Principal Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/18/099
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade:  PL4
Position N°: 50066099 / 50060406 / 50071216

The Complex

• The Senior Vice-Presidency (SNVP) is responsible for supporting the President in the day-to-day management of the Bank Group to achieve its strategic objective and drive performance culture that will align all processes and systems to deliver high impact results.
• The SNVP will provide effective leadership and exceptional coordination to ensure implementation and monitoring of key corporate decisions as well as the identification of necessary corrective measures and actions.
• The SNVP will lead senior management discussions, decision-making processes and the implementation of key Board and Management decisions.​

The Hiring Department

• Located within the SVNP Complex, the Safeguards and Compliance Department (SNSC) is responsible for mainstreaming environmental and social development considerations into Bank-financed operations in the public and private sectors through the implementation of the Integrated Safeguard System (ISS).
• The Department’s main tasks is to improve the quality-at-entry (QAE) of Bank operations, including Country Strategy Papers and project-specific interventions (projects, ESW, etc.) as well as during implementation, with a particular emphasis on enhancing developmental effectiveness through application of environmental, social and climate safeguards procedures and tools at various stages of the project cycle.
• The Safeguards and Compliance Department’s mission is to ensure proper application of the Integrated Safeguards System (ISS) and its associated procedures, guidelines and tools, in order to enhance environmental, social and climate sustainability into the Bank’s operations.

The Position

• The Senior Environmental Officer works under the supervision and overall direction of the Director of the Department of Environmental and Social Safeguards, in close collaboration with the Environmental and Social Safeguards and Compliance Officers at the regional platform level.
• The incumbent will be responsible for implementing the Bank's environmental and social policies, procedures and guidelines in the operations of the institution in both the private and public sectors, while respecting the Integrated Safeguards System (ISS).
  

Duties and Responsibilities
Mainstreaming of environmental concerns:

• Provide E&S support to the Bank’s projects and programmes for both private and public sectors
• Address environmental and social  issues in various Bank operations during the identification, preparation, appraisal, supervision and project completion stages;
• 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;
• Assign E&S Categorization and screen for climate change and GHG emissions for projects (public and private).
• Mainstream climate adaptation measures and mitigation measures into the Bank’s operations as required;
• Review TORs for feasibility studies (ESIA, SESA and RAP) to ensure adequate coverage of all pertinent issues required by the Bank’s environmental and social assessment procedures (ESAP);
• Review Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and prepare where applicable summaries for disclosure on the Bank’s website;
• Prepare the environmental and social technical sections required in the Project Concept Notes (PCNs) and the Project Appraisal Reports (PAR) and any other project related report as required.
• Develop recommendations to enhance environmental and social benefits and corrective action plans to mitigate environmental and social risks in Bank operations.
• Liaise with other lenders to ensure consistency in the mainstreaming of the E&S modalities, documentation, and other aspects of projects and programmes and the harmonization of E&S standards for all lenders.

Policy and Compliance with environmental and social requirements:

• Provide policy and operational guidance to Task Managers on environmental issues as a means of strengthening the environmental and social performance of Bank operations.
• Monitor compliance of operations with the Bank’s environmental and social safeguards, policies, and guidelines consistent with the Bank’s Integrated Safeguards System (ISS);
• Ensure the quality of  safeguard documents, such as Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Environmental and Social Management Plans, Resettlement Action Plans;
• Prepare, where applicable, action plans to bring projects and programmes to compliance with the Bank’s environmental and social requirements such as Resettlement Action Plans.

Capacity building and Knowledge Management:

• Identify, assess, and monitor overall  training needs of clients and task managers;
• Develop and  deliver training sessions for Bank staff and their counterparts in RMCs,
• Participate in, and contribute to internal and external training and conferences on environment and social safeguards as well as to other activities pertaining to advocacy, dissemination and knowledge development.
• Develop and/or contribute to the development of innovative knowledge products on environmental sustainability and/or E&S performance of Bank financed projects and programmes.
• Undertake any other task as assigned by the Director of the Environment and Social Safeguards Department.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Have at least a Master's degree in Environmental Studies, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy or a related discipline. A PhD and / or Chartered Environmentalist qualification is an additional asset;
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant professional experience in areas related to environmental and natural resource management, environmental assessment, environmental monitoring and environmental stewardship;
• Have good knowledge and experience in developing and managing the implementation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), Environmental Management Framework the social aspects of development projects (health and safety aspects, involuntary resettlement and gender issues, etc.), monitoring and evaluation conformity;
• Have a proven knowledge and practice of ISS, including the safeguards policies, procedures and practices of development agencies of key bilateral and multilateral partners in regional member countries.
• Have a good knowledge and experience of multi-criteria assessments, stakeholder engagement and consultation, community participation; have analytical skills to assess institutional capacity and to design / review practical arrangements for implementing complex projects, particularly in Africa;
• Be results oriented, able to work in a team, a meticulous analyst with a sense of detail, a persuasive communicator and an excellent copywriter;
• Listening to clients - providing effective services and solutions to staff beyond presenting past challenges and challenges and gaining respect through the depth of demonstrated expertise, effectively managing various clients and country situations;
• Innovation and Change - Constantly seek more efficient and practical methods for the delivery of services and products as well as departmental process management and propose new ways to improve the quality and relevance of products and services;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and to develop effective working relationships with clients and colleagues;
• Have excellent technical and analytical skills, with a proven track record in operational and political work on environmental and social issues;
• Have a good knowledge of the assessment, preparation and / or management of the implementation of the Bank's environmental and social safeguards on the development of major infrastructures in Africa;
• Have a good knowledge of the environmental and social issues facing Regional Member Countries (RMCs);
• Have solid practical experience in the evaluation, integration and monitoring of social development concerns at the level of Bank operations;
• Be an accredited member of recognized professional organizations such as IEMA, CIWEM, RGS, etc.
• Be able to communicate effectively (written and oral) in French or English, preferably with a good working knowledge of the other language;
• Master the use of MS Office software and have a good knowledge of SAP.