Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert (International Consultant)
Location: Home-based (international) · Closing: Sunday 13 September 2026
Consultancy · Project-based · Home-based · Fixed number of days
About Bodhi
Bodhi Global Analysis is a woman-led international development research consultancy established in London in 2017, with subsidiaries in Nairobi (2018), Singapore (2023), Dar es Salaam (2025), and The Hague (2026). We specialise in formative and evaluative research through participatory approaches, serving UN agencies, bilateral donors, INGOs, and regional organisations across fragile and conflict-affected contexts. We have delivered research and evaluation assignments in over 100 countries. As an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certified organisation, Bodhi maintains rigorous quality control across all operations.
About the Role
Bodhi is recruiting an Environmental and Social Safeguards Expert to provide technical leadership on safeguards across a multi-country evidence synthesis and landscape analysis in the urban water, sanitation and hygiene sector.
You will assess environmental and social risks across a range of urban contexts, from dense informal settlements and climate-vulnerable coastal cities to fragile systems operating under conflict, and you will bring a safeguards lens to the analysis of sustainability and inclusiveness that runs through the study. The role is analytical and advisory rather than compliance-focused: the question is not only whether safeguard requirements were met, but how safeguard frameworks shape what is feasible in urban WASH programming and where they create friction for the poorest users.
The assignment is delivered remotely and home-based. Any travel would be limited and subject to prior approval. Engagement is by consultancy contract for a defined number of days and is contingent on contract award.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership on environmental and social safeguards across the assignment, ensuring the analysis and case studies align with international good practice
- Assess environmental and social risks associated with urban WASH interventions across distinct urban typologies, including informal settlements, climate-sensitive urban systems, and cities affected by protracted crisis
- Contribute to the analysis of sustainability and inclusiveness, including tariff affordability and equitable access, land tenure and eviction risk, involuntary resettlement, the occupational health and safety of sanitation workers, and the safe management of faecal sludge and waste streams
- Advise on risk mitigation measures for vulnerable populations, with findings disaggregated by gender, disability, and displacement status wherever the data allow
- Analyse how the safeguard frameworks applied by multilateral development banks and UN agencies influence urban WASH programme design, partnership models, and access to large-scale infrastructure financing
- Conduct key informant interviews with safeguards specialists, environmental regulators, municipal authorities, civil society organisations, and community representatives
- Contribute analysis and drafting to country case studies and to the global synthesis of findings and recommendations
- Participate in a virtual validation workshop with global, regional and country-level stakeholders
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- Advanced university degree (Master's level or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Social Safeguards, Urban Planning, or a related field
- At least eight to ten years' professional experience in environmental and social safeguards, with demonstrated expertise on infrastructure or WASH projects in developing country contexts
- Demonstrated command of environmental and social risk assessment methodologies, stakeholder engagement requirements, and compliance with international standards
- Proven experience conducting qualitative research and key informant interviews with institutional and community-level respondents
- Strong analytical and drafting skills in English, with the ability to produce clear, well-structured written outputs
- Availability to work across multiple global time zones
Desirable
- Proven experience working with multilateral development banks or UN agencies on safeguard frameworks, for example the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, the IFC Performance Standards, or equivalent UN agency requirements
- Experience in urban, fragile, or climate-vulnerable settings
- Experience integrating gender, disability, and social inclusion analysis into safeguards assessment
- Experience on multi-country or global studies, sector reviews, or landscape analyses
- Familiarity with water and sanitation service delivery models, including utility, public-private, and community-managed arrangements
Languages
- English: fluency, written and spoken, is mandatory
- French or Spanish: professional working proficiency is a significant advantage, as data collection will cover francophone West Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean
What We Offer
- A consultancy engagement on a global assignment with genuine influence over strategic recommendations, with inclusion on Bodhi's international consultant roster for consideration for future opportunities
- Collaboration with an experienced, multidisciplinary international research team
- Competitive daily rates commensurate with seniority and experience
How to Apply
Click the Apply button below and follow the instructions. You will be invited to submit:
- A CV setting out your safeguards experience, including named assignments, countries, the safeguard frameworks you have applied, and your specific role on each
- A cover letter addressing your experience against the essential criteria, confirming your availability from October 2026, and stating your language proficiencies
- An indication of your daily consultancy rate in USD
Applications close on Sunday 13 September 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and early application is strongly encouraged, as we may close the vacancy before the deadline for exceptional candidates.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Bodhi is a women-owned enterprise committed to gender parity at all levels of the organisation. We particularly welcome applications from women and from candidates who bring lived experience from the regions where we work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religious belief, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic background, or disability.
For more information about our organisation, please visit www.bodhiglobalanalysis.com.