Senior Environmental Specialist

World Bank Group • Washington, DC

1d

About The Position

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
The WBG E&S Policy and Operations Global Unit (ESPOM) plays a pivotal role in achieving the World Bank Group’s (WBG) mission. ESPOM supports the preparation and implementation of operations across the WBG in accordance with environmental and social (E&S) policies, and helps identify, address, and escalate potential E&S issues. ESPOM also coordinates, supports, and advises on: i) E&S policy development/updates, interpretation, and application; ii) E&S knowledge curation and dissemination; iii) global E&S thematic and sectoral support; iv) needs-based E&S support to Regions; and v) accountability issues, supporting Regions on Inspection Panel (IPN) and Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) cases, and grievance management. The unit also promotes strengthening of country and corporate E&S management systems, builds and strengthens strategic partnerships with MFIs, CSOs, and other stakeholders on E&S issues, and manages and enhances E&S Policy and Operations talent across the WBG.

ESPOM’s staff are organized into three units: Policy & Knowledge (ESPOK), Global Expertise to Support Regions (ESPOS), and Accountability and Grievance Redress (ESPAG). This position will be mapped to ESPOS, which supports Regions and Sectors on complex E&S issues and operations, facilitates Regions’ interface with the E&S Policy & Operations Global Unit; and supports Regions on risk management.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in environmental sciences, social sciences, engineering, or other relevant discipline
• At least 8 years of full-time relevant experience in the sector with a sustained record of achieving high quality substantive results
• At least five years of full-time relevant sector experience in World Bank Group operations
• Experience in H&S risk management, preparation and/or review of project environmental and social due diligence and audits, H&S risk and impact assessments, environmental and social management plans, and risk and safety analyses
• Track record in working with public and private sector clients to identify H&S risks and issues and develop mitigation measures to ensure compliance with good international industry practice. Hands on experience in OHS program design and management, process safety assessment and programs to mitigate community health and safety risks in development /industrial projects
• Proven ability to conceptualize, design and implement major projects and to produce major/complex reports or studies
• Good knowledge of the World Bank Group’s E&S policies and standards
• Demonstrated maturity and sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to convey complex messages succinctly and diplomatically
• Strong analytical skills, ability to think strategically, analyze and summarize diverse sources and draw conclusions from limited data.
• Proven capacity to work with a wide range of stakeholders, and ability to represent the Department with internal and external partners and interact effectively with Senior Management.
• Ability to communicate effectively and concisely on complex environmental and social issues in spoken and written form, in a manner that can be understood by non-experts.
• High personal integrity and emotional intelligence, with the ability to handle sensitive matters in a discreet and respectful manner, respond diplomatically and remain calm under pressure and develop solutions in potentially tense or conflicting situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Willingness to travel regularly
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Excellent workflow management and task organization skills; able to coordinate all aspects of the workflow of assigned responsibilities; ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing circumstances, organize and prioritize deliverables, and maintain attention to detail.
• Ability to coach/mentor more junior staff.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team, influence and negotiate point of view within teams.
• Environmental and Social Development Policy, Strategy and Institutions - Solid understanding of environmental and social development policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations
• Environmental and Social Sciences and Law – Demonstrates strong knowledge of one relevant thematic areas of E&S development, and E&S risk management; deep experience in applying knowledge to policy-related decisions and advice
• Policy Dialogue Skills – Possesses political judgement, diplomatic acumen and negotiating skills; builds and sustains key stakeholder relationships with private sector, government and other key stakeholders
• Integrative Skills – Demonstrates ability to think and work across WBG practices and sectors; integrates divergent viewpoints of multiple external and internal stakeholders into a coherent strategy/program/project
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Fully understands the WBG’s development initiatives and policies and practices related to lending and non-lending; Guides research and translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level

Nice To Haves

• French or Spanish desirable

Responsibilities

• Project-level Operational Support:
• Offer global thematic expertise on H&S issues to Regional and sector teams, liaising closely with Policy and Knowledge and Accountability & Grievance Redress units in ESPOM.
• Provide hands-on support to Regions on thematic H&S issues in complex, high risk, and time-sensitive projects.
• Provide clear and responsive guidance and advice to Regional and sector teams and transaction teams on thematic H&S policy issues and risk management in project decision-making and processing throughout the project cycle, including clear communication to teams.
• Lead on and liaise with other Specialists, e.g., thematic and sector specialists in ESPOS and other WBG units, to support project teams in capturing, assessing and mitigating relevant E&S risks.
• Upon request, contribute to review of project E&S issues and risks, including identification and development of risk mitigation measures and value-add solutions.
• When leading reviews, ensure effective and efficient use of staff, consultants, and resources, ensuring the timely completion and reviewing quality of deliverables.
• Support Regional teams to define scope of work for H&S Studies to be implemented by clients or, as needed, by WBG advisory services, support selection of consultants for development of such studies, and review interim and final deliverables for alignment with WBG E&S Standards, accurateness, and completeness.
• Support Regional teams to provide advice and guidance to clients in the development and implementation of their Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS), specifically with respect to H&S risk management and other analytical and risk management tools and methodologies.
• As needed, support Regional teams with managing E&S incidents / adverse events, and with crafting solutions to address issues raised through grievances and complaints.
• Support Regional teams in response to Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) requests where needed.
• Policy, Knowledge and Learning (in close coordination with the Policy and Knowledge team):
• Contribute to knowledge management on H&S issues, compiling relevant sector knowledge.
• Develop, update, or contribute to guidance materials on H&S issues.
• Collect good practices and lessons learned on H&S issues of the sectors of operations.
• Lead on or contribute to thematic reviews and stocktaking exercises.
• Engage with other partners and stakeholders, including industry associations and other MFIs on thematic issues.
• Develop and deliver training, including Deep Dives, on H&S issues of the sectors of operations.
• Implementation Support and Capacity Strengthening:
• Upon request, provide project implementation and monitoring/supervision support on thematic H&S issues, including coordination of supervision plans among Regional teams and engagement with clients and advisory, upstream and investment teams.
• Promote and support thematic H&S capacity strengthening measures, including capacity building to clients and their consultants and implementation of good international industry practice on H&S assessment, management, monitoring and reporting.
• Upon request, support management of thematic H&S portfolios, through monitoring and supervision of select high risk projects.
• Lead or contribute to portfolio analysis to identify systemic issues and assess trends in the sector, including any issues of a policy nature and propose adjustments as needed.
• Upon request, contribute to regional supervision program reviews and periodic reports.

Benefits

• The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level