audience without losing authenticity, substance or commitment to equity and inclusion.

• Facilitation and collaborative leadership: design inclusive processes, surface diverse perspectives, navigate disagreement and ambiguity, and move groups toward decisions and next steps without needing to be the primary decision maker.

• Learning and adaptability: curiosity, humility and openness to evidence and feedback, and the ability to recognize when an approach is incomplete and adapt.

• Relationship and network building: establish trusted relationships across organizations, sectors, perspectives and levels of influence.

Our team profile

• Clear is kind: transparency and direct communication, particularly during periods of organizational change.

• Learning over certainty: the new strategy is intentionally designed as a learning laboratory, and the Foundation does not expect to have every answer in advance.

• Listen before prescribing: entering different communities and organizations with curiosity, humility and a genuine willingness to learn.

• Equity in practice: equity and inclusion shape how strategies, programs, partnerships and grantmaking criteria are designed, beyond stated values.

• High standards with humanity: rigor, accountability and results, with respect for partners and the realities in which they operate.

• Collaboration over ego: facilitating alignment and enabling others rather than always being the person with the answer.

• Experimentation and iteration: testing ideas, learning quickly and adapting rather than staying abstract or purely academic.

• Context matters: understanding the nuances of Guatemala rather than applying generic international-development frameworks without adaptation.

Key interests for working with us

This opportunity is particularly relevant for someone motivated by the challenge of strengthening the leadership Guatemala needs for its future. The role will engage with issues including:

• Expanding opportunity for historically underrepresented populations

• Youth leadership and development

• Education and pathways to opportunity

• Equity and inclusion

• Indigenous and historically marginalized communities

• Strengthening local leadership and community-led solutions

• Building stronger connections across Guatemala's social-impact ecosystem

• Strengthening organizations and institutions through leadership

• Developing more effective and learning-oriented philanthropy

• Contributing to a more inclusive, prosperous and resilient Guatemala

The Foundation's new strategy is grounded in the belief that lasting progress depends on capable, ethical and committed leaders, and that many talented young Guatemalans continue to face barriers to developing their leadership potential.

Reasons to join our team

A unique moment to shape a new strategy. This is the first senior role created specifically for the Foundation's new strategic chapter. The Director will have meaningful influence over how the 2027–2032 strategy is translated into action.

Strategic proximity to decision-makers. The position works directly with the Executive Director and engages with the Board, providing significant exposure to strategic decision-making.

Opportunity to build, not simply operate. The role is designed to evolve. In the first year, the focus will be heavily weighted toward strategy development and operationalization. Over time, the position will increasingly focus on portfolio leadership, relationships, learning and ecosystem building.

Opportunity to shape the future team. The Foundation expects to complement the Director's capabilities with future roles, potentially including a Program Manager and other specialized support.

A learning-oriented philanthropic model. The Foundation is intentionally approaching its new portfolio as a learning laboratory, working with grantees and specialized partners to understand what works and continuously improve.

Benefits. The current package includes:

• Healthcare support through a healthcare stipend/reimbursement structure.

• Life insurance coverage.

• A retirement benefit.

• Professional development and conference support.

• Potential relocation support for candidates moving to Guatemala.

Relevant details before applying for this vacancy

Please consider the following before applying:

• The position is full-time and operates under a contract-based structure.

• The role requires approximately 25% travel, primarily within Guatemala, with some international travel, including to the United States.