Environment and Social Safeguards Management Specialist

Result of ServiceImproved compliance and alignment with UNEP’s Environment, Social, And Sustainability Framework. Work Locationkenya Expected duration10 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrganization Setting: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Policy and Programme Division consolidates the policy, programme, monitoring, gender and social safeguards functions of UNEP as well as its engagement with the United Nations system and key global processes. The GEF Coordination Office within has the overall accountability for UNEP GEF corporate activities. It coordinates, monitors, and tracks the GEF portfolio, and serves as a key adviser to the Senior Management Team on policy and operational related matters. It acts as a facilitator to assist Divisions in programming and delivery of GEF Portfolio, ensuing coherence and consistency. The consultant will work closely with the GEF Portfolio Manager(s). The consultant will report directly to the GEF Coordinator, with secondary reporting line to the GEF Portfolio Manager(s) as applicable and based on the context of advisory function. Duties and Responsibilities: The specialist will provide advisory support across the five GEF portfolios, with an expectation to rotate between them. During each rotation, the specialists will be physically based within one of the three technical divisions—Industry and Economy; Ecosystems; and Climate Change—offering targeted support to the assigned portfolio while continuing to provide advice across all portfolios. This rotation system is designed to familiarize the specialists with the technical aspects, teams, and operations, including identifying projects that require additional attention. While their focus will shift with each rotation, the delivery of outcomes will remain standardized with the following tasks: Project Development Advice (70%) i. Provide input, analysis, and support to GEF Task Managers during the project concept development phase, specifically relating to Environmental, Social and Sustainability Framework (ESSF). ii. Engage in activities such as SRIF preparation, consultations with project teams, and potential involvement with other stakeholders including local communities. iii. Assist in developing relevant sections within concepts/project documents related to the ESS aspects, providing advice and inputs to ensure high-quality outputs, iv. Early identification of risk types and levels, along with the engagement of moderate and high-risk projects in safeguard risk identification, assessment, and planning. v. Assist moderate-risk projects in addressing GEEW, LNOB, stakeholder engagement, environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and the preparation of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs). Project Implementation Advice (20%) i. Support project teams during the inception phase to build capacity of the executing partners ii. Offer desk-based support to GEF Task Managers in monitoring any identified environment, social, and sustainability (ESS) risks during the project development phase, as well as new risks that may emerge during implementation. iii. Review and provide feedback on the ESS section of annual Project Implementation Reports (PIRs). iv. Based on PIR review, support GEF Task Managers in identifying new ESS risks during project implementation and draft the necessary mitigation measures, ensuring their operationalization. v. Re-screen some projects using the SRIF. This is particularly the case if feasibility or other assessments are carried out as an activity of the project. vi. Participate in supervisory monitoring missions to assess and support ESS-specific aspects of projects, ensuring proper implementation of safeguards and compliance with ESS requirements. vii. Assist remotely in project Steering Committee Meetings with relation to ESS matters, as requested. Knowledge Management (10%) i. During each portfolio rotation, identify common trends and challenges related to ESS risks, considering the specific technical orientation, theme, and programming area of the portfolio. ii. Review project submissions to identify common bottlenecks and areas where recurrent comments are made (in both review sheets and SRIFs), offering recommendations to address these gaps in future submissions. iii. Collaborate with the Safeguards and Gender Unit to understand common SRIF recommendations and draft a brief guidance note to serve as the basis for internal training on ESS matters for UNEP project development teams. Qualifications/special skillsA Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Social Sciences, International Development, or a related field is required. Minimum of 7 years of professional experience working on environmental and social impact assessment and risk management in the international context, with strong preference for experience in the public or private sector working across industry or environmental sectors is required. Experience in environmental and social safeguards management is required. Experience in consultation processes is desired Experience in developing guidance materials and trainings on managing common ESS risks is desired. Discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information is desired Good documentation and report writing skills is desired LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of another UN Language is desirable. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.