Maritime Advisor

Duties and Responsibilities

• Contributes to the whole-of-government strategy to strengthen the institutional capacity of Panama’s deep water, coastal, and riverine forces involved in maritime law enforcement and the disruption of transnational criminal networks in the maritime environment. 
• Works with colleagues and counterparts in the U.S. Government and the Government of Panama to foster maritime law enforcement cooperation throughout Panamanian security forces.
• Participates in working groups regarding the implementation of the bilateral maritime and riverine law enforcement programs in Panama. 
• Exercises expert judgment in providing advice to the Maritime Security Advisor (MSA) or other INL Panama program managers regarding ideas for actions relating to initiating projects and executing new programs under the day-to-day direction of the MSA or their designee.  
• Works most closely with the US Embassy INL/Panama Director and Deputy Director, the MSA, the Contracting Officer (CO), and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). 
• Maintains professional, open, timely, and effective communication and coordination with the INL/Panama team, other INL consultants, and, as appropriate, with the INL/WHP Director and Deputy Director on issues falling under the scope of work, resulting in a relationship that proactively addresses potential problems with flexible, workable solutions. 
• Serves as a maritime and riverine law enforcement and interdiction subject matter expert (SME) to INL to assist the Panamanian maritime law enforcement agencies. 
• Assists and advises in implementing INL approved maritime and riverine technical activities to strengthen Panama’s efforts to enhance their maritime/aerial interdiction and law enforcement capabilities.   
• Assists and advises INL Panama program managers and other USG entities regarding the enhancement of the maritime, aerial, coastal, and riverine interdiction and law enforcement capabilities in Panama.
• Advises and assists in designing and implementing programs including, but not limited to, expansion of the Panamanian fleet, refurbishment of current assets, improving preventative maintenance, and renovation of existing bases. 
• Provides regular reporting to the assigned MSA Advisor or other program managers as assigned.
• Assists INL in coordinating interagency efforts with relevant USG, other embassies, and GOP partners. 
• Assists INL in the preparation of background materials and reports to be used by U.S. Government officials in preparing speeches, and briefings. 
• Reviews and advises INL on the best use of limited INL and interagency funds to maximize the interdiction capabilities of Panama across all GOP agencies.
• Assists INL in obtaining GOP written requests for support and commitments to maintain donated commodities or nationalize procurement of services after a fixed amount of time.
• Reviews and advises on the purchase and refurbishment of vessels as well as on maintenance and operational training, including spare parts and supplies, based on Panama’s ability to utilize and maintain the resources.
• Assists INL in the establishment of an integrated logistics and preventative maintenance and inventory program that is essential to the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) and the operational capabilities of Panama.
• Assists INL in arranging/managing civilian and military engineering mobile training teams’ (MTT) visits, which provide additional specialized outboard motor maintenance and other engineering training.
• Assist in the development of project activity maps and work plans.
• Assists in drafting requests for proposals (RFP) from non-government organizations (NGO) for the potential implementation of grants or cooperative agreements.
• Assists in drafting International Organization Letters of Agreements (IO-LOA); and/or Interagency Agreements (IAA).
• May be tasked to provide operational assistance to other U.S. agencies supporting Panama in areas such as tracking of maritime assets.
• Recommends and assists INL with travel arrangements for selected Panamanian officials to the U.S. for training.
• Provides INL advice and assistance in end-use monitoring (EUM) of U.S. government-supplied commodities and services, preparing input for the annual EUM report to the U.S. Congress.
• Supports the success of the organization by providing clarity on how programs are achieving bureau, mission and office goals and objectives established by key stakeholders;
• Provides opportunity for mid-course correction if a program is not achieving its stated goals and objectives;
• Increases the ability of INL to respond with greater agility to changing priorities;
• Communicates the results of INL programs to justify budget requests; and,
• Keeps the INL Director, Deputy Director, MSA and INL/Panama Program Officers and other U.S. personnel informed on all matters relating to the Maritime Advisor’s activities.
• Provides weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports of relevant program activity, progress toward desired impacts, recommendations for advancing program and U.S. objectives, project highlights, and other relevant significant information including metrics, milestones achieved, and other relevant statistical data.
• Reports on scheduled upcoming meetings, trainings, and other activities.  

Minimum Qualifications

• US Citizen
• This position requires a Secret level security clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in international relations, law, law enforcement, project management, public policy, sociology, or related field, and ten (10) years of experience in the field of specialty; or Asociates’ degree in international relations, law enforcement, public policy, sociology, liberal arts or related field and fifteen (15) years of experience in logistics lifecycle sustainment, maintenance material management, quality assurance or related field of specialty,
• FSI level 4/4 Spanish, FSI level 3/3 English,
• Five (5) years of experience working overseas in an Embassy environment, or five years of military/U.S. interagency assignments overseas,
• Two (2) years specialized experience depending on the position (e.g. intelligence, firearms, gangs, kidnapping, drugs, internal affairs, quality assurance),
• Experience briefing in Spanish and English.
• Demonstrated ability to work with limited supervision.
• Demonstrated skill in oral and written communication in both Spanish and English including writing reports, assessments, and general correspondence.

About ATSG

Application Requirements

• All applications must be submitted in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.
• Applications and resumes for this position are only accepted via electronic submission through ATSG Corporation’s Consolidated Applicant Tracking System (CATS).
• Mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications and resumes will not be accepted.
• The decision to interview an applicant is based solely on the information received for this position from their electronic application and/or resume.