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Serve where you’re needed mostManagement and Organizational Strengthening Specialist
Community Economic Development
Job highlights
Costa Rica • North America
In partnership with: Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE)
Applications are now closed. View current openings.
Apply by
November 15, 2025Know by
January 1, 2026Depart on
June 8, 2026Duration
12 monthsAbout the project
The Costa Rica Coffee Institute (ICAFE) requests a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as Management and Organizational Strengthening Specialist. ICAFE is the governing body of Costa Rican coffee activity, focused is the leading institution in the promotion of local coffee activity, mandated to guarantee the quality and sustainability of Costa Rican Coffee through inclusive participation, innovation and traceability. ICAFE has been working with the coffee sector for 60 years, carrying out projects and actions in favor of the sustainability of the more than 25,000 producer families that depend on this activity. The institution has six regional offices throughout the country, which are in charge of providing technical assistance to small producers and supporting coffee plantations in adapting to face the effects of climate variations. A Fair Participation Policy for the Costa Rican Coffee Sector was developed in 2022. Nevertheless, ICAFE does not have staff specialized in empowering youth, girls and women, which hinders the capacity of the institution to develop specific actions to promote the equal participation of women in the coffee value chain.
The PCRV will collaborate with counterparts to develop products to be implemented at an internal institutional level and then transferred externally across the sector through different entities like cooperatives, private companies, and others. In this way, ICAFE hopes to continue strengthening and empowering youth and women within the social projects and programs it currently executes. The PCRV will work to develop training and awareness workshops on women empowerment for internal facilitation at ICAFE and then to be promoted externally for relevant stakeholders, design an educational methodology for producer families regarding equal participation in domestic and care work, and conduct research about remuneration gaps between men and women in the different links of the coffee value chain. The goal of this assignment is to support the development and sharing of tools and capabilities to address problems, secure strategic resources, and support the needs of youth and women in the coffee production sector.
Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Costa Rica project page.
Required skills
Qualified candidates will have the following criteria:
• BA/BS in relevant field including Social Science, Education, Business, Management and Organizational Development
• 3 or more years of technical expertise in organizational capacity development and training.
• Experience supporting strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.
• Strong interpersonal, team building, and communications skills.
• Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change.
• Professional experience in program management and/or monitoring and evaluation.
Language: Spanish
A. Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework in the past 8 years
B. Completed college-level Elementary II Spanish semester (Elementary III in quarter system) within the past 6 years
C. Score between 50-62 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam in the past 6 years
D. Score Novice-High or Intermediate-Low on official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in Spanish within the past 6 years
Required behavioral competencies
These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:
Motivation for and commitment to service
Adaptability and open-mindedness
Problem solving and resourcefulness
Behavioral maturity and professionalism
Photos from Costa Rica
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Costa Rica country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.
Meet a Volunteer in Costa Rica
Henry B.
Elementary English Education Volunteer
"Dancing is big in my community, and it has been a great way to meet people and to distinguish myself from the tourists who are constantly coming through town."
See full Volunteer profile
To learn more about serving as a couple in Costa Rica, visit the country page.
Application process
From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.
Medical/legal clearance
You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Costa Rica. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
