Regional environmental data analyst, Panama City

Description of assignment (DoA) details

General

Description of assignment title

Regional environmental data analyst

Assignment country

Panama

Duty stations

Panama City

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

11/19/2026

Duration

12 months
(with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal

13. Climate action

Host entity

UNEP

Modality

Onsite

Type

International

Volunteer category

Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule

Full-time

Number of Assignments

1

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading environmental authority in the United Nations system. UNEP uses its expertise to strengthen environmental standards and practices while helping implement environmental obligations at the country, regional and global levels. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Context

The UN Volunteer (UNV) will serve as the primary focal point for internal data management and the coordination of information, ensuring a coherent, timely and seamless exchange of relevant indicators, analytical narrative, and statistics between technical division projects and the activities implemented by the regional office at the country level. In this capacity, the UN Volunteer will maintain continuous dialogue and strategic information coordination with the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) for Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure UNEP’s coherent, evidence-based contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and Country Analysis (UNCA) processes. This role will be critical to aligning environmental data and analysis across regional and country-level planning cycles. By bridging technical data with regional operations, the UNV will strengthen the capacity of United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) to integrate critical environmental dimensions, including climate change, biodiversity, and natural resource management, into national development priorities, effectively aligning national agendas with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UNEP LACO Regional Management Project through evidence-based insights.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of UNEP’s Regional Coordinator for Science-Policy Unit, the UNV shall perform the following activities: The UNV will play a key role in analyzing environmental challenges and opportunities across the region, facilitating interagency collaboration, and providing essential inputs to the Common Country Analysis (CCAs) and Cooperation Frameworks (CFs) development processes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This role focuses on ensuring a seamless flow of data, including relevant indicators, narrative, and statistics, while fostering strategic alignment between internal technical expertise and country-level implementation.

1. The selected candidate will be responsible for identifying and mapping key sources of official and non-official data at both national and regional levels. This involves acting as a central node for the coordination of information among Regional Subprogramme Coordinators, Technical Divisions, and Heads of Subregional/National Offices or Officers in Charge. By consulting national statistical systems, sectoral national databases and global datasets, the UNV will provide the necessary evidence base to support environmental analysis for CCAs and CFs in countries currently undergoing these strategic processes.
2. The UNV will collect and manage essential environmental data, such as statistics, indicators, and thematic maps, focusing on national priorities like climate change, biodiversity, and pollution. Working in close coordination with the Resident Coordinator Offices (RCOs), the UNV will validate this information to ensure accuracy. He/she will analyze these datasets to identify key trends and patterns, risks, gaps, and opportunities, ensuring that technical division projects are effectively linked to the activities implemented by regional and national offices at the country level.
3. The UNV will lead the internal coordination of information and analysis required to develop a coherent and evidence-based narrative for the environmental dimension of CCAs and CFs. This involves facilitating continuous dialogue between Regional Subprogramme Coordinators, Technical Divisions, and the RCOs to ensure that UNEP’s specialized knowledge is translated into impactful policy support. The UNV will organize inter-office working sessions to ensure national environmental challenges are addressed through a unified and evidence-based approach.
4. The UNV will serve as UNEP’s technical interface with the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) for Latin America and the Caribbean, ensuring that UNEP’s contributions are synchronized with regional UN reform objectives. In this capacity, the UNV will also act as the LACO focal point for activities conducted by the Policy and Programme Division (PPD) regarding the monitoring and reporting of Cooperation Frameworks and Country Analyses in the region. Furthermore, the UNV will support the Peer Support Group (PSG) in close coordination with sister agencies, funds, and programmes of the UN, providing technical quality assurance to ensure the environmental dimension is robustly represented in all interagency strategic documents.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

3 years

Nationality

Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

3 years

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required

Spanish, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Master's degree in Project Planning and Sustainable Development, Project Management, or International Cooperation. Bachelor's degree in Environmental sciences or Environmental Management, Sustainable Development, International Development, Public Policy, or related fields.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Skills and experience

3 years of professional experience in Sustainable Development and the 2030 Agenda, including environmental data analysis, environmental governance and/or policy design, Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), international environmental conventions, and/or regulatory frameworks. Experience in supporting United Nations country programming processes, including Common Country Analysis (CCA/UNCA) and Cooperation Frameworks (CF/UNSDCF). Proven experience in multi-stakeholder coordination and engagement with UN agencies, government institutions, civil society organizations, and technical partners. Experience integrating cross-cutting approaches, including gender equality, the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), and the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle. Demonstrated capacity to prepare analytical reports, policy briefs, technical guidance for decision-makers.

Area(s) of expertise

Climate change, environment, Data science, information management, Artificial Intelligence

Driving license

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

Panama is a family‑friendly duty station and is considered a safe place to live; however, as in any city in the world, it is always advisable to be aware of your surroundings and stay alert. Panama offers a wide variety of products and numerous modern shopping malls, as well as department stores, designer shops, and 24‑hour supermarkets. There are suitable residential areas, housing options, good hospitals, schools, universities, banks, and a wide selection of restaurants and entertainment venues. Panama offers many options for interesting weekend activities. There are beaches, mountains, and national parks in the tropical rainforest, which are said to host one of the world’s greatest varieties of flora and fauna. There are no major health concerns in Panama, although it is important to note that in some areas, such as the Darién province, precautions against malaria are recommended. The website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends the yellow fever vaccine for travel to the Darién province and the San Blas Islands. You may consult all entitlements for the duty station at: https://app.unv.org/calculator The full UN Volunteer Conditions of Service are available at: https://explore.unv.org/cos

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

Scam warning

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