Senior Safeguards Officer (Environment)

As a Senior Safeguards Officer (Environment) you will help ensure compliance of projects with ADB’s safeguards policies on the environment. You will also assist on policy compliance monitoring and reporting, and identifying/preparing knowledge products, services, and partnerships in the area of environmental safeguards.

You will:

• Lead INRM’s safeguards unit undertaking annual work planning and staff resource allocation and managing social and environmental safeguards operations by the unit by providing technical advice as necessary in consultation with specialists in the headquarters and building cohesive team.
• Maintain and upgrade social and environmental safeguards management systems of India programs, monitoring performance and capacity of the executing agencies, and provide requisite support to the executing agencies (EAs) and ADB project staff.
• Undertake systematic planning and provision of training programs with INRM’s capacity development and resource center (CDRC).
• Represent INRM to handle issues arising from ADB’s accountability mechanisms in coordination with the concerned independent offices of HQ, project, and safeguards divisions, and INRM project teams, under the guidance of CD INRM.
• Undertake safeguards related research and studies, including strategic analysis of country safeguards operations for inclusion in country partnership strategy. Prepares knowledge products.
• Participate in studies and consultations to advance the adoption of safeguards country systems led by the headquarters.
• Lead/ participate in the policy dialogues with the government including the recommended policy and institutional reforms and capacity building.
• Provide environmental review and technical support to project officers, including participation in review mission as environment expert, to enhance safeguard compliance in public sector and private sector operations in India, and helps address identified issues by the EAs.
• Lead independent safeguards missions of INRM-delegated and HQ-administered projects.
• Coordinate and help in administering non-delegated environmental loan and technical assistance (TA) projects.
• Provide analysis of problems encountered, in consultation with concerned officer, of projects classified “At Risk”. Shares insights on resolving complex issues.
• Undertake reviews on environmental monitoring reports for ongoing projects in India.
• Monitor compliance of updating project/program reports and TA reports and their respective Project Information Documents and ensure updating takes place as scheduled.
• Support the timely posting of Environment Safeguard Monitoring Report of assigned projects on the ADB website.
• Participate in TA/loan processing missions as required by Country Director of the Resident Mission (RM), to conduct initial environment examination (IEE) and environment impact assessment (EIA).
• Provides environmental safeguards related inputs for Project Completion Review/Technical Assistance Completion Report (PCR/TCR) programs and consults with concerned officers on reasons for deviations and proposed courses of action to meet targets.
• Participates in the annual country portfolio and program review mission and assists in conducting country portfolio reviews as necessary.
• Prepares project briefing papers and seminar papers as required.
• Reviews, analyzes, and consolidates reports on status of ongoing loans and TA projects, and achievement of intended outputs/goals. Determines corrective actions as necessary.
• Performs other duties that may be assigned by designated International Staff in the OSFG or INRM Country Director.

Qualifications

You will need:

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in environmental engineering, environmental sciences, and/or environmental management, or related fields; or Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years specialized experience; preferably with Master’s degree or equivalent.
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience and at least 5 years of supervisory experience.
• Multidisciplinary competence and proven ability to undertake the environmental management of IFIs-financed projects, including natural resource management and pollution control.
• Extensive knowledge of policy and regulatory framework for environmental management in India, and environmental standards and good practices
• In-depth knowledge of environmental safeguards policies and sound knowledge in wide range of areas including project processing, administration, accounting, and general administration.
• Ability to research, analyze and check data from external and internal sources, reconcile or explain inconsistencies and perform statistical calculations.
• Proficiency in database management method.
• Proficiency in use of the Internet and standard computer applications.
• Demonstrates breadth and depth of job relevant knowledge and skills.
• Sound knowledge of government administrative systems and procedures.
• Effective report-writing and communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in the use of technology packages (common word-processing, spreadsheets and graphics, PowerPoint and web-browsing and search engines).
• Familiarity with local languages and institutions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, ability to work in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to take initiative and work proactively.
• Flexibility/willingness to perform variety of tasks and expand the scope of work and responsibilities as needed.

Source: https://www.adb.org/careers/240427