Executive Associate [Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants], Panama City, Panama

## Executive Associate [Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants], Panama City, Panama - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby: - Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026. - Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments - Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers - Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply. This vacancy is open to nationals or holders of residence permits for the respective country. Job Purpose and Organizational Context The Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC) covers 26 Country Offices and one Regional Service Centre. In total RBLAC covers over 40 country programmes. Across Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP helps countries build and share their own solutions to urgent development challenges, supporting coalitions for change and connecting individuals and institutions so they can share knowledge, experience and resources. As countries develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of regional and global partners. The regional priorities include democratic governance, sustainable development, reducing inequalities, disaster and conflict risk reduction and the advancement of women, among others. As part of UNDP's organizational optimization exercise and broader efforts to strengthen regional delivery and country support functions, the position of Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Regional Director for the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC) has been relocated from New York to Panama. This strategic repositioning reflects UNDP's corporate commitment to bringing senior leadership closer to country operations, regional implementation mechanisms, and country-support platforms. Based in Panama, the Deputy Regional Director will oversee the operation and functioning of the Regional Hub and provide closer leadership, coordination, and oversight of regional support services to Country Offices across Latin America and the Caribbean. It is intended to strengthen alignment between corporate decision-making and operational realities on the ground; enhance responsiveness to Country Office needs; improve integration between policy, programme, and operations support functions; and facilitate more effective engagement with regional stakeholders and partners. The Panama-based leadership structure will also reinforce coordination with the Bureau's Country Support Unit and Regional Hub teams to ensure timely, integrated, and high-quality support to Country Offices in delivering UNDP's Strategic Plan and regional priorities. Duties and Responsibilities The overall purpose of this post is to ensure that the Deputy Regional Director receive the immediate administrative and operational support they need to concentrate on their managerial, representational and oversight functions. The position provides high-level executive, administrative and operational support to the Deputy Regional Director and, as required, coordinated support to the RBLAC Directorate in its day-to-day management of the Bureau, applying administrative rules and regulations and establishing internal operational procedures to enable the smooth functioning of the Deputy Director's office. The incumbent works in close collaboration with the Special Assistant to the Deputy Regional Director, the Executive Associate to the Regional Director in NY, the Executive Associate(s) in Panama, and relevant Bureau and Regional Hub teams to contribute to coherent and well-coordinated support across the Directorate. The incumbent coordinates closely with the Executive Associate to the Regional Director in New York and provides reciprocal backstopping (virtually), as required, to ensure business continuity and the smooth functioning of the Directorate. UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration. 1. Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the office of the RBLAC Deputy Director, focusing on achievement of the following results: - In coordination with the Special Assistant to the Deputy Director, management of the schedule/calendar for the RBLAC Director with external and internal parties; - Coordinates and processes official travel arrangements for the Deputy Regional Director and, if required, for other RBLAC Directorate or Bureau's staff, ensuring compliance with UNDP travel policies and coordination with other travel partners from the internal or external environment; - Coordination with the Special Assistant to the Deputy Director and with other Regional Hub and Bureau staff for the timely preparation of high-quality briefing materials for appointments, meetings, missions; - In coordination with the Special Assistant to the Deputy Director, management of the RBLAC Deputy Director´s extensive mission and representation schedule. Understanding of all protocol procedures and ensuring that procedures are fully implemented with respect to all visitors and guests of the Bureau; - Use of office management systems for effective functioning of the RBLAC Deputy Director's office, including maintenance of rosters of high-level partners, telephone and contact lists, maintenance and use of automated filing systems and ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials. 2. Ensures effective communications support to the RBLAC Deputy Director, focusing on achievement of the following results: - Coordinates the flow of information from the RBLAC Deputy Director's office to other RBLAC units at the Regional Hub, Headquarters and in the field, other UNDP and UN units; identification of opportunities to improve or streamline information flow and communications channels in the office including through innovative IT solutions; - Liaises in a timely manner with all RBLAC units to ensure that the RBLAC Deputy Director's decisions, instructions and requests for action and information are communicated to the correct people for follow-up actions; - Self-directed and timely follow-up with all units on actions expected by the RBLAC Deputy Director; - Reviews of incoming correspondence for the RBLAC Deputy Director´s attention and prioritizing of documents according to action required; - Reviews, proofreads and edits of all correspondence for proper clearance prior to the RBLAC Deputy Director's signature, ensuring quality control, substance, sensitivity of issues, and compliance with UNDP standards; - Directs queries to appropriate party or substantive focal points within RBLAC for responses; - Presents proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks in the office and streamline communication procedures between the Directorate and other internal and external units; - Drafts and prepares correspondence, directives, comments on behalf of the RBLAC Deputy Director for his/her signature and ensuring follow-up as needed; - Assists in the organization of Directorate's meetings and tracking follow-up actions. 3. Provides administrative support to effective advocacy of UNDP and RBLAC activities under the guidance of the Deputy Regional Director and in close coordination with the RBLAC