The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is recruiting a full-time Senior Technical Advisor, Solid Waste Policy for the five-year U.S. Agency for International Development Solid Waste Reduction Program (USAID/Dominican Republic SWR). The SWR program will implement activities in coordination with a wide range of stakeholders (national and local governments, private sector, communities, and civil society organizations) to strengthen capacity of municipalities in putting the country’s 2020 Solid Waste Management (SWM) Law into practice and to better manage waste and adopt circular economy models. Winrock International is the prime on this project and ICMA is a sub-contractor. ICMA’s contribution to this project is to oversee the development of policies at the national level that then can be implemented at the municipal level. To begin practicing these policies at the local level, ICMA’s approach will be to provide SWM-related training and technical assistance (TA) to the Dominican Federation of Municipalities (FEDOMU) and Dominican Municipal League (La Liga) who will work closely with local stakeholders to implement solid waste system improvements. An additional component to the program is to work with the Institute of Technology (INTEC) to track and report the reductions in climate-changing carbon emissions achieved by the work completed by the SWR Team in the Dajabón and Monte Cristi provinces.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Technical Advisor will be responsible for the policy development component for Objective 1 of the SWR program, which is to build the capacity of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) to develop and implement policies to guide SWM best practices at the municipal level. This will involve using the existing processes for creating new legal instruments and require collaborating with stakeholders at all levels – including the highest level of the national agencies.

The Senior Technical Advisor will report to the ICMA Director of Capacity Development and Governance (based in the USA) and will remain in regular contact with the Objective 1 Program Lead, Solid Waste and Environment to receive guidance, maintain close collaboration with the SWR team, and report progress.

This position will also be assisted by a part-time consultant with expertise in SW management and policy.

This position is envisioned to be embedded within MARENA offices in Santo Domingo to facilitate regular interaction with key staff.

REPORTS TO:

Director of Capacity Development and Governance

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Conduct working sessions with key MARENA leaders— including the Special Advisor to the Minister on Waste Management, the Chief of the Cabinet, and the Solid Waste Directorate (led by the Vice-Minister of Environmental Management, VMEM) to:

determine gaps in instruments needed to implement the 2020 SWM Law,

review other relevant donor-funded projects activities, and

prioritize TA needed from this project.

Develop a National Solid Waste Law Implementation Needs Assessment Report

Co-host a series of three facilitated advisory meetings with the National System for Solid Waste Management (SINGIR) to present our gaps/needs assessment report, receive inputs from SINGIR members, and adapt the TA priorities as needed.

With MARENA’s Vice Minister of International Cooperation, co-host and facilitate an annual meeting with other donor-funded SWM projects to agree on areas of cooperation and avoid duplication of effort. 

Hold an initial meeting with the VMEM team to determine which MARENA Managers will meet weekly with SWR experts to work on each instrument:

Creation of guidelines and templates

Capacity strengthening for all levels of government

Create successive drafts of the instruments. Several instruments are not yet under development, including the Communication Plans for Education and Social Participation, Plan for Social Inclusion or Inclusive Recycling, and the PMGIRS. 

By end of Year 1 facilitate signing of MOU with MARENA

Facilitate the drafting of draft guidelines, regulations, and templates based on the needs assessment:

Co-host stakeholder input sessions

Facilitate the final round of public review meetings

Support preparation of the documents to be submitted to Directorate of Environmental Regulations

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in public policy, solid waste management or relevant discipline. Advanced degree preferred.

Five years’ experience in working with government officials, facilitation, policy development or solid waste management principals.

Experience working within DR with the development of legal regulations and guidelines.

Familiar with the 2020 Solid Waste Management Law.

Experience collaborating closely with national government stakeholders and has relationships within the national government to draw upon.

Familiar with the process for establishing national policies, regulations and instruments for gaining approvals.

Experience in facilitating meetings.

Able to work independently towards established goals.

Ability to work collaboratively with individuals with diverse (and sometimes opposing) views and bring them together toward common goals.

Good organizational skills.

Excellent communications skills (both verbal and written) and comfortable making presentations before large and small audience.

A willingness to listen, learn and research topics that they are not familiar with but need an understanding for the project.

Must be fluent in both Spanish and English.

Ability to work under pressure and professionally interact with DR national agency level officials.

Experience working with international development projects is a plus (especially USAID).

Must reside in Santo Domingo, DR.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Full benefits package with an annual salary ranging from $35,000 - $44,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Dominican nationals strongly encouraged to apply.

APPLICATIONS:

Applicants should submit a current resume and cover letter in English referencing “Dominican Republic Solid Waste Reduction Program Senior Technical Advisor”. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Position open until filled.

EEO STATEMENT:

At ICMA, we strive to promote and sustain a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging every day. ICMA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We do not discriminate in recruiting, hiring or promotion, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or on any other basis or characteristic prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. We proudly support and encourage people with military experience (active, veterans, reservists, and National Guard) as well as military spouses to apply for ICMA job opportunities.
About the Organization
Founded more than a century ago, ICMA is the premier professional association for local government leaders, managers, staff, and stakeholders, serving more than 13,000 members globally. As a membership association, we provide research and knowledge resources, professional development and training, peer to peer engagement, and technical assistance. We are also a major implementing partner for many grants and contract funded programs on emerging and prevailing topics and challenges to create stronger communities.

At ICMA, we take the concept of local government leadership, management, and innovation further into the future. Through our mission and passion to advance professional local government, we help communities deliver innovative services, empower resident engagement, enable economic development, strengthen leadership, uphold ethics, and provide forward-thinking management.

We ensure a diverse and inclusive workplace by welcoming people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives and by learning from each other, individually and collectively.