Description
Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.
The Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) Global Practice has five key business lines consisting of Lending and non-lending services in (1) Forests, Watersheds and Sustainable Landscapes (‘Green Business line’); (2) Marine, Coastal, Aquatic Resources and Ocean Health (‘Blue Economy Business line’); (3) Pollution Management and Environmental Health (‘Pollution Management Business line’); (4) Environmental Economics, Policies and Institutions Business line, and (5) Safeguards/ Environmental Risk Management Business line: delivery of effective environmental risk management and sustainability by managing risk at the project level and creating opportunities to advance sustainable development. This includes provision of high-quality and timely safeguards services across the Bank, including current safeguards policies and the effective implementation of the new Environment and Social Framework (ESF) that was roll out on October 1, 2018
The ENB Global Practice in Sub Saharan Africa includes four units SAFE1, SAFE2, SAFE3 and SAFE4. SAFE3 covers Southern and Central Africa and Indian Ocean islands; and manage operations in a variety of areas such as natural resources management, coastal zone management, forestry, pollution, climate change, landscape and terrestrial and marine natural resources. In addition, the unit, like other ENR GP units provides environmental safeguards and ESF services across all sectors and projects.
The AFCS1 countries includes Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Due to growing business needs, there now exist a need for an Environmental Specialist to be based in the Pretoria office with reporting relationship to the Country Director and the Practice Manager based in Washington DC.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
The Environment Specialist will be based in Pretoria, South Africa and will be supporting a broad portfolio of lending, policy dialogue and safeguards activities primarily for AFCS1. The Selected candidate will work under supervision of the Practice Manager for SAFE3 based in the WB ‘s Washington Office and under the guidance of the Safeguard/ESF Regional Safeguards Coordinator. He/she will have the following main duties and responsibilities:
• During project preparation: make an assessment of the project’s potential environmental footprint and determine which of the ESF standards/Bank’s safeguards policies will be triggered; guide the borrower/project implementation agency in process of preparing the necessary safeguard instruments and review them for quality; contribute well-written summaries of key safeguards instruments for inclusion in project documentation. This will also entail providing assistance to staff or client to assure the quality of project documentation before submission to the Regional Safeguards Secretariat for approval.
• During project implementation: supervise compliance with the Bank’s safeguards policies as finalized in the safeguards documents by participating in project technical discussions, field visits, reviewing project reports and building effective working relationships with the borrower/project implementation agency to ensure proper understanding and implementation of the policies; guide the borrower/implementing agency apply the safeguards policies effectively. This will entail building capacity of client in improving implementation.
• Providing expert guidance to borrowers/clients in the preparation and successful implementation of project environmental assessment instruments/documentation, including Terms of Reference for the preparation of environmental safeguards instruments, such as environmental impact/risk assessments, environmental management plans, environmental management frameworks
• Ensure compliance of all project financed activities, including those relating to associated facilities with the WB’s Safeguards policies and the ESSs and the Bank Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines, as well as Good International Industry Practice (GIIP).
• During both preparation and implementation: go beyond narrow policy compliance to look for opportunities to improve the environmental outcomes of the project work closely with the project task team and especially the Social Safeguards Specialist assigned to each operation and provide back up support as required.
• Participate in review meetings and represent SAFE3 in relevant Bank-wide initiatives; represent the Bank in donor meetings on the environment; and contribute to knowledge generation and diffusion within the region and beyond.
• Regularly complete all project related reporting requirements in Bank system and provide project related synopsis to management as and when required.
Selection Criteria
• A Master’s degree or above in environment and/or natural resource management, environmental policy or engineering, or similar relevant disciplines.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the environmental sector, including proven experience in environment, health and safety (EHS); risk assessment; occupational, health and safety (OHS); due diligence, environmental site assessment, and compliance audits.
• Good knowledge of environmental legislation, regulatory and institutional arrangements in African countries.
• Experience with the application of the World Bank’s environmental safeguards policies; and ample knowledge of the ESF and applications.
• Knowledge of South Africa EIA process and procedures is highly desirable
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Proven leadership and management capacity
• Strong client orientation with the ability to build an understanding with implementing agency counterparts on the value-added of Bank safeguards;
• A drive for results while working with limited supervision and under tight timelines;
• Willingness to travel within the whole Africa region, as well as internationally as necessary.
WBG Core Competencies
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
• Policy Dialogue Skills – Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
• Integrative Skills – Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of current sector.
• Environmental Policy, Strategy and Institutions – Familiarity with environmental policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations.
• Environmental Sciences – Depth in at least one area: water; ecosystems; forests; conservation; agriculture concerns, etc.
• Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions.
• Deliver Results for Clients – Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
• Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries – Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
• Make Smart Decisions – Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward
