IDB2869 – Lead Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist

Job Purpose:

(i) Lead and coordinate the operationalization and implementation of IsDB’s environmental and social safeguards (ESS) policy.

(ii) Lead and provide operational coordination and specific inputs to IsDB projects to ensure compliance with ESS policy during project preparation and implementation.

(iii) lead the evaluation, improvement and dissemination of IsDB’s ESS policy.

(iii) support IsDB’s development mandate and provide assistance as needed for applying safeguards knowledge to the development of tasks relevant to all sectors of the Bank. Work within other IsDB thematic and sectoral policies, coordinating with other divisions within RCA Department (NGOs, Women and Youth, Fragility, Climate Change and Environment), Procurement and Compliance units and any other relevant unit, as well as directly with clients.

(iv) lead the formulation, development and effective implementation of IsDB’s strategic initiatives relevant to ESS including knowledge products, capacity building activities, and provide expert-level advisory, guidance and tools to the Regional Hubs and Member Countries to ensure appropriate quality standards are applied during the project identification, design and appraisal stages; and (v) coordinate the work and review the deliverables of senior specialists team members as well as coach, guide and mentor them.

Key Accountabilities:

Strategic and Operational Planning:

• Lead the operationalization and implementation of the ESS Policy of the Bank, including the development of strategic plans, analytics and other guidelines related to safeguards and with other Global Practices in Directorate General of Global Practices and Partnerships.

• Lead Communities of Practice (CoP) relevant to ESS, which entails providing intellectual leadership on positioning the Global Practice (GP) internally and externally in relevant safeguards domains.

• Lead and coordinate the efforts of the safeguards team within RCA Department in providing advice, building capacity, and advancing the development of safeguards policies in the IsDB context and within member countries (MCs) as relevant.

• Work with other Department’s safeguards team to ensure that appropriate resources and capacity are deployed to effectively cover the safeguards policies of projects in preparation and implementation within the Department.

Safeguard Policy and Compliance Monitoring:

• Lead the monitoring of safeguards policy compliance of IsDB projects during implementation.

• Lead, identify, and report on projects with high safeguards sensitivity.

• Lead in safeguard policy/Bank Procedure (BP) review and update as needed and lead the Bank consultation and submission approval process..

• Lead and facilitate as needed liaison and contact with clients, civil society organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), development partners, and within IsDB, including coordinating responses to NGO ‘s complaints.

• Take charge of public information and disclosure initiatives.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with other leading works on safeguards within the IsDB and Academia, MDBs and other key partners, outside IsDB, on relevant research/analysis, events and outreach.

Strategic Partnership:

• Work, in coordination with the Climate Change & Environment Divison and others, on the leading work on ESS and environmental co-benefits within the IsDB, and academia, MDBs and other key partners, outside IsDB, on the relevant research/ analysis, events and outreach.

• Liaise with the international climate/environment finance institutions, such as International Climate Initiative (IKI), Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global environmental Facility (GEF), Women Entrepreneurs Financing initiative, UN Women, Emergency funds, women and youth empowerment initiatives and other relevant institutions and coordinate fundraising for the relevant IsDB projects with strong environmental co-benefits. In addition, prepare approach papers, reports and statements on the rationale and activities to be supported by donor funds.

Capacity Building:

• Lead, identify, assess, and monitor overall capacity building needs on ESS within the Bank, including Regional Hubs, and among clients.

• Lead, develop and administer as needed technical assistance (TA) and other training programs for capacity building.

Knowledge Sharing & Innovation:

• Track external issues and processes relevant to the best practices in ESS. Keep abreast of external developments and provide technical support to management on engagement in key external processes on these issues. This includes, but not limited to, IsDB partnership with specialized UN agencies, multilateral development banks, bilateral finance institutions.

• Lead and coordinate forums for knowledge generation, exchange and dissemination on issues of environmental and social safeguards across the bank functions (with relevant GPs and Regional Hubs).

• Lead and coordinate knowledge generation and advisory on environmental and social safeguards with external stakeholders of relevance to IsDB’s activities, but not limited to, Member Country agencies, IFIs, think tanks and consultants.

• Lead and work with safeguards team to identify areas of work beyond safeguards where safeguards and social and environmental sustainability may be catalyzers for new lending products.

• Contribute significantly to activities for advocacy, dissemination and knowledge building relating to IsDB’s ESS policy.

Staff Supervision:

• Take the role of team leader and co-supervise the work of team members.

• Co-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.

Reporting & Communication:

• Oversee the preparation of progress reports on thematic related activities in compliance with the Bank rules and procedures.

Education, Experience & Certification:

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s mandatory/Master’s Degree preferred, or equivalent, in Anthropology, Sociology, social development, social policies, development studies, Applied Social Science, Environmental Science or other related fields.

• Minimum of 10/8 years of relevant professional experience in safeguards work, 5 of which in multilateral development bank and/or international development agencies and minimum of 3 years in supervisory role, preferably in a developing country context.

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of the environmental and social safeguards policies/standards, procedures and practices.

• Demonstrable professional experience in Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA), namely in preparing and implementing relevant ESA instruments, including Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), Environmental and Social (ES) Audit, Hazard and Risk Assessment, lifecycle analysis, emergency response plans and social safeguards instruments, including child protection, Gender Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), social inclusion, land acquisition and compensation

• International experience working in development in several countries, coordinating and working in multi-disciplinary teams.

• Have a good knowledge and experience of project management and multi-criteria assessments, stakeholder engagement and consultation, community participation.

Skills & Necessary Knowledge:

• Demonstrable analytical skills to assess institutional and country capacity and to design / review practical arrangements for implementing complex projects’ ESS aspects.

• Demonstrated ability to lead or contribute to high-level analytical work and policy dialogue in IsDB Member Countries.

• Planning & organizing / project management skills

• Analytical thinking

• Problem solving

• Report Writing skills.

• Presentation Skills.

• MS Office skills.

Languages:

• English (Mandatory)
• Arabic (Preferred)
• French (Preferred)