Senior Environmental and Social Specialist

Vacancy Number: 1927

Job Profile

The role, within the Sustainability and Climate Change Unit will include environmental and social due diligence of lending programs, both for private and public sector operations. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring compliance of projects with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy both at the time of project preparation and implementation. The incumbent supports the Senior Advisor, ESG in developing Environmental and Social (ES) due diligence templates, capacity building of staff and enhancement of policy documents.

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy assurance and review:

• Reviews existing ES due diligence templates and prepares new drafts with reference to policy application in different financing activities
• Initiates various policy actions (public consultations, establishment of GRMs, information disclosure, etc.) and provides guidance to the Country Managers in the application of these tasks
• Prepares guidance notes on specific thematic areas of ES due diligence

Review and assessment:

• Works closely with Country Managers for environmental and social due diligence; identifies risks and potential impacts and provides guidance to clients and/or consultants to prepare or update ES Impact Assessments and Mitigation Management Plans.
• Conducts field missions, as and when necessary, both at the preparatory stage and implementation stage, to identify ES risks and provide guidance to address the risks
• Works closely with Country Managers to prepare project documents with particular reference to ES aspects that adequately reflects the ES risks, available mitigation measures, and aspects related to ESG policy compliance (for example, public consultation, establishment of GRM, etc.)
• For co-financed projects, interacts with clients and co-lenders to develop a comprehensive understanding of ES risks associated with financing activities
• Assesses ES Management Systems (ESMS) of Financial Intermediaries (FI) when available; supports FI Clients to prepare or enhance an ESMS when required.
• Reviews governance structure of FI Clients and assess their ability to conduct assessments, implement management plans and collate monitoring reports of sub projects.

Reporting:

• Prepares case studies on ES due diligence as lessons learnt for project implementation

Information and business advice:

• Assists the Senior Advisor, ESG, for capacity building of internal and external stakeholders

Knowledge management:

• Undertakes training on ES related thematic issues and participates in international DFI platforms on ES issues

Stakeholder management and engagement:

• Represents OPEC Fund at select external industry events and builds relationships with external experts and clients;

Perform other related duties as assigned by Senior Advisor, ESG.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in environmental & social sciences, sociology, geography, economics or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience at a development finance organisation, with a banking institution (including commercial or investment bank) or with a major consulting/accounting firm.
• Experience of ES assessment and preparation / implementation of management plan, both in infrastructure and agricultural sector is required.
• Experience of ES safeguard issues pertaining to land acquisition, physical / economic displacement and resettlement, indigenous peoples, health and safety issues etc. and good understanding of grievance redress mechanisms is required.
• A good understanding of Financial Intermediaries and Capital Markets is required.
• Specialization in any one area of social safeguards (for example land acquisition and resettlement) but overall understanding of both environmental and social issues is essential.
• Demonstrable experience of working in or with developing countries in Asia, Africa or Latin America are desirable.
• Experience of working in or with Francophone Africa is an added advantage.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Fluent in English. Good working knowledge of Arabic, French or Spanish is an added advantage.

Competencies

• Subject Matter Knowledge – The in-depth understanding and expertise in specific fields relevant to the OPEC Fund’s operations and the individual’s role.
• Collaboration and Teamwork – The ability to effectively work with colleagues, stakeholders and partners to achieve shared goals.
• Communication – The ability to relay ideas, information and messages effectively and succinctly to a variety of audiences.
• Decision making – The ability to analyze information comprehensively to make well-informed decisions; assess both immediate and long-term ramifications.
• Problem Solving Ability – The ability to identify issues adeptly, delve into root causes, and devise pragmatic solutions; demonstrate ingenuity and resourcefulness in overcoming challenges.