Assistant in Circular Economy

UNDP•Panama City, FL

10h•Onsite

About The Position

The project “Accelerating actions to improve organic waste management and reduce methane emissions in Panama”, funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), aims to strengthen the technical, institutional, and financial capacities of the country to reduce methane emissions from organic waste, promoting people-centered circular economy solutions. Markets, and in particular MERCA Panama, represent critical nodes of the urban food system and are major generators of organic waste. At the same time, they offer a strategic opportunity to implement transformative solutions that reduce food waste, optimize waste management, recover economic value, and contribute to the mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). The project uses MERCA Panama as a pilot site and living laboratory, integrating pre-feasibility studies, infrastructure planning, public policy analysis, development of circular economy models, capacity building, and generation of partnerships with the private sector. All actions incorporate a gender, human rights, and environmental sustainability approach transversally. In this context, the Circular Economy Assistant will play a central role in the integral management of the project, ensuring technical, operational, and strategic coherence between the different components, as well as adequate articulation with national counterparts, local actors, and strategic partners. The project Accelerating actions to improve organic waste management and reduce methane emissions in Panama aims to strengthen Panama's technical, institutional, and financial capacities to significantly reduce methane emissions from organic waste, through the implementation of people-centered circular economy solutions, using MERCA Panama as a pilot site and living laboratory for the design, validation, and scaling of sustainable waste management models in markets and urban food systems. This Circular Economy Assistant position is at the NPSA 5 level, within the UNDP contractual modality, National Personnel Service Agreement (NPSA). The place of work is: Office of National Cold Chain Markets, S.A. (MERCA Panama), Corregimiento de Ancón, on Vía Cincuentenario. This vacancy is for one (1) year with possibilities of extension.

Requirements

Secondary education is required.
Minimum of five (5) years (with completed secondary education) or two (2) years (with completed university degree) of experience in areas related to circular economy and/or waste management.
Experience in personal and inter-institutional relationship building in community, public (central and local government), private, and multi-stakeholder settings.
Experience in handling Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Canva software programs; Virtual Platforms: Zoom and Teams.
Experience in preparing technical reports for environmental evaluation, monitoring, and oversight.
Ability to travel to remote access areas, where walking may be required to perform the job.
Fluency in Spanish is required.

Nice To Haves

University studies (complete Bachelor's degree) in Economics, Natural Resource Economics, Environmental Engineering, Agronomy Engineering, Watershed Management Engineering, Natural Resources, or related fields will be considered favorably, but is not a requirement.
Experience in planning and managing circular economy and environmental management projects.
Experience supporting projects that carry out activities for proper waste management and rational use of raw materials.
Experience in managing circular economy learning methodologies and tools, applied at the technical team level.
Experience in formulating plans and programs to promote the circular economy and the viable use of resources.

Responsibilities

Support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the project in accordance with the Project Document, the Annual Work Plan (AWP), and the approved budget.
Contribute to the timely and quality delivery of project outputs.
Support the preparation and updating of work plans, schedules, and monitoring tools.
Support the preparation of technical, financial, and narrative reports (monthly, quarterly, and annual).
Provide support in inter-institutional articulation with MiAMBIENTE, MERCA Panama, municipalities, the private sector, and other key actors.
Support the design and implementation of circular economy solutions for organic waste management in MERCA Panama and associated markets.
Provide technical follow-up on pre-feasibility studies, infrastructure analyses, and cost-benefit evaluations.
Support the identification and structuring of initiatives with business potential, prioritizing inclusive and sustainable models.
Contribute to the integration of circular economy principles in policies, plans, and projects related to organic waste.
Support the establishment and functioning of project governance mechanisms.
Provide support in the management of strategic partnerships (private sector, financial institutions, and donors).
Support the identification of financial instruments and incentives for organic waste and circular economy projects.
Support the integration of gender, human rights, and intergenerational equity approaches in project activities.
Support the organization and facilitation of workshops, training sessions, and knowledge-sharing spaces, including field actions in municipal markets, waste management facilities, landfills (including Cerro Patacón), and other project intervention sites.
Support the systematization of lessons learned and best practices for dissemination at national and regional levels.
Perform other functions within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient operation of the Office and the Organization.