Coordinador residente / Team Leader – Panama

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Coordinador residente / Team Leader for a education, governance consultancy assignment financed by UNDP in Panama.

Aninver Development Partners is seeking an expert Resident Coordinator / Team Leader for an upcoming governance and education project in Panama supported by UNDP. This initiative aims to strengthen institutional capacities, regulatory frameworks, and governance structures within the country's public higher education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector.

The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary team to deliver comprehensive organizational, economic, and normative frameworks. The assignment focuses on aligning institutional statutes, optimizing operational structures, developing sustainable revenue generation models, and enhancing educational service delivery to support national development goals.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Lead and coordinate the overall multidisciplinary consulting team throughout the 7-month project lifecycle.
• Ensure high-quality delivery across all modules, including normative diagnostics, organizational design, and financial modeling.
• Manage strategic institutional relationships with key stakeholders, including the national technical education institute, UNDP, and local governance partners.
• Oversee the formulation, harmonization, and updating of regulatory frameworks for public higher education and TVET institutions.
• Facilitate technical validation workshops and stakeholder consultations to prepare instruments for formal adoption.

Scope of work

• Develop the comprehensive work plan, execution methodology, detailed schedule, and risk management matrix.
• Conduct an integrated normative, organizational, and economic diagnostic baseline for the institution.
• Complete, harmonize, and technically validate the organizational and functional manual.
• Establish the technical and economic framework for self-generated revenue sources and financial sustainability.
• Design the institutional economic model, laboratory service units, collection processes, and resource mobilization strategy.
• Draft priority normative instruments, including regulations for revenue, dual training, and faculty development.
• Provide technical validation, staff training, executive presentations, and transfer of the normative body.

Your role as Coordinador residente / Team Leader

• Act as the primary interlocutor and Team Leader for the project management, coordinating all activities with the client and international partners.
• Direct the formulation, harmonization, and updating of regulatory and organizational frameworks for public higher education and TVET.
• Supervise the delivery of the normative, organizational, and economic diagnostic baselines and prioritization matrices.
• Oversee the completion and technical validation of the institutional organization and functions manual.
• Guide the development of economic models, revenue generation frameworks, and resource mobilization strategies.
• Ensure the integration of gender equality approaches and robust quality control across all project deliverables.
• Lead high-level meetings, steering committees, and final validation sessions with institutional authorities.

Requirements

• Institutional experience in the formulation, harmonization, or updating of regulatory and organizational frameworks for public higher education or technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions

Desirable

• Prior working experience with UNDP or other international financial institutions in Panama or Central America.
• Familiarity with short-cycle higher education systems and technical training institutions.

An experienced Resident Coordinator and Team Leader with a strong background in public higher education and TVET regulatory frameworks, ready to lead multidisciplinary teams in successfully delivering institutional governance and economic reforms in Panama.

Assignment details

• Location: Panama
• Financed by: UNDP
• Sector: Education, governance
• Estimated duration: 7 months
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a UNDP-financed project in Panama.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? Yes, unless the requirements say otherwise; relevant regional experience is an asset.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.