Asociado/a Senior de Sostenibilidad en Infraestructura

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) operates in 23 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. Established to support the construction and improvement of resilient infrastructure, UNOPS aims to enhance the quality of life and promote inclusive growth. The organization also plays a crucial role in public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to health services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development actors, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-oriented support.

Job Overview:
The Senior Associate for Sustainability in Infrastructure will provide technical and analytical support in the development and execution of infrastructure projects within the UNOPS Panama office. This role is designed to complement the work of engineers and technical specialists under the supervision of the Project Manager or their designee. The selected professional will initially focus on deliverables related to sustainable, resilient, and efficient pavements and the sustainability of road infrastructure in Panama. Given the flexible nature of the Retainer modality, the professional may be assigned to various projects and initiatives in the future, contributing their expertise in sustainability, market analysis, and impact assessment. The position emphasizes the integration of sustainable practices and circular economy principles in infrastructure projects through market analysis, capacity evaluation, and quantification of environmental and financial impacts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct market diagnostics and institutional research to assess the availability of technologies, innovative materials, and sustainable practices applicable to infrastructure projects, initially focusing on pavements.
• Support the collection and systematization of existing regulatory frameworks and technical specifications in Panama, particularly in road infrastructure, to identify potential institutional limitations for adopting sustainable technologies and circular economy practices.
• Provide substantive support in evaluating the technical and internal capacities of institutional counterparts, initially the Ministry of Public Works, analyzing resource availability, infrastructure, and management of recyclable or circular materials.
• Assist in workshops, validation sessions, and technical meetings with key institutions and sector stakeholders.
• If required, accompany field visits to sites of interest (such as plants, laboratories, or ongoing works) to assess the actual capabilities of the local industry.
• Develop economic analyses and preliminary cost estimates, savings, and financial efficiencies derived from adopting sustainable infrastructure solutions compared to traditional methods, with an initial focus on pavements.
• Identify, quantify, and visualize environmental impacts and sustainability benefits of different technical alternatives, calculating key sustainability indicators (KPIs).
• Consolidate findings from market diagnostics, institutional assessments, and impact analyses into final reports, strategic documents, and executive presentations for high-level authorities to facilitate informed decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with the engineering and project management team in drafting, reviewing, and integrating sustainability and circular economy criteria into Terms of Reference (ToR) and bidding documents. 1
• Collect, centralize, and process technical data, laboratory results, and field metrics resulting from project execution to inform final impact reports and compare them with project baselines. 1
• Support communication processes with market suppliers and technical teams of governmental counterparts in Panama to ensure smooth communication and access to information. 1
• Assist in monitoring, quality control, and risk mitigation of activities under their responsibility. 1
• Support the organization and delivery of training and learning sessions on sustainability topics in infrastructure projects. 1
• Document lessons learned on sustainability measures, impact quantifications, and efficiencies in a structured and accessible manner, along with other products and findings generated during the execution of the work.

Required Qualifications:

• Required: Secondary school diploma.
• Desirable: Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Economics, Sustainability, or related fields.
• Master's degree in any of the above fields or related areas is highly desirable.
• Required: 3-7 years of experience (depending on the level of education) in sustainability analysis, environmental impact quantification, or analysis of road infrastructure projects.
• Desirable: Experience in calculating CO2 reduction metrics and financial efficiencies for infrastructure projects.
• Highly valued: Technical knowledge and practical experience in sustainable asphalt alternatives.
• Knowledge of national technical regulations for road construction, standards from the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), and public procurement frameworks is desirable.

Educational Background:

• Required: Secondary school diploma.
• Desirable: Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Economics, Sustainability, or related fields.
• Highly desirable: Master's degree in any of the aforementioned fields or related areas.

Experience:

• Required: 3-7 years of experience (depending on the level of education) in sustainability analysis, environmental impact quantification, or analysis of road infrastructure projects.
• Desirable: Experience in calculating CO2 reduction metrics and financial efficiencies for infrastructure projects.
• Highly valued: Technical knowledge and practical experience in sustainable asphalt alternatives.
• Knowledge of national technical regulations for road construction, standards from the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), and public procurement frameworks is desirable.

Languages:

• Required: Native Spanish proficiency.
• Required: Intermediate English proficiency is desirable.

Additional Notes:
The contract is established in the Retainer modality, which implies a framework agreement for a period during which the contractor's services may be required intermittently and punctually. The activation of workdays will be according to the work plan approved by the supervisor and will be paid for the days worked. The position is open to local candidates (nationals) and/or candidates with valid residency or work permits at the time of application in Panama. The duration of the contract is 12 months with possibilities of renewal based on good performance, financial availability, and organizational needs. UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not request candidates to make payments during the recruitment process. Applications must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process.