Jobs
Community Proposal for Waste Management
Opportunity for a professional services contract
The San Juan Bay Estuary (Estuary) is seeking professional services interested in providing support in the area of aquatic waste for the organization.
This proposal will systematically document solid waste management and develop a strategy to replicate the strategic model of the "Don't let it touch the ground or reach the water" campaign in other geographical areas of the basin.
In 2022, the Estuary published an analysis and recommendations for the integrated management of resources and waste within the watershed. This aimed to identify, coordinate, and implement collaborative efforts among municipalities and other sectors for the proper management of waste, leveraging available resources in the metropolitan region. This document outlined six recommendations framed within the concepts of a circular economy, designed to address the opportunities and needs of municipalities throughout the watershed. These six recommendations seek to increase public awareness and engagement, promote transparency and accountability, structure more effective working methods, maximize the use of available funds, foster connections among diverse stakeholders, utilize currently discarded resources, and shift the perception of what is currently considered "waste." All of this is aimed at preserving and restoring the Estuary's diverse ecosystems, which are impacted by current waste management practices.
On the other hand, since 2019, the Estuary has supported the Machuchal community, especially the La Goyco Community Workshop, in its efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials, as well as to develop specific strategies and initiatives to improve quality of life, reduce waste, and conserve water quality. Among these efforts, a strategic model was developed to present, highlight, and consider the aspects that should be taken into account in order to model a program for reducing, reusing, diverting, and recycling resources and waste in the community.
Other campaigns have been supported, such as Leave a clean footprint in Piñones, whose objective is to educate and integrate various sectors on practices of reduction, reuse and recycling.
Responsibilities:
- Identify and document the spaces that have been used for correct and incorrect disposal for solid waste management.
- Gather information on the flow of solid waste and services available to communities in the geographic area.
- Recognize and document challenges in the generation, management and disposal of solid waste in the area.
- Identify collaborative efforts between entities working on related issues.
- Compile campaigns, activities, educational and awareness efforts that have been carried out previously or are being developed in the study area.
- Develop strategies aligned with the strategic model of the campaign "Don't touch the ground or reach the water."
- Identify communication channels with various stakeholders (municipalities, communities, individuals, etc.).
- Develop practices and tools for reduction, reuse, recycling and circular economy in order to exemplify the responsible practices that businesses and residents should adopt, to increase awareness and participation of communities, organizations, businesses and other sectors.
- Coordinate visits, meetings, and activities to inform and educate that support research and on measures to actively collaborate.
- Identification of feasibility for the implementation of a strategic and replicable model for the efficient management of solid waste that integrates reduction, reuse and recycling.
- Development and implementation of a strategic and replicable model for the efficient management of solid waste.
- Coordination of weekly/bi-weekly or monthly meetings with the work team.
- Development of the final report to the Estuary.
Note: If you have already addressed or implemented any of these responsibilities through previous efforts, please submit the results to help advance the rest of the proposal. Additionally, the proposal must include a budget and a timeline for the work plan.
Required Qualifications (Education and Experience):
- Professional experience, preferably in organizations related to the environment, planning, urban development, sustainability, and waste management.
- 3-5 years of community experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Recognize the importance of implementing a strategic and replicable plan for the efficient management of solid waste that integrates reduction, reuse, and recycling.
- Mission aligned with the mission of the Estuary to conserve the water quality of the San Juan Bay Estuary ecosystem as a sustainable axis of social and economic development.
- Opportunity to elevate the strategic model of integrated resource and waste management to a viral level through existing platforms.
- Commitment and active relationship with the community.
- Be legally established in Puerto Rico.
- Experience in projects aimed at the community and its well-being, sustainability, working in the metropolitan area with communities and project management.
- Ability to manage projects virtually and as part of a team.
Start Date:
The selected person will ideally start immediately.
How to apply:
Applicants should submit their proposal along with a cover letter to [email protected] . Please address the letter to Brenda Torres, Executive Director of the Estuary, at [email protected] , with the subject line “Community Proposal for Waste Management.” The application deadline is July 18, 2025.
Sources of funding:
Segarra Boerman Foundation
The Corporation for the Conservation of the San Juan Bay Estuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership. The Corporation for the Conservation of the SJBE provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or genetics. MBE/WBE and other certified minorities and small businesses are encouraged to apply.
