Principal Safeguards Specialist

As a Principal Safeguards Specialist (Environment), you will provide advice on safeguard policy issues, lead environmental due diligence and provide technical and procedural inputs to projects to ensure compliance with ADB’s safeguard policies and procedures during project preparation and implementation. You may be involved in hands-on implementation of projects, providing solutions with minimal support; as well as periodic review, update and roll-out of ADB safeguards policies, including training ADB staff and developing member countries and clients. It is also expected that you will provide technical leadership and knowledge in at least one of the following safeguards specializations or sectors: environmental impact assessment, assessing and managing biodiversity-related risks; occupational and community health and safety, climate risk assessment and management; and just energy transition including renewable energy development.

You will:

• Safeguard Policy Compliance Due Diligence and Monitoring
• Undertake environmental safeguards due diligence and support deal or project teams in developing, structuring and monitoring environmental safeguards policy compliance of projects during processing and implementation.
• Advise management on compliance of projects and independently identify, monitor and report to OSFG management on projects with high environmental safeguards sensitivity including, identifying and managing project impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Capacity Building:

• Lead and independently develop and administer as needed technical assistance (TA) and training and capacity building programs for ADB developing member countries and clients, focused on ADB safeguard policies, environmental and social management systems, and other specialized technical topics.

Project Development:

• Support the development of projects or programs with specific safeguards or environmental focus.

Policy Review and Knowledge Sharing:

• Periodically contribute to the policy reviews and update to ensure that ADB’s safeguard policy continues to meet international good practices including in challenging areas such as biodiversity management, climate risk assessment, among others.
• Support the development of ADB operations manuals, staff instructions and/or the preparation of guidance and tools.
• Contribute to activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building relating to ADB’s safeguard policies and their effective application.

Staff Supervision:

• Provide technical guidance to junior staff to help them manage environmental compliance of projects.
• Supervise the performance of reporting staff, providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance.
• Ensure the on-going learning and development of reporting staff.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree, or equivalent, in ecology, environmental management, environmental science, or other related fields; or University degree and at least 5 years specialized experience relevant to the position can be considered.
• At least 12 years of relevant hands-on professional experience in environmental and safeguards work, or related areas and in project administration.
• International experience working in development in several countries, coordinating and working in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience with developing or implementing environment, health and safety management plans and systems to ensure safeguards outcomes are achieved in a cost-effective manner, which includes identifying and managing occupational and community health and safety risks (including sexual exploitation and harassment risks), and risks related labor and working conditions.
• Experience working on projects that potentially impact natural or critical habitats or areas with priority biodiversity features and developing or implementing biodiversity action/management plans, which includes a good understanding of, and preferably experience in, offset requirements to achieve no net loss or a net gain and conservation measures.
• Experience managing or authoring environmental impact assessments for major infrastructure projects, such as large hydropower, offshore wind, port development, transport infrastructure project.
• Good understanding of the interconnection between environmental impacts, potential impacts on community safety, and potential impacts on the quality of life and/or livelihoods of project-affected people.
• Experience in incorporating climate change vulnerability analysis in environmental assessments and the ability to work with subject-matter experts to develop and implement appropriate climate change adaptation and resilience measures within a project.
• Ability to demonstrate a commercially sophisticated approach to the implementation of safeguards requirements in a developing country context.
• Ability to negotiate complex outcomes at all levels.
• Ability to think laterally to provide solutions to complex problems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Source: https://www.adb.org/careers/240535