Senior Director for Mexico and Latin America

Opportunity

The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) is seeking a versatile, resourceful leader to be the next Senior Director for Mexico and Latin America, guiding the Chapter into its next era of service to its members. This is an exciting opportunity to bring bicultural perspective to the NWPCA’s lean, inspired staff pursuing the association’s vision, as stated in its strategic plan, of ongoing expansion of the NWPCA as the thought, information and advocacy leader for wooden pallets and wooden transport packaging solutions.

NWPCA is the largest organization of wood packaging professionals in the world, with more than 800 company members in 40 countries who manufacture, repair and distribute pallets and wood packaging in unit-load solutions, or who supply products and services to the industry. Launched in 2022, the Mexico and Latin American Capítulo of NWPCA has grown rapidly, more than tripling its membership in its first two years, and is well positioned to extend its reach to serve members throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Senior Director for Mexico and Latin America serves as the principal staff lead for the NWPCA in the region. This role is responsible for overseeing daily operations, executing strategic initiatives, and serving as the main liaison with the Capítulo Board of Directors. The position ensures that all activities are aligned with NWPCA’s mission to provide an environment for member success while promoting the wooden pallet and wooden transport packaging industry.

In direct alignment with the Capítulo Work Plan, the Senior Director plays a vital role in expanding NWPCA’s global presence, advocating for Spanish-speaking members, and promoting innovation, education, and collaboration. This leadership position is key to reinforcing the Chapter’s role as the unifying voice for the wooden packaging sector across Latin America and the Caribbean.

NWPCA is looking for a remote-based Senior Director fluent in Spanish and English, confident working with businesses across Mexico and Latin America and traveling throughout the region more than 30% of the time.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Director will join a staff committed to the NWPCA’s core values recognizing wood as a sustainable and highly-valued resource, providing exemplary member service and engagement with high ethical standards and integrity, consistently building collaboration and community.

1. Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Lead NWPCA’s operations in Mexico and Latin America, ensuring all initiatives reflect the association’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Serve as the main liaison with the Capítulo Board of Directors to drive regional strategy and deliver results consistent with the Chapter’s multi-year goals.
• Oversee the implementation of the Capítulo Work Plan, with a focus on:
• Strengthening global recognition of the Chapter so that it becomes the unifying voice for the wooden packaging sector in Spanish-speaking countries.
• Expanding presence in Spanish-speaking countries.
• Enhancing visibility and effectiveness in trade and regulatory discussions.

2. Events, Conferences, and Education

• Plan and execute the Annual Capítulo Conference to promote the Chapter and elevate the Hispanic wooden packaging sector.
• Coordinate 2–3 regional in-person meetings in Mexico to encourage dialogue, networking, and collaboration.
• Organize and deliver annual PDS (Pallet Design SystemTM) training courses in Spanish and at least 2–3 workshops or webinars tailored to regional market needs and standards.
• Promote education on global standards, innovation, and sustainability, reinforcing NWPCA’s leadership in technology and best practices.
• Design educational efforts to eliminate knowledge and training gaps (Spanish-language) through digital and in-person education platforms.
• Overseas educational and in-country trade servicing missions (2–3) to Spanish-speaking countries outside Mexico as part of the RAPP (USDA Regional Agricultural Program) grant.

3. Membership Engagement and Development

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Spanish-speaking members, offering support and creating value-driven interactions.
• Drive recruitment and retention efforts, aligning with the strategic goal to increase membership across the region.
• Launch and manage a mentorship program to support new members and facilitate knowledge sharing.
• Build a community that allows members to share experiences and strengthen their voice within the association.

4. Communications and Content Strategy

• Lead Spanish-language communication strategies, including:
• Boletín – Bi-monthly (as of January ’25) newsletter to regional stakeholders.
• Circular – Exclusive email updates sent to Capítulo members each month.
• Spanish-language LinkedIn page – Engagement and visibility.
• Maintenance of the Spanish-language website, ensuring timely updates and regional relevance.
• Support the development of educational, advocacy, and promotional materials in Spanish to close knowledge gaps and amplify member impact.
• Overseas communication, online content creation, and marketing strategy of Tribalo Communications as part of RAPP grant.

5. Interdepartmental Collaboration and Advocacy

• Coordinate with internal departments such as Operations, Government Affairs, Science & Technology, and the Foundation to:
• Promote culturally and linguistically appropriate resources.
• Deliver Spanish-language materials including invitations, press releases, technical guides, and PDS documents.
• Communicate Capítulo priorities for major NWPCA events (Annual Leadership Conference, Fall Plant Tour, Fly-In).
• Build strategic relationships with governmental and non-governmental entities to enhance the Chapter’s visibility and advocacy role.

Measures of Success

The specifics regarding measures of success, including metrics, will ultimately be agreed upon by the new Senior Director and the President & CEO, but at the end of the executive’s first year, it would be expected that the new Senior Director will have achieved the following:

• Member Engagement – Maintained and deepened relationships with current members; delivered high-quality service and established new, meaningful connections.
• Education & Adoption – Promoted increased awareness and effective use of the Pallet Design SystemTM (PDS)
• Membership Growth – Designed and launched a strategy to grow membership across Latin America.

Required Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish and deep understanding of business culture and practices across Latin America.
• At least five years of professional experience based in or focused on Mexico or other Latin American countries.
• Comfortable and effective in public speaking roles.
• Ability to be a strategic thinker and an active doer simultaneously.
• Proven success in managing complex projects with budget oversight.
• Strong background in customer engagement, ideally within Latin American markets.
• Excellent bilingual writing skills, with versatility across reports, presentations, and social media.
• Experience supporting or managing events.
• Familiarity with digital education tools and online learning platforms.
• Proficient in database management and membership-based systems.
• Skilled at hiring, supervising, and collaborating with remote, cross-functional teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel at least 30% of the time, with prior travel experience throughout Latin America.