Cadastral Technician

UNDP•Panama City, FL

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

The UNDP country office, in its commitment to equality and non-discrimination, aims to strengthen a pluralistic, inclusive, diverse organizational culture that respects differences and leaves no one behind. Therefore, it invites indigenous people, Afro-descendants, people with disabilities, LGTBIQ+ individuals, and other historically excluded people, groups, and populations to participate in recruitment processes. Women within this diversity are especially encouraged to apply. The UNDP rejects any form of violence against women, sexual harassment, and exploitation in any of its expressions, as well as harassment, discrimination, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks. The UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in the fight to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated and lasting solutions for people and the planet. The UNDP works in over 170 countries and territories, providing assistance to develop policies, leadership and partnership skills, institutional capacities, and resilience building, fostering sustainable human development. In Panama, it works at the national, municipal, and comarca levels. The UNDP is part of the United Nations Agencies, Funds, and Programs in Panama, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). The Strategic Government Plan 2025-2029 and the programmatic frameworks of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in Panama (UNSDCF) 2026-2030 and the UNDP Country Program 2026-2030 prioritize inclusive economic growth and a sustainable environment, fostering well-being and equity in the population, and promoting inclusive, effective, and responsible governance systems. In this way, the project in the Indio River basin is positioned as an innovative and replicable model for integrating cadastre, human development, and environmental sustainability in territories of high strategic importance for Panama. In its role as a development partner and facilitator for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we provide technical assistance to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs as catalysts for ensuring all people live better lives in harmony with the planet. Programmatically, UNDP Panama is organized into 3 Clusters and 1 Portfolio: the Cluster for Environment, Climate Change, and Risk Management for Sustainable Development; the Cluster for Social Inclusion and Equity; and the Cluster for Governance, Peace, and Human Rights. The portfolio is for social cohesion in Panama. In the area of Environment, Climate Change, and Risk Management (where other clusters and portfolios converge), integrated watershed management is one of the tools to achieve the best or optimal allocation of water use/human activities and territory to ensure long-term water resources, ecosystem health, and prosperity for people. The ACP, with strategic partners and inter-institutional coordination, will promote the development of initiatives to improve people's quality of life through efficient water management in the Indio River watershed, which in turn will strengthen the Panama Canal's lake system, benefiting local communities and fostering sustainable human development for socioeconomic and environmental co-management. Progress in structural transformations must be made from what communities themselves have recognized as successful and highly valuable, which is the assurance of land rights through a cadastre and titling program in the territories within this watershed, so that the people who live there have legal certainty of their lands and that this right serves not only to empower men and especially women but also as a catalyst for improving their living conditions. With the integration of the Indio River Basin into the Panama Canal Watershed, an integral approach to territorial management continues, including the cadastre and titling program, similar to that developed in the CHCP, where more than 12,080 titles have been issued since 2006. Within this framework, the ProDoc for the Indio River Cadastre and Titling Project was approved, whose objective is to address the lack of legal certainty over land, a situation that increases community vulnerability and limits their investment and participation opportunities in sustainable territorial management. The ACP is promoting a cadastre and titling project in the Indio River Basin to strengthen land tenure security and promote sustainable development. In addition to titling, the initiative includes training, strengthening local governance, and responsible land use. The objective is to advance the regularization of untitled areas and complete processes initiated between 2017 and 2019, also supporting the conceptual design of a future multipurpose reservoir and other integral projects in the basin. For its execution, Cadastral Technicians are required to carry out field surveys, process regularization resolutions, manage pending files, update the cadastre, and develop new titling processes in additional areas of the basin. The selected Cadastral Technicians for this position will work in the areas of the Indio River Basin, located in the provinces of Coclé, Colón, Panamá Oeste, and other sub-basins of the Panama Canal Watershed. The project headquarters: Office of the Technical Operational Unit of the Indio River Basin in Capira, Panamá Oeste Province. The selected candidate for this position will be hired under the UNDP contractual modality "National Personnel Service Agreement (NPSA)" at the NPSA5 level. This is a twelve (12) month contract with possibilities of extension based on performance and project duration.

Requirements

Secondary education is required.
University studies (Licentiate or Engineering) in the areas of Topography, Surveying, Civil Engineering, Geomatics Engineering, Topography and Geodesy Engineering, Cadastral Engineering will be given due consideration, but are not a requirement.
Minimum of five (5) years of experience (with completed secondary education) or two (2) years of experience (with a Technician or completed Bachelor's degree) performing surveying work such as cadastral information generation, activity planning, information collection and processing, etc.
Experience in developing reports, and technical documents.
Experience in interpreting satellite images and experience in geographic data post-processing software.
Experience in handling technological surveying equipment: total stations, GNSS systems, etc.
Experience and/or knowledge in handling the following computational applications: Microsoft 365: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, One Drive, Zoom, SharePoint, among others.
Ability to drive 4x4 change vehicles in difficult-to-access areas with a valid driver's license.
Possession of a professional license issued by the Technical Board of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA).
Ability to interpret data and prepare easy-to-understand maps and drawings.
Availability for work in difficult-to-access areas.
Availability for field trips and overnight stays at the site.
Availability to work on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, as well as extended shifts of more than eight (8) hours.
Availability to work at the headquarters of institutions associated with the project.
Availability to work in areas of basins contiguous to the Indio River Basin.
Fluency in Spanish.
For professions regulated by Law, the professional license issued by the Technical Board of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA) is required.
This position is open to nationals and foreigners with a work permit for the duration of the contract and permanent residence in the country.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Only candidates selected for tests/interviews will receive confirmation.
Possession of a professional license issued by the Technical Board of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA).

Nice To Haves

Experience in planning, organization of field and cadastral processes.
Experience in image analysis and interpretation.
Experience in handling CAD (computer-aided design) software.
Experience in the use of GIS (geographic information systems).
Experience in customer service.

Responsibilities

Carry out cadastral surveys necessary for the delimitation and georeferencing of properties, from which cadastral plans will be generated, and will be responsible for the monumentation of boundaries, proper completion of the cadastral form, and signing of the generated plans.
Submit a weekly report to the Field and GIS Supervisor of programmed and completed field activities, evidencing the performance of each NPSA member of the crews.
Program and follow up with the Field and GIS Supervisor on the activities carried out by the crews inherent to the cadastre of the regularization areas.
Organize field crews and oversee the proper compliance of the tasks assigned to each of them.
Evaluate and perform quality control on the information generated in the field by cadastral technicians, as well as order inspections or corrections if necessary.
Deliver information generated in the field, duly organized by crew (raw data, processed and digitized data), to the GIS department for its corresponding evaluation.
Disseminate and notify communities about the massive titling program.
Inform the petitioner about the details of the program and the dates on which their property will be measured.
Perform quality control of the location, installation, and geopositioning of the monuments of each vertex of the property.
Participate or assign cadastral technicians to inspections requested by authorities, when required and relevant to the program.
Participate with natural resource technicians in property inspections with water intakes to ensure community access to this resource.
Review the assignment of field numbering and toponymy for each of the surveyed properties.
Ensure that field crews have the necessary forms at all times for the creation of files.
Ensure that during cadastral sweeping work, the file for each property is opened upon notification of the survey.
Prepare technical and execution reports of work, production, boundaries, conflicting owners, per diem reports for tours, according to procedures and within stipulated times.
Final review of the cadastral form and plans with their respective signatures.
Safeguard all vehicles and equipment assigned for the completion of cadastral work.
Execute the tasks foreseen in the position and those related to it.
Execute the field work of all crews and coordinate with the involved entities and organizations.
Periodically inform the Field and GIS Supervisor about progress, indicator compliance, and difficulties encountered.
Support the implementation of the socioeconomic and environmental development promotion plan in rural areas of the Indio River Basin as a model of integrated and sustainable local management, and the achievement of set goals and objectives, achieving the protection and administration of water as a public good and the integrated management of water resources, considering environmental, social, economic, and technical aspects and the participation of all key actors.
Develop, within the framework of their experience and technical competencies, other activities assigned in support of project management.
Participate in meetings with residents of the various beneficiary communities of the program for accountability or to communicate the benefits of the program, the organization and scheduling of crew activities in the field, and follow up on adjudication processes initiated to achieve project objectives.
The incumbent performs other functions within their functional profile that are considered necessary for the efficient operation of the Office and the Organization.