Environmental Safeguards Support to Operations 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 (ESG) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is responsible for ensuring that IDB financed projects and other activities are environmentally and socially sustainable and comply with the Bank’s environmental and social policies. Specialists in ESG provide the Bank and its borrowers with guidance on environmental and social safeguard issues and participate in project teams, providing technical input on social and environmental issues during project preparation/due diligence and supervision.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with an environmental background and experience to join a group of social and environmental professionals that provide technical support, direction, and leadership in promoting the Bank’s strategic environmental and social priorities. As an environmental safeguards consultant, you will support the design and implementation of the Bank's operations and will ensure they comply with the IDB's Environmental and Social Policy Framework and internationally recognized best practices.

What you’ll do:

· Support ESG in the preparation and supervision of public sector operations, focusing on the environmental aspects.

· Support ESG in the environmental and social safeguards review of proposed operations as part of the policy compliance assurance process (preparation of the Environmental and Social Report Summary, execution of due diligence, preparation of the Environmental and Social Action Plan, project supervision, among others).

· Support ESG in the development and management of knowledge and learning programs.

· Support ESG in tracking and reporting project data, especially in the area of environmental and social risk and performance.

· Support project teams in the preparation and/or review of key documents, including but not limited to Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and management plans; sector strategy documents, aide memoires, technical cooperation proposals and deliverables, terms of reference for environmental assessment and management documentation, and others, related to assigned operations.

· Review and carry out the preclassification of operations regarding their compliance with the operational safeguard policies and the Environmental and Social Policy Framework (ESPF).

· Advise internal and external clients on sustainability matters in the design, preparation, and execution of the Bank's operations with a focus on environmental and/or social risks. This includes:

o Developing and maintaining communication and relationships with clients.

o Managing and conducting environmental and social due diligence.

o Supervising projects to ensure the implementation of mitigation measures.

o Assisting in technical cooperation efforts aimed at helping clients analyze or implement environmental and/or social mitigation measures.

· Review technical documents prepared by implementing agencies or project operational teams regarding socio-environmental aspects of the operation.

· Conduct control meetings, missions, and technical evaluations of the socio-environmental work carried out within the framework of the projects mentioned in this document. Use this information to guide clients in continuous improvement of the work performed and update environmental and social risk assessments (ESRR) throughout the project execution cycle.

· Participate in synchronous activities (meetings, training sessions, among other remote and/or in-person activities) with the HUB coordinator, the ESG team from other HUBs and/or the central office, the IDB operational team, or other stakeholders requiring your involvement.

· Provide guidance on safeguard issues to external consultants hired by project teams or implementing agencies.

· Conduct missions as part of the operation preparation and supervision plan for specific operations funded by the IDB.

· Prepare internal reports (such as Environmental and Social Review Summaries, Supervision Reports with their Action Plans) to mitigate environmental and/or social risks identified during the preparation and execution of operations.

· Support the implementation of the aforementioned action plans.

· Upon request by ESG, provide support and monitoring to projects involved in the IDB´s Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI) process.

· Receive training on the new IDB Environmental and Social Policy Framework (ESPF) and provide similar training to sectoral specialists, consultants, and implementing agencies of the IDB.

What you'll need:

· Education: Master’s degree (or equivalent advanced degree) in environmental management, environmental engineering, environmental science, biology, or other fields relevant to the responsibilities of the role.

· Experience: Between 10 and 14 years of progressive experience as an environmental specialist in the management of investment projects in diverse sectors, and experience in project research, data collection and analysis, and capacity building.

· 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: