Disaster and Climate Change Risk Engineering Consultant

Post of duty: Washington, D.C.

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

The Environmental and Social Solutions Unit (VPS/ESG) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is responsible for bringing technical capacity and resource to teams and clients to ensure the compliance with the environmental and social safeguard policies of the Bank. The Disaster and Climate Change Risk team within VPS/ESG helps Bank’s teams and clients to effectively attain environmental and social performance requirements focusing on identification, evaluation, and management of disaster and climate risk.

We are looking for a dynamic, versatile, and technically sound Disaster and Climate Change Risk Engineering Consultant. As Disaster and Climate Change Risk Engineering Consultant, you will focus on providing technical support to preparation and execution of infrastructure-related operations while engaging in the development and delivery of knowledge products and capacity building activities.

Your work will be grounded on the IDB’s Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment Methodology (DCCRAM) as the guidelines to ensure disaster and climate change risks are adequately addressed in infrastructure projects.

The DCCRAM document can be found here: https://publications.iadb.org/en/disaster-and-climate-change-risk-assessment-methodology-idb-projects-technical-reference-document

The DCCRAM website can be found here: https://www.iadb.org/en/who-we-are/topics/environmental-and-social-solutions/dccr-assessment-methodology

What you’ll do:

• Support VPS/ESG in tracking and maintaining the continued adoption of the Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment Methodology in infrastructure projects by the different sectors of the Bank.
• Guide project teams to ensure an adequate implementation of the IDB’s Environmental and Social Policy Framework (focusing on ESPS 4) and Disaster Risk Management Policy (OP-704), as well as alignment to Paris Agreement Alignment approach BB2 Physical Risk.
• Elaborate and/or review the adequacy of Terms of Reference for developing Disaster Risk Assessments (DRAs) and associated Disaster Risk Management Plans (DRMPs) linked to environmentally and socially complex projects.
• Review and validate intermediate and final products of DRAs and associated DRMPs.
• Provide technical guidance during implementation to operations that have conducted a DRA, ensuring the analysis's relevance and DRMP compliance and operativity.
• Provide technical advice to projects experiencing disasters during implementation, focusing on preventing the recreation of vulnerability conditions during recovery.
• Guide project teams on incorporating results from the DRA process into key project activities including alternatives assessment, feasibility studies, environmental and social assessments and related management plans, economic evaluation, contractual tendering documents, results matrices indicators, project execution and operation activities, DRMP and its Emergency Action Plan operativity, etc.
• Identify opportunities to maximize environmental and social co-benefits derived from applying a disaster resilience perspective, i.e. introducing Nature Based Solutions, optimizing resettlement areas, etc.
• Cooperate and assist project teams in the design, formulation, development, and management of products related to disaster risk assessment and risk management activities in the components of the Bank's infrastructure loans.
• Support the continued improvement activity of the team in the identification, development, and dissemination of internal mechanisms, protocols, guidelines, and other methodological tools that contribute to compliance with community health and safety guarantees linked to disasters in IDB infrastructure projects.
• Develop capacity building activities associated with the implementation of the disaster and climate risk screening process and associated due diligence within VPS/ESG, as well as Bank sector divisions and external clients.
• Deliver training and capacity building sessions on disaster and climate risk assessment and management designed ad-hoc for executing agencies Program’s needs.
• Contribute to attaining the objectives and programmed activities of the Disaster and Climate Change Risk team within VPS/ESG, supporting organization and administrative tasks required for the continued performance of the team.
• Support the team in overseeing and reporting activities, including internal and institutional (CRF, CCAP, etc.) reporting related to DRA and DRM in the applicable IDB operations.

  What you'll need

  • Education: Master’s degree (or equivalent advanced degree) in Civil Engineering, Geoengineering, Water Resources Engineering, Disaster Risk Management or other fields relevant to the responsibilities of the role.
  • Experience: A minimum of 5 years but 7 years highly desired of relevant professional experience with resilient infrastructure planning, design, and execution, including disaster risk management and climate adaptation. Project management experience would be desirable, as well as experience in critical infrastructure engineering projects such as dams, bridges, tunnels, and/or complex urban environments, managing data systems (i.e., GIS), and development and implementation of Disaster Risk Management Plans. Possessing work experience with projects in multilateral or bilateral cooperation institutions is beneficial but not essential.
  • Languages: Proficiency in Spanish and English, spoken and written, is required. Additional knowledge of French and Portuguese is preferable.

    Key skills

    • Learn continuously.
    • Collaborate and share knowledge.
    • Focus on clients.
    • Communicate and influence.
    • Innovate and try new things.

      Requirements

      • Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries.
      • Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.

        Type of contract and duration:

        • Type of contract: International Consultant Full-Time.
        • Length of contract: 12 months.
        • Work Location: On site.

          What we offer

          The IDB group provides benefits that respond to the different needs and moments of an employee’s life. These benefits include:

          • A competitive compensation packages.
          • Leaves and vacations: 2 days per month of contract + gender- neutral parental leave.
          • Health Insurance: the IDB Group provides a monthly allowance for the purchase of health insurance.
          • Savings plan:The IDB Group cares about your future, depending on the length of the contract, you will receive a monthly savings plan allowance.
          • We offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your family when it applies.
          • Hybrid and flexible work schedules.
          • Development support: We offer learning opportunities to boost your professional profile such as seminars, 1:1 professional counseling, and much more.
          • Health and wellbeing: Access to our Health Services Center which provides preventive care and health education for all employees.
          • Other perks: Lactation Room, Daycare Center, Gym, Bike Racks, Parking, and others.

            Our culture