Principal Environment Specialist at African Development Bank - AfDB

Duties and responsibilities
The Principal Environment Specialist will work under the general supervision and guidance of the Manager, Environment and Climate Change (ONEC.3). His/her core duties/responsibilities will include the following:

Mainstreaming of environmental and social development concerns:

•     Address environmental and social development issues in various Bank operations during the identification, preparation, appraisal, supervision and project completion stages;
•     Prepare Request for Categorization Memorandum (RCM)  for project categorization; ESIA/RAP, ESMP and ESMF Summaries before submitting to the Environment and Social Safeguards and Compliance Division (ORQR.3) and posting on Bank’s website;
•     Prepare Climate Screening Memorandum, and propose adaptation measures and mitigation measures as appropriate;
•     Prepare and/or contribute to technical reports and other environmental and social documentation required in processing Bank operations;
•     Provide E&S support to the Bank’s private sector operations (e.g. industries, services, infrastructure, financial institutions) and to the Bank’s public sector operations in the energy, transport, and information and communication technology, sectors as required;
•     Mainstream relevant and cross-cutting environmental and social issues into Bank operations, particularly issues related to natural resource management and climate change;
•     Design and/or improve the design of features/ components within Bank operations in order to ensure the effective implementation of environmental and social measures throughout the duration of the operations; and,
•     Develop recommendations to enhance environmental and social benefits and corrective measures to mitigate environmental and social risks in Bank operations.

Compliance with environmental and social requirements:

•     Provide policy and operational guidance to Task Managers and Investment Officers on environmental and social development issues as a means of strengthening the environmental and social performance of Bank operations;
•     Ensure compliance of operations with the Bank’s environmental and social safeguards, policies, and guidelines consistent with the Bank’s Integrated Safeguards System (ISS); and,
•     Provide technical guidance to clients on the preparation of necessary documentation, including but not limited to Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Strategic Environmental and Social Assessments, Resettlement Action Plans, Environmental and Social Management Plans, Environmental and Social Management Frameworks and Environmental and Social Management Systems.

Knowledge Development:

•     Contribute to the development of Bank policies and strategies by highlighting timely environmental and social development issues in close collaboration with other Bank experts; and,
•     Review and contribute to the mainstreaming of appropriate environmental and social development issues into projects and/or initiatives developed by Bank experts in departments outside of OIVP.
•     Undertake any other task as the Director ONEC and/or Manager ONEC.3 may assign.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

•     At least a Master’s Degree or its university equivalent in Environmental Studies,  Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, Economics, relevant Social Sciences, Engineering, or in an equivalent environment-related discipline;
•     Minimum of six (6) years of relevant professional experience in the areas of environmental management, natural resource management, environmental policy, environmental assessment, environmental monitoring, environmental compliance, and climate change adaptation and mitigation, or field operations involving environmental matters;
•     Excellent technical and analytical skills and established track record of excellence in operational and policy work on environmental and social matters;
•     Knowledge and experience in preparing and managing the implementation of  Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Strategic Environmental and Social Assessments (SESA), Environmental and Social management Framework (ESMF) and Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMSs), including  social aspects of development projects (e.g. health and safety, involuntary resettlement and gender components), operations monitoring and evaluation, and compliance assessment;
•     Demonstrable knowledge and practice of the operational safeguards policies, procedures and practices of major bilateral and multilateral partner development agencies in regional member countries, particularly with respect to infrastructure projects;
•     Practitioner experience in Africa, with broad skills in multi-criteria assessment, stakeholder engagement and consultation, community participation, with analytical skills in assessing institutional capacities and designing/reviewing practical implementation arrangements for complex projects;
•     Well-rounded understanding of critical issues in sustainable development, international environment and development policy, emerging climate change, green growth and sustainability concerns, and social development and results-based management agendas;
•     Results-oriented, team player, articulate analyst with attention to details, persuasive communicator and good writer;
•     Ability to communicate and write effectively in French and/or English, with preference for capabilities in both languages;
•     Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues; and,
•     Competence in (or ability/willingness to become quickly familiar with) the use of various tools available and applied by the Bank such as SAP, and, fluency in standard MS office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point).