Program Director, Argentina

Request for Proposals: Independent Contractor Services Director, Argentina Child Protection & Strategic Engagement Issuing Organization: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)Program: U.S. Department of State–funded Child Protection Compact Partnership in ArgentinaPlace of Performance: Buenos Aires, Argentina, with frequent travel throughout Argentina and periodic international travelEngagement Type: Independent contractor (individual consultant). This is not an employment position.Period of Performance: Base period from December 2026 through September 30, 2027, with up to four (4) one-year option periods. If all options are exercised, the engagement ends September 30, 2031.Announcement Date: November 6, 2026NCMEC Contract Point of Contact: John Shehan, Senior Vice President, jshehan@ncmec.org 1. Background NCMEC is implementing the Child Protection Compact Partnership in Argentina, a five-year program funded by the U.S. Department of State that ends September 30, 2031. The program addresses child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking through prevention, protection, investigation, and prosecution activities. NCMEC wants to engage one qualified professional as an independent contractor to serve as Director, Argentina Child Protection & Strategic Engagement (the "Director"). The Director will be NCMEC's senior in-country representative for the partnership. The Director will coordinate with NCMEC's Senior Vice President, Exploited Children Division (the "NCMEC Contract Manager") and with the NCMEC divisions supporting the program. 2. Objective The objective is to lead in-country implementation of the partnership. That means turning grant commitments into coordinated work plans, budgets, partner activities, and measurable outcomes, delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with grant requirements. It also means coordinating NCMEC expertise to meet Argentina's legal, cultural, operational, and child-protection needs, and building results that last beyond the grant period. 3. Scope of Work The Director will perform the following tasks under work plans approved by the NCMEC Contract Manager. The Director decides how, when, and by what methods the work is done, consistent with the approved work plan, the delivery schedule, and the contract terms. Limits of Contractor Authority The Director has no authority to sign contracts, obligate funds, or otherwise bind NCMEC. All agreements, budget changes, and expenditures require written approval from authorized NCMEC officials. NCMEC keeps its final responsibility for hiring, supervising, and evaluating its personnel and for monitoring subrecipients and contractors. The Director provides programmatic coordination and recommendations to support those responsibilities. Task 1: Program Leadership and Grant Implementation Coordinate overall in-country implementation of the partnership across prevention, protection, prosecution, and national coordination activities. Prepare and maintain annual and multi-year work plans that define priorities, activities, responsibilities, timelines, deliverables, performance indicators, and outcomes. Monitor progress, identify risks and emerging needs, and recommend operational or strategic adjustments. Plan and carry out activities consistent with the accepted proposal, the approved budget, U.S. Department of State requirements, NCMEC policies, and applicable laws and regulations. Prepare programmatic reports, implementation updates, performance data, and briefings required by NCMEC and the U.S. Department of State. Develop budget proposals and spending plans with NCMEC Finance, Grants Management, Legal, and program leadership. Track spending against the approved budget and flag variances and funding risks. Prepare scopes of work, deliverables, timelines, and reporting requirements for implementing partners, consultants, and service providers. Monitor their performance and report to NCMEC so it can carry out its oversight responsibilities. Apply child-safeguarding, trauma-informed, survivor-informed, and victim-centered practices to all activities. Protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of victims, survivors, families, reporting parties, participants, and anyone else whose information the program receives. Provide programmatic direction and day-to-day coordination for the in-country project team and consultants. Give NCMEC input on recruitment, performance, and professional development of project personnel. Task 2: Prevention and Education Lead a coordinated strategy to prevent child sexual exploitation in Argentina, including online exploitation, grooming, and child sex trafficking. Build partnerships with civil-society, educational, child-protection, and community organizations to expand and sustain prevention efforts. Coordinate technical assistance and consistent, evidence-informed child-safety messaging. Coordinate the review, translation, localization, and distribution of NCMEC prevention resources, including NetSmartz, KidSmartz, Into the Cloud, and child sex trafficking materials, so they are accurate, culturally relevant, accessible, and consistent with NCMEC standards. Coordinate outreach, public-awareness activities, education, and training for children, parents, educators, child-protection professionals, and other audiences. Task 3: Protection and Victim Support Increase awareness and use of reporting mechanisms for suspected child sexual exploitation and trafficking, including coordination between NCMEC's CyberTipline and Argentine authorities. Coordinate the introduction, localization, promotion, and responsible use of Take It Down, Safeguard, and other NCMEC resources and services. Lead mapping of victim services, shelters, referral pathways, government resources, and civil-society programs for children affected by or at risk of sexual exploitation or trafficking. Coordinate trauma-informed, victim-centered training and technical assistance on victim identification, response, referral, recovery planning, and prevention of revictimization. Connect partners with NCMEC recovery-planning expertise. Promote multidisciplinary and cross-jurisdictional coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, child-protection agencies, social services, and victim service providers. Support processes, under NCMEC procedures, that let eligible survivors and their legal representatives obtain documentation or evidence through NCMEC's Child Victim Identification Program (CVIP) for restitution or other authorized legal proceedings. Task 4: Investigation, Prosecution, and Victim Identification Coordinate access to NCMEC analytical and technical resources for Argentine investigations involving CyberTipline reports, child sexual exploitation, and child sex trafficking. Strengthen specialized law-enforcement and prosecutorial capacity through training, mentoring, case consultations, and technical assistance for investigators, prosecutors, analysts, and judicial personnel. Coordinate NCMEC support to develop or improve victim-identification capabilities within the Policía Federal Argentina and other designated authorities. Draft procedures for authorized Argentine agencies to submit child sexual abuse material to CVIP for review and possible identification. NCMEC Legal must approve these procedures, and they must comply with U.S. and Argentine law. Facilitate operational coordination among Argentine authorities, CVIP, INTERPOL, and the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database.   Task 5: National Coordination, Partnerships, and Sustainability Serve as NCMEC's principal in-country liaison with the Government of Argentina, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, civil society, technology companies, and international organizations. Maintain key relationships with the Ministerio Público Fiscal, the Policía Federal Argentina, and victim service organizations. Convene meetings, working groups, and technical discussions among government, justice-sector, civil-society, child-protection, and private-sector partners. Coordinate learning sessions, exchanges, study visits, and technical engagements between NCMEC and Argentine counterparts. Engage electronic service providers and technology-sector partners to strengthen cooperation, reporting, child-safety measures, investigative support, and responsible for industry participation. Align activities with existing Argentine strategies, institutions, and programs to avoid duplication and strengthen national and local capacity. Develop and carry out a sustainability and knowledge-transfer strategy so successful activities, resources, partnerships, and technical capabilities continue after U.S. Department of State funding ends. Task 6: Representation and Coordination Represent NCMEC at high-level meetings, conferences, trainings, and public events in Argentina and abroad. Deliver presentations and briefings on NCMEC, the partnership, CyberTipline, CVIP, child sexual exploitation, trafficking, and related work. Coordinate with the relevant NCMEC teams: Exploited Children Division, International Engagement, Family and Survivor Services, Analytical Services, Content and Community Engagement, Communications and Brand, Legal, Finance, and Technology. Direct all media inquiries and public communications to NCMEC's Communications and Brand team. The Director will not speak publicly on NCMEC's behalf without prior written approval. 4. Contractor Qualifications Required Argentine citizen / legally authorized to work in Argentina. Must successfully complete NCMEC's background screening. Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, law, public administration, social work, international development, child protection, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in child protection, child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, criminal justice, victim services, international development, or a related field. At least five years of management experience, including responsibility for teams, budgets, partnerships, and complex programs. Demonstrated experience working with Argentine government agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, civil-society organizations, or child-protection systems. Experience managing multi-year, grant-funded programs. Demonstrated knowledge of child sexual exploitation, online exploitation, child sex trafficking, victim identification, trauma-informed response, and the needs of child victims and survivors. Experience developing and delivering professional training, technical assistance, public presentations, or capacity-building programs. Full professional fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English. Able and willing to travel frequently throughout Argentina and periodically abroad. Registered with Argentina's tax authority (ARCA) and able to issue electronic invoices for professional services. Preferred Advanced degree in a related field. Experience managing partnerships, consultants, subrecipients, vendors, or other implementing entities. Experience with U.S. government–funded awards and federal grant compliance. Knowledge and Skills Expected Comprehensive knowledge of Argentina's governmental, legal, law-enforcement, judicial, child-protection, and victim service structures. Strong leadership, strategic-planning, project-management, and problem-solving abilities, including turning program commitments into practical work plans, budgets, and measurable outcomes. Ability to establish credibility with senior government officials, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, civil-society leaders, survivors, industry representatives, and international partners. Strong understanding of victim-centered, survivor-informed, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed practices. Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, training, negotiation, and public-speaking skills. Strong analytical skills and the ability to assess performance information and develop practical recommendations. Integrity, discretion, cultural competence, and sound judgment, with the ability to protect highly sensitive material and information. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and with project-management, collaboration, reporting, and data-management tools. 6. Contract Terms Independent contractor status. The Director is an independent contractor, not an employee of NCMEC, and is not entitled to employee wages, benefits, or protections. The Director is solely responsible for all taxes, social security contributions, insurance, and registrations required under Argentine law. Schedule. The Director sets their own working hours. They must be available for scheduled coordination meetings, partner engagements, and time-sensitive matters, including meetings with U.S.-based NCMEC staff across time zones. Compensation. Will be discussed during the interview process. Travel. NCMEC must approve all travel in advance. Approved travel costs will be reimbursed at actual, reasonable cost under NCMEC's travel policy and applicable U.S. federal cost principles. Equipment. The Director provides their own standard office equipment. NCMEC will provide secure systems or devices for specific program functions. Option periods. NCMEC may exercise each annual option at its sole discretion, based on satisfactory performance, continued program need, and availability of U.S. Department of State funding. Funding contingency. This engagement is funded by a U.S. Department of State award and depends on the continued availability of those funds. NCMEC may modify or end the contract if the award is reduced, changed, or terminated. Termination. Either party may end the contract with 30 days' written notice. NCMEC may end said contract immediately for cause. Federal requirements. The contract will include the clauses required by NCMEC's federal award. These include anti–trafficking in persons' requirements, debarment and suspension of certification, conflict-of-interest disclosure, records retention, and access to records for audit. Confidentiality and safeguarding. The Director must protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of all program information, follow NCMEC's child-safeguarding policies, and sign NCMEC's confidentiality agreement. Sensitive content. The work may involve exposure to written, visual, or audio content about crimes against children, including child sexual abuse material, sexual exploitation, trafficking, and violence. The Director may access or handle such material only through NCMEC-approved secure systems and procedures and must keep appropriate wellness practices and promote them across the project. Intellectual property. NCMEC owns all work products, translations, and materials produced under the contract, subject to the terms of the federal award. 7. Proposal Submission Requirements Interested candidates must submit the following in English, in a single PDF by December 11, 2026, Cover letter (up to 3 pages) describing relevant experience and a proposed approach to the first 90 days. Curriculum vitae showing education, management experience, grant-funded programs led, and key institutional relationships in Argentina. Writing sample in Spanish (up to 3 pages), such as a report excerpt, program plan, or policy memo. Three professional references, including at least one from an Argentine government or justice-sector institution and one who can speak to management experience. Fee proposal stating the proposed fixed monthly fee in [U.S. dollars / Argentine pesos], excluding reimbursable travel. Confirmation of eligibility, including citizenship/work authorization and current or planned ARCA registration. Conflict-of-interest disclosure listing any current employment, contracts, or affiliations with Argentine government agencies, implementing partners, or technology companies. NCMEC will not reimburse any costs incurred in preparing a proposal. 8. General Conditions This announcement is not an offer of employment or a commitment to award a contract. NCMEC may cancel this solicitation, reject any or all proposals, negotiate with one or more offerors, or award without negotiation. NCMEC does not discriminate on any basis protected by applicable law and will provide reasonable accommodation in the selection process on request.