Overview
The Environmental Specialist will focus on environmental and social risk management, including health and safety, for World Bank-financed operations in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct environmental and social risk management due diligence of World Bank-financed operations, including preparation of Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRSs), E&S Section of the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), etc.
- Ensure the effective integration of environment, health, and safety into the design, preparation, appraisal, and implementation of World Bank-supported projects, in line with the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), WBG EHS guidelines, IFC Performance Standards, and other good international practices.
- Oversee compliance with World Bank Group EHS guidelines, IFC Performance Standards, and other relevant frameworks.
- Guide and support clients and counterparts in preparing project documents, including Environmental and Social Commitment Plans (ESCPs), Labor Management Procedure (LMP), Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEPs), Project Implementation Manuals (PIMs), and others to meet ESF and operational policy requirements.
- Support timely and accurate disclosure procedures and public consultation for all required environmental assessment and management instruments.
- Provide guidance on specialized plans (e.g., biodiversity management, resource efficiency and waste management, occupational health and safety, dam safety, international waterways).
- Support clients and counterparts with incident and accident management, including immediate, underlying and root cause analysis, implementation of corrective actions, reporting, and ensuring SEA/SH-sensitive confidentiality for projects with moderate environmental and social risks.
- Organize and deliver needs assessments, capacity building, and technical training on environmental, health, and safety risk management for national agencies, local governments, and public/private sector practitioners.
- Collaborate with other World Bank Group teams to integrate risk management capacity development into sectoral programs.
- Work closely with Lead Specialist and the CMU ESF Coordinator, as well as Task Team Leaders and cross-practice teams (Procurement, Legal) to ensure quality and consistency in safeguards work and risk management across the region.
Required Experience
- Minimum 5 years of full-time, relevant professional experience in environmental management, including: (i) Managing environmental, social, health, and safety risks of large infrastructure, extractive, or industrial projects; (ii) applying World Bank Group ESF and/or similar global sustainability frameworks including the preparation of environmental safeguard/risk management documents.
- Technical experience in the management of the environmental, social, health and safety risks of large infrastructure projects (e.g., roads, dams, irrigation, power systems, water systems) is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated project management and operational skills, including occupational health and safety management and working with contractors with varying capacity.
- Experience in capacity building for environmental, health, and safety risk management is an advantage.
- Experience working in developing countries, with understanding of institutional/political context and national environmental policy challenges; experience in FCV (Fragile, Conflict, and Violence) countries is beneficial.
Qualifications
Advanced degree (PhD or Master’s) in environmental/natural sciences or environmental/civil engineering with good technical training in related topics such as OHS, solid waste management, large scale civil engineering, pollution prevention and control, biodiversity and conservation, etc.
