Safeguards and Compliance Officer

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is providing ~US$14.8 million to the Government of Angola for the project “Strengthen Management and Climate Change Resilience in Angola’s Conservation Areas for Sustainable Development”, one of fifteen Child Projects under the Global Wildlife Program (GWP) Phase II. The project is financed through the GEF Trust Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and as such includes 13 outcomes related to climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, capacity development and knowledge management. These outcomes will be achieved within seven years and are distributed among four project components which include: strengthening the resilience of local communities to climate change; improving conservation area management and wildlife conservation; enhancing the technical and institutional capacity of climate change and conservation institutions, and; facilitating project monitoring, knowledge management and sharing of lessons learned.

Conservation International GEF Agency (CIGEF) is the Implementing Agency for this project.

POSITION SUMMARY – This position is based in Angola.

The Safeguards and Compliance Officer will support the implementation, management, and capacity building of CI’s Safeguard System at the project level. Comprised of policies, standards and procedures, guidance, capacity-building processes, and a grievance redress mechanism, CI’s Safeguard System is designed to avoid or mitigate adverse environmental and social impacts in projects.

Under the supervision of the Project Technical Director, the Safeguards Compliance Officer will support project adherence to CI Safeguard System policies and standards and a human rights-based approach in conservation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide input, analysis, and support to developing all environment and social safeguard elements in the CI Safeguard System, including policies, procedures, guidance, tools, and approaches at the strategic, operational, and country levels.
• Provide technical guidance to project teams in the preparation and timely submission of safeguard screening forms, safeguard plans, work plans, quarterly reports and annual reports to address social and social risks during project development and implementation.
• Ensure that the project adequately integrates all safeguard plans, include appropriate safeguard staff and budget, and flow down of safeguard responsibilities in grant agreements and contracts.
• Assess national and institutional safeguard policies and frameworks to determine risks and opportunities with funding partnerships.
• Assist in the design, implementation, and monitoring of a safeguard and gender capacity building program, including the development of training materials.
• Participate in and organize awareness-raising, capacity strengthening, and knowledge exchange activities related to safeguards and gender for CI staff, project teams, executing partners, and selective stakeholders.
• Participate in relevant safeguard subject area networks and stay updated on safeguards standards pertinent to conservation and climate change adaptation.
• Periodically collect and analyze data related to Safeguard performance indicators for the region and performance reviews of the CI Safeguard System implementation.
• Provide support to the effective operation of project-level grievance redress mechanisms, including assisting in dealing with complaints from external parties affected by CI projects concerning the application of safeguards.
• Ensure that that all relevant safeguard plans are finalised and implemented.
• Finalize and update a limited Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, gender action plan and indigenous people’s plan.
• Conduct a thorough assessment of implementing partners capacity to implement all of the relevant safeguard plans.
• Monitor and report on the implementation of safeguard plans throughout the lifespan of the project.
• This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science or a related field, such as international development or social sciences and 4 – 6 years of experience working with project and program design, monitoring, and compliance of public or private donor-funded projects in the area of environment, conservation, and/or development or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge and experience in designing, applying, and monitoring environment and social safeguards (stakeholder engagement, gender mainstreaming, grievance mechanism)
• Strong understanding of the social and risks and impacts, particularly the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized peoples, gender equality, indigenous peoples, benefit-sharing, conflict, and grievance redress).
• Relevant experience with gender-responsive programming, including the design and implementation of gender action plans.
• Strong capacity to communicate with government agencies, local communities, civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent cross-cultural and people skills, commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at both a project and institutional level.
• Ability to work independently and /or remotely, to meet deadlines and commitments.
• Strong interpersonal skills and capacity to work in team environments, including building productive partnerships across a diversity of stakeholders.
• Attention to detail and discretion in the discussion of sensitive risk-related issues
• Excellent Portuguese oral and written communication skills, including public speaking.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills strongly preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Frequent travel to the project site and other office locations.
• Ability to work extended work hours to meet project deadlines.