Become a Program Director

MPI is proud to offer a 13 month fellowship position post graduation for young social change agents to learn, grow, and create social change in kichwa communities of the Amazon Rainforest.

Join MPI in Ecuador for 13 months as a Program Director and gain hands-on community development and leadership experience as you collaborate to build community relationships, design, and implement small, start-up programs in the areas of health, education, and economic livelihoods to help break the cycle of poverty in Kichwa communities of the Amazon Rainforest.

In addition to gaining practical experience by creating and implementing community development projects, Program Directors also have the chance to fulfill nonprofit organization roles, help with administrative tasks, support foreign volunteers, and expand their intercultural awareness. Learn more about this life-changing and career-enhancing role below!

what more information?

Download our welcome packet below or contact us at info@mannaproject.org.

Responsibilities & Benefits

Program Directors are responsible for:

  • Creating and developing relationships with community residents, partner organizations, local vendors, etc.

  • Creating & managing community development programs in education, health and economic livelihood

  • Supervising & supporting short-term foreign volunteers

  • Supporting organizational operations

  • Fundraising (PDs commit to fundraising through networks or through grants at least $1500 over the 13-month term)

Benefits

  • Coverage of housing & meals

  • 1 round trip plane ticket to and from Ecuador (up to $1,200)

  • Weekly stipend of $20 (for context, a simple, local lunch costs approximately $2)

  • Two weeks vacation

  • Ten national holidays of Ecuador

  • Emergency Travel Insurance (covers emergency medical care & evacuation)

  • Visa to live/work in Ecuador for the duration of employment

  • Leadership & professional development: paid retreats and monthly workshops, mentoring & other training.

  • Coverage of all work-related transportation expenses

  • Dumb phone, and local usage plan

  • Occasional cultural and tourist excursions

Required skills/experience/training

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited university required or relevant work experience

  • Commitment to MPI’s collaborative, community-based, holistic approach to community development

  • Passion for relationship building with kids, adults, and leaders in a new community

  • Demonstrated skills & passion for leadership, overcoming barriers, and creating your own structure & routine

  • Demonstrated flexibility & comfort with ambiguity

  • Willingness to integrate with cultural & lifestyle norms a rural, indigenous, under-resourced community in the Amazon region

  • Willingness to work with kids ages 5-17

  • Ability to multi-task and balance short- and long-term goals

  • Personal or professional cross-cultural experience

  • Prior experience living overseas for 2 months or more

  • Intermediate Spanish and

Next application cycle:

We will begin hiring for a June, 2025 start date in jan, 2025

To apply, send a resume and cover letter describing your fit with MPI and with this position to apply@mannaproject.org. In your cover letter, please specify if you prefer to work on community programs in various fields, or have a preference to work mostly in one field, from the choices of teaching English, youth development, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), and public health.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Manna Project equips volunteers with leadership development skills for a variety of career fields, including medicine, international development, law, the greater non-profit sector, education and international politics.

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