Senior Environment Officer - ONEC.3 at African Development Bank - AfDB

The mission of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change (ONEC) is to spearhead the Bank’s lending and non-lending operations in the areas of energy, environment and climate change. It will support mainstreaming of environment and climate change into Bank’s operations as well as lead on advocacy, advice and evaluation of lessons learned for incorporation into policy and programmes development. 

Through its Environment and Climate Change Division (ONEC.3), the Department will identify, design and implement environment and climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes and projects.  These will either be stand alone or as components of other Bank Group support operations. ONEC.3 also serves as the primary climate finance platform for the Bank Group. 

ONEC.3 is also responsible for implementing the Bank’s environmental/social policies procedures, and guidelines, including review/monitoring of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) documents, requesting validation of project’s environmental and social categorization and submission of ESIA, ESMP, ESMF and RAP documentation for clearance by the Bank’s Environmental and Social Safeguards unit (ORQR.3); and ensuring compliance with Bank policy on disclosure

Duties and responsibilities 

The Senior Environment Officer 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.
• Help manage and update the ONEC.3 Environmental and Social Project Tracking System

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 within and outside of OIVP.
• Undertake any other task as the Director ONEC and/or the Manager ONEC.3 may assign.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience 

• At least a Master’s degree in disciplines related to environment, social development, economics, development studies; 
• A minimum of five (5) years relevant professional experience related to the implementation of operations, project management, policy formation, capacity building;
• Proven writing and analytical skills in designing relevant operations; ability to initiate innovative approaches and originality at work; sound analytic, conceptual and strategic thinking;
• Updated knowledge of the critical environment and social issues;
• Proven ability for team-working and multi-tasking; great facilitation, communication and computational skills; resourcefulness, attention to details and client orientation;
• Flexibility to undertake field missions to Regional Member Countries; and,
• Ability to communicate and write effectively in French and/or English, with preference for capabilities in both languages.