Position type:  Full-time

Location:  Remote, United States

 

Company Overview

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits. For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved - and is committed to continuing to improve - economies, societies and most importantly, people's lives.

 

Palladium is a child-safe organization and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.

 

Project Overview and Role

The USAID Guatemala Creating Economic Opportunities Project (“the Project”) is a 5-year, broad-reaching project designed to spur productive economic activity in and beyond Guatemala’s capital city. With the overarching objectives of generating 50,000 new jobs, facilitating $75 million of foreign and domestic investment, and mobilizing more than $60 million in financing to SMEs, the Project will harness drivers of economic growth, including domestic and international businesses in priority sectors and infrastructure developers. In addition to the department of Guatemala, the Project focuses on five departments in Guatemala’s Altiplano region, including Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, Totonicapán, San Marcos, and Quiché.

 

Within the context of promoting economic opportunities in the Project geographies, the Ministry of Labor Seasonal Labor Program, focused on promoting regular and safe migration by obtaining temporary work visas for the U.S. and Canada, has asked for support for an international consultant to attract new clients/employers in the U.S. to send at least 300 Guatemalan workers per quarter. The U.S. H2 Visa Expert will promote the Seasonal Labor Program, establish contact with potential new employers/companies, attract them to the program, and generate new temporary work positions.

 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the U.S. H2 Visa Expert is to promote and grow the Guatemalan temporary worker program in the U.S. under the H2 visa programs as follows:

• Plan for growing the use of the U.S. H2 program to hire Guatemalan workers, including events, advertising, targeting sectors, timelines, etc.

• Create a database of new employers in the U.S. interested, with basic contact information and documented interest in hiring Guatemalans as seasonal workers under the H2 programs

• Contact new employers in the U.S. and work with them to develop a process to offer temporary, seasonal labor opportunities to Guatemalan workers within the framework of the H2A and H2B work visas

 

Tasks

• Prepare a work plan that includes short-, medium- and long-term goals and key performance indicators; include proposed events to attend and events that the Project should organize

• Develop a “90-day sprint” plan to address the new administration’s priorities to stem irregular migration and lay the groundwork for longer-term interventions

• Identify U.S. states as strategic and competitive locations to position Guatemalan workers as a seasonal labor opportunity

• Apply lessons learned in regional recruiting for harvesters in Mexico to Guatemala – identify regions that are harvesting hubs that could serve as recruiting points for U.S. crops.

• Create standard operating procedures for identifying harvesters' skills – for example, repeated stooping, lifting heavy loads, etc.

• Pinpoint bottlenecks in employment processes and delays in connecting employers and eligible temporary workers

• Identify new companies to contact as potential employers of seasonal Guatemalan labor.

• Develop and conduct presentations (face-to-face and/or virtual) to promote the seasonal labor program

• Curate a list of events to participate in to promote the Guatemalan Ministry program

• Prepare proposals for ad hoc events to promote the Guatemalan temporary labor program—develop the virtual setting for the event; propose the communication and dissemination campaign; design the agenda per each event´s objectives; provide the list of key guests and speakers; design and send “Save The Date” and final invitations; among other tasks

• Develop a list of advertising possibilities to promote the Guatemalan Ministry program in the U.S.

• Conduct written and telephone communications with potential new employers

• Prospect and build relationships with employers interested in hiring employees in H2

• Coordinate program presentations with, but not limited to, USAID, CEO Project, U.S. Embassy key players, and MINTRAB´s high-level representatives, including the Minister when necessary/required

• Coordinate strategic communication and convene work meetings as needed with the local consultant assigned by the MINTRAB to serve as a counterpart to follow up on the processes needed to respond to new employment opportunities

• Draft and present periodic progress reports, as required by the project, especially weekly and quarterly reports. Participate in coordination meetings, as required

• Provide inputs in work plans and other planning as required

• Support in other tasks related to the subject, at the specific request of the project management

 

Required Qualifications

• Experience related to matching companies’ needs for temporary employees and visa eligibility

• Experience working with approval processes required by the U.S. Department of Labor and State Department for U.S. companies to receive approvals to utilize H2 visa programs

• Understanding of U.S. temporary hiring processes

• Knowledge of U.S. labor legislation for temporary employment contracting

• Experience working with the U.S. Department of State, Department of Agriculture, or related agency

• Experience as a seasonal workforce manager for agricultural and non-agricultural workers

• Experience with data management programs (Excel, Access or similar)

• Bachelor's degree in Legal Sciences, Business Administration or similar

• Bilingual: Spanish and English

 

Required Competencies/Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively with VIP representatives of public and private sectors, including strong oral and written communication skills to deliver engaging, action-oriented virtual/in-person presentations and events and write compelling outreach/marketing materials and reports

• Results focused

• Effective planning, management, and organizational skills

• Microsoft Office, social networking, and website skills

• Ability to manage people of diverse backgrounds

• Ability to support organization of H2 conferences throughout the U.S. (virtual/in-person)

• Ability to travel as required

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TO APPLY: Submit your cover letter and resume to recruitment@broderickhaightconsulting.com with the subject line “Palladium - H2 Visa Expert”

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