Solid Waste Management Specialist - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Costa Rica

Project description

The Escazú Municipality in Costa Rica has requested the support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as a Solid Waste Management Specialist. The Municipality has identified a need to restructure the management of waste generated as part of its daily activities. In order to reinforce the internal waste management system, a structure must be created to organize in a formal manner the collection of recyclable and non-recyclable waste within the all the buildings that constitute the Municipality. Additionally, the Municipality will need support to develop educational materials to share with municipal officials to adopt new practices.

The PCRV will closely collaborate with the Environmental Management Department staff to support the Municipality to obtain a solid knowledge base about integrated waste management, as well as the institutional capacity to effectively implement and monitor internal waste management. The PCRV will analyze the different municipal facilities and compile information on ways of managing waste, give recommendations on how to improve the internal waste management practices of municipal facilities, and provide training on integrated waste management for municipal officials and internal promotion of the new waste management system.

Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Costa Rica together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Sanitation Management, Environmental Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field
• At least one year of experience in solid waste management
• At least one year of experience facilitating training and developing didactic materials.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office
• Advanced Spanish: Spanish will be needed to communicate with project partners and municipality staff, to deliver trainings, as well as for daily life interactions (going to work, grocery shopping, building local relationships, etc.)
• Willingness to approach the position through the Peace Corps’ philosophy on development
• High tolerance for ambiguity and high level of flexibility
  
  

Living conditions

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Costa Rica: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical considerations

Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.