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Peace Corps Response

Management and Organizational Strengthening Specialist

Community Economic Development icon Community Economic Development

Job highlights

Panama • North America
In partnership with: WAVED Association

Learn about service in Panama

Applications are now closed. View current openings.

Special benefits
  • Hands-on, valuable international work experience
  • Travel to and from country, housing and monthly living allowance, and full coverage of medical and dental needs during service
  • Competitive advantage for positions at Peace Corps and opportunities to save on graduate degrees and other education programs
  • Monthly accrued Volunteer service award (readjustment allowance) totaling $6,000 before taxes, with option to access for ongoing financial obligations

Key dates

Apply by

November 15, 2025

Know by

January 15, 2026

Depart on

June 20, 2026

Duration

12 months

Description and qualifications

About the project

WAVED Association in Panama has requested the support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as a Management and Organizational Strengthening Specialist. Waved is a nonprofit organization based in Panama that works to empower youth through surf, education, and values. They provide a structured program that combines surfing lessons with academic reinforcement (English and Spanish reading), mindfulness, and ethical values, aiming to develop life skills, self-confidence, and community involvement in our students.

This project aims to develop and professionalize Waved’s volunteer management model. The PCRV will work closely with the Operations Manager to establish recruitment strategies, orientation systems, scheduling protocols, performance evaluation tools, and volunteer recognition processes. The Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) will help design and implement systems that align with Waved’s values, mission, and community-focused approach. The role includes a mentorship component to support the transfer of leadership to local staff.

Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Panama project page.

Required skills

Qualified candidates will have the following criteria:

BA/BS in relevant field including Social Science, Education, Business, Management and Organizational Development and;

3 or more years of technical expertise in organizational capacity development and training.

Experience supporting strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.

Strong interpersonal, team building, and communications skills.

Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change.

Professional experience in program management and/or monitoring and evaluation.

Language: Spanish

A. Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework in the past 8 years
B. Completed college-level Elementary II Spanish semester (Elementary III in quarter system) within the past 6 years
C. Score between 50-62 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam in the past 6 years
D. Score Novice-High or Intermediate-Low on official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in Spanish within the past 6 years

Required behavioral competencies

These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:

Motivation for and commitment to service

Adaptability and open-mindedness

Problem solving and resourcefulness

Behavioral maturity and professionalism

Photos from Panama

Activities

How you and the community will make an impact together:


Living conditions

Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Panama country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.

Meet a Volunteer in Panama

Headshot - Yadariselt R

Yadariselt R.

Sustainable Agriculture Extension Promoter


"This experience has been so transformative because there is so much power and joy in the collective. After 10 months at my site, I can confidently say that I have formed lifelong friendships."

See full Volunteer profile
Training


Couples information

To learn more about serving as a couple in Panama, visit the country page.


Next steps

Application process

From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.

Medical/legal clearance

You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Panama. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.

Learn what it's like to serve in Panama
Get detailed information on the Volunteer experience.