Environmental Safeguards Senior Associate

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager, the Environmental Safeguards Senior Associate, ensures that the project development activities are planned and implemented by addressing the guidance and recommendations given in the project’s Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF), and Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS). The Environmental Safeguards Senior Associate will be required to travel across all project sites.

• Ensure compliance with the Project’s Environmental and Social instruments, including the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) in all field level implementation.

• Prepare E&S training materials and conduct training for all implementers.  

• Regularly follow up of ESS related data entry in the MIS database and make sure that the data is accurate and entered correctly.

• Assist in the collection of environmental data and provide technical assistance in the preparation of site-specific mitigation measures. Regularly meet with FP engineers regarding subproject ESS related issues, grievances and capacity building requests.

• Conduct environmental safeguards Monitoring of projects based on agreed mitigation measures and prepare detailed monitoring reports 

• Ensure that the site-specific mitigation measures are prepared based on the E&S screening and field observations considering the Project ESMP 

• Respond to Third Party Monitoring Agents’ reports (via the HQ Unit) on ESS related issues. 

• Conduct monitoring and supervision visits and report on findings on a small randomly selected set of project sites to ensure they are environmentally sound and secure from a functional safety perspective.

• Receive and review regular E&S reports from all implementers.

• Help to prepare regular E&S reports for submission to the World Bank.

Impact of Results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Environmental Safeguards Senior Associate directly impacts on the development and performance of the project. It confirms UNOPS’ role as a key and trusted partner to the World Bank, and UNOPS’ position as a critical service provider, in all challenging work environments. Given the current political and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, this project would support the urgent repositioning of AFCO and strengthen UNOPS presence and visibility in Afghanistan, raising the profile of UNOPS  in the global humanitarian context. 

Monitoring and progress controls will be in accordance with work plans that the Supervisor and incumbent will prepare at the beginning of the assignment.   

Qualifications and Experience

a.  Education

• A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in Environmental Studies or other relevant discipline is required. An advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) is preferred.

b. Work Experience 

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in environmental safeguards compliance is required.

• Experience with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) required

• Experience with E&S safeguards management systems is a must.

• Experience in Occupational Health & Safety issues a must

c.  Languages

• Fluency in English is required.

• Fluency in Pashto and/or Dari is desirable.

This VA is open only for Afghan nationals under CTG contract modality not UNOPS ICA.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.