Senior Environmental Specialist

The Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practice (ENB GP) is located within the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Practice Group. We provide expertise, technical assistance, and financing to help low- and middle-income countries manage land, sea, and freshwater natural resources in a sustainable way to help create jobs, improve livelihoods, enhance ecosystem services, decrease pollution, and increase resilience to climate change! Over 360 ENB staff working across the globe help set developing countries on a clean, green growth trajectory for resilient economies and healthy communities.

The ENB GP in East and Southern Africa Region (AFE) includes two units: SAEE2 and SAEE3. The SAEE3 unit covers three country management units (CMUs), DRC, Mozambique, and South Africa. SAEE3 staff provide advice to clients on environmental risk management in World Bank-financed projects, and work with national and local governments and with communities to improve sustainable management of natural resources through operations in a variety of areas such as natural resources management, coastal zone management, forestry, pollution, climate change, landscape, and terrestrial and marine natural resources.

The Position

This position will be based in Luanda, Angola and will be primarily responsible (75%) to support the environmental risk management business line implementing World Bank Safeguard Policies and the Environmental and Social Framework, or ESF) for the countries of Angola and Sao Tome and Principe.

The Senior Environmental Specialist will also be expected provide support to and lead other unit activities (25%), such as ENB sector operations, as well as country and sector strategy development, client dialogue and analytical work.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Senior Environmental Specialist’s responsibilities include:

• Provide expert advice to clients, project teams, and World Bank management on environmental risk management in World Bank-financed projects across a variety of sectors including high risk, complex, and large-scale infrastructure, through conducting detailed and technically sound environmental analysis, due diligence and supervision in relation to the World Bank’s Safeguard Policies, ESF and international good practice (including the World Bank Environment, Health and Safety Guidelines) and ensuring their effective integration into project design, appraisal and implementation.
• Advise and support clients and counterpart organizations in developing terms of reference (ToR) for and the preparation of environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), including regional, strategic, and cumulative assessments;  environmental and social management frameworks (ESMFs); and environmental and social management plans (ESMPs), including plans for monitoring, reporting and evaluation; labor management procedures; and other specific management plans or procedures as required by applicable World Bank policies and good international practice (including community health and safety, dam or infrastructure safety, pest management, pollution prevention and control, biodiversity conservation and management, ecosystem services, occupational health and safety, emergency planning and management, cultural heritage, etc.).
• Assist with managing timely and proper disclosure procedures and public consultation requirements for all required environmental assessment and management instruments.
• Advise and support clients in ensuring necessary environmental requirements, management plans and measures are appropriately reflected in works bidding and contract documents where applicable, and in developing and implementing appropriate supervision and monitoring arrangements.
•  Supervise environmental aspects of project implementation, including joining supervision missions to evaluate the status of preparation and implementation of management plans and measures, review of monitoring reports, discussions with clients and stakeholders, and building of effective working relationships with the borrower/project implementation agency to ensure proper understanding and implementation of environmental requirements.  Guide the clients on effective and appropriate mitigation measures and implementation of relevant management plans and procedures.
• Provide timely environmental input to World Bank project documents, including Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRSs), Environmental and Social Commitment Plans (ESCPs), and relevant sections of Project Concept Notes, Project Information Documents, Project Appraisal Documents, Aide Memoires, and Implementation Status Reports.
• Provide technical and policy leadership on environmental risk management in Angola and Sao Tome and Principe, working in close collaboration with CMU and regional management, project team leaders, the unit’s ESF coordinator, and environmental and social colleagues responsible for supporting projects in the countries.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to other environmental specialists and consultants in handling complex technical, institutional and program implementation issues regarding environment, occupational health and safety, biodiversity, resource efficiency and pollution prevention and management.
• Develop and deliver training and capacity building support to client and counterpart organizations and local EA practitioners on the World Bank’s ESF and related environmental, health and safety management aspects.
•  Lead the environment risk management capacity building through maintaining regular dialogue with clients, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen client capacity and designing and delivering engagements to enhance borrower frameworks for managing environmental risk.
• Work closely with the World Bank social development specialists to develop and implement projects that are environmentally and socially sustainable, and to enhance the capacity of Borrowers’ environmental and social frameworks.
• Engage in policy dialogue with clients on environmental risk and environmental sustainability issues, ranging from upstream inputs into Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Partnership Frameworks, to country-level E&S related strategic analyses and engagements, to specific operations, to advise counterparts on policy issues and/or risks and opportunities in relation to Bank-supported operations.  Coordinate as needed with other development partners – both in terms of their projects and potential synergies, but also to coordinate and maintain a dialogue with key partners on environmental risk management and sustainability issues.
• Contribute to building a portfolio of ENB projects in Sao Tome and Principe and support the development and/or implementation of ENB operations, which could include operations, components of operations and/or analytical work in waste management, flood management, forestry and land restoration, and protected areas management.
• Carry out other tasks as requested by the PM such as for example contribute to knowledge management and knowledge sharing events.Attach the TOR below OR you may insert the job description here.  To paste from Word use the “Paste from Word” icon above.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree (PhD or Masters) degree in environmental engineering, civil engineering, environmental science, geography, natural sciences, natural resource management or related field.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in the environmental management, including proven experience in the assessment and management of environmental and social risks and monitoring compliance, such as for government agencies, international financial institutions or other development partners, engineering companies, or consultancy firms.
•  Knowledge and experience in environmental assessment and management of environmental compliance in investment projects involving large scale civil works, extractive or industrial activities.
• Field experience in assessing project site vulnerabilities, environmental, occupational and community risks, as well as supervising/inspecting projects during implementation to monitor performance.
• Sound knowledge of World Bank’s safeguards policies, the ESF, and/or IFC Performance Standards/MIGA Environmental and Social policies, or similar internationally recognized standards and codes of practices in the environment sector.
• Demonstrated ability and experience developing and delivering effective training programs to clients on environmental risk management.
• Professional fluency in Portuguese and English (writing, speaking, listening, and reading).
• Confirmed collaboration and successful experience working with multi-disciplinary teams.
• A strong sense of teamwork and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
•  Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently and extensively in Angola and Sao Tome and Principe and other countries in East and Southern Africa, including remote locations.