Environmental Management - Consultant

Environmental Management Consultant

Are you an Environmental Management specialist interested in using your professional experience and skills to join WFP teams working towards ending global hunger? 

We are looking for a mid-senior level Environmental Management professional, for a 6-month contract period (option to extend) to join our Environmental Sustainability team. This is a great opportunity to become an integral member of a diverse and passionate team that works on implementing environmentally sustainable solutions for global WFP projects. You will be based in Rome, Italy (WFP Headquarters) with frequent travel to field locations.

Who are we?

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

About the Environmental Sustainability Unit

WFP’s Environmental Sustainability Unit helps country offices and headquarters mainstream environmental management into day to day activities, primarily related to support operations. This avoids and reduces operating costs, manages environmental and reputational risks, improves resource management and helps protect beneficiaries where they live. Focus areas include reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing and properly managing waste, reducing water consumption, promoting sustainable procurement decisions, and increasing staff awareness around environmental management. WFP is a leader in environmental sustainability within the UN system and you will be joining the team responsible for the implementation of its environmental policy.

About this role

WFP’s environmental policy, co-implemented by the Facilities Management Branch (RMMI) and the Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Programmes Unit (OSZIR), commits WFP to developing and implementing three tools: environmental standards, an environmental screening process, and an environmental management system (EMS). A multi-year timeframe is envisaged for this work, which will include the implementation of guidelines, standard operating procedures, and training. The primary focus of this consultancy will be to support the global implementation of the EMS component of the environmental policy, predominantly in field locations.

Responsibilities:

As the Environmental Management Consultant, you will be involved in:

• Supporting ongoing development and implementation of environmental management systems (EMS) in WFP operations globally, including Rome HQ, delivering selected enabling elements necessary to embed EMS at the corporate level
• Contributing to the development of EMS supporting documentation for country offices, including environmental reviews, EMS objectives and action plans, and maintaining an EMS document management system
• Contributing to the development and delivery of training materials about the environmental policy and EMS for both internal and external audiences
• Supporting the communications and outreach strategy of the Environmental Sustainability Unit in relation to implementation of the environmental policy and of EMS by drafting and/or reviewing environmental campaign and awareness raising materials, case studies, briefing notes, news articles for in-house and external audiences, reviewing interagency reports for comment and contributing to other support materials as required
• Contributing to the preparation of funding requests and business case opportunities for donor/partner/private sector consideration
• Frequently travelling to WFP field locations for on-site implementation activities
• Other related ad-hoc requests

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Who are we are looking for?

Education:     

• University degree (Bachelor’s degree or higher) in Environmental Management, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resource Management, or related subject;
• Formal training and/or accreditation in ISO14001 is highly regarded.

Experience:    

• At least five (5)-years of progressively responsible experience in environmental management, of which three (3)-years must be through the direct implementation of environmental management systems;
• Professional experience must include implementing, or supporting implementation of EMS in developing country contexts in settings similar to WFP field operations;
• Professional experience working within, or in connection with, the UN system is highly regarded.

Knowledge & Skills:  

• Knowledge in applying principles of the ISO14001 environmental standard, including internal EMS auditing and development of supporting documentation;
• In-depth knowledge of at least two of the following disciplines: waste management, energy/GHG management, water management, environmental compliance, environmental and social impact assessments, and sustainable procurement, preferably within a developing country and humanitarian context;
• Proficiency in MS Office software, particularly Excel;
• Ability to expertly write and translate complex concepts for a variety of audiences, in English;
• Ability to develop, design, and facilitate training/workshops/meetings;
• Proven ability to coordinate and effectively communicate across multiple units and departments (including headquarters, regional, and country office levels);
• Proven ability to function successfully within the different geographic and cultural contexts in which WFP operates.

Languages:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in a second UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, or WFP's working language, Portuguese) to at least intermediate standard is highly regarded

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance