Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Sustainable environment and natural resources management (ENRM) is at the heart of the WBG’s poverty agenda. Biodiversity and natural resources constitute the social safety net of the poor, representing a food bank and often their only source of livelihood. Sustainable ENRM promotes a green, clean, and resilient world where natural resources – from forests to fisheries, freshwater, oceans, coastal zones and ecosystems – are managed to support livelihoods and strong economies. Sustainable ENRM builds a world better prepared for shocks and global challenges, helping countries limit their exposure to resource scarcity, more-volatile weather patterns, and the long-term consequences of climate change.
The Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) Global Practice has been set-up to deliver on the opportunities, benefits and outcomes offered by enhanced management of the environment and natural resources. The ENR GP has close to 300 operations under management, representing close to $7 billion, and a growing pipeline of new investments under active development. The practice consists of some 300 staff across the world plus numerous other staff in other Practices and Cross Cutting SAs that are professionally associated with it. ENR GP also manages the environmental risk aspects of about 2000 projects in the World Bank’s global portfolio. About 150 staff work specifically on environmental risk management safeguards.
ENB has three broad and distinct functions:
1. Provides clients with lending and non-lending services aimed to support the GP’s three core business lines, namely: (i) Forests, Watersheds and Sustainable Landscapes; (ii) Marine, Coastal and Aquatic Resources; and (iii) Pollution Management and Environmental Health. The GP’s activities also include a focus on Clean and Resilient Growth through its work on environmental economics and support to institutional development.
2. Supports effective environmental risk management and sustainability by managing risk at the project level and creating opportunities to advance sustainable development, in part through the implementation of the Bank’s environmental policies.
3. Works closely with other sectors, including by leveraging grant financing, to mainstream environmental considerations into their policies, strategies, and operations.
If you are a highly-qualified Senior Environmental Specialist, we urge you to apply to join our team in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Your specific role will include the following tasks:
i) Strategic Dialogue and Task Team Leadership
• Provide policy and strategic leadership, quality assurance and vision to the achievement of our natural resource management and green growth agendas across the Southern Cone, thus positioning the WBG at the forefront of the agenda;
• Advise, at a high-level and technical manner, government and Bank staff on environmental risk management and natural resource management, focusing particularly on forestry, landscape management, the blue economy and broader adaptation agendas;
• Lead several projects, especially focused on forestry and climate, across the southern Cone.
• Coordinate and conduct environment policy dialogue with the client and relevant development partners active across the Southern Cone.
ii) Environmental Risk Management
• Provide direct support on environmental risk management to high, substantial and moderate risk projects across the Southern Cone portfolio. You will be asked to provide a range of technical support to Bank projects and activities, including in the following potential areas where the client will rely on you for support and guidance:
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA);
• Environmental Management Plan (EMP);
• Environmental Management Frameworks;
• Other forms of environmental assessments/analysis;
• Environmental risk analysis and management;
• Occupation health and safety management;
• Environmental, occupational health, and safety laws, regulations and requirements;
• Bank environmental safeguard requirements and approaches/strategies for assuring compliance in Bank financed projects;
• Design and implementation of mitigation strategies in areas of risk;
• Project design in order to improve environmental benefits and welfare impacts, as well as to meet project outcomes;
• Engineering principals, practices, and methods and their application to environmental work;
• Design, construction, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure in relation to environmental, health and safety management; and
• Environmental management and pollution control, including wastewater treatment, hazardous and solid waste, air pollution, environmental monitoring systems, public health impacts, environmental remediation, soil and groundwater investigation and remediation, emergency and contingency planning and response, environmental management systems, and health and safety management systems.
Selection Criteria
• A Masters or PhD Degree in environmental risk management, environmental policy, engineering or other relevant discipline;
• A minimum of eight years of full-time relevant experience, especially focused on policy dialogue, but including experience with environmental risk management, environmental impact assessment (in water supply and sanitation, energy, and other sectors);
• An ability to articulate an environment and environmental risk management agenda;
• Knowledge of World Bank operational policies and procedures, and familiarity with and leadership of different WB instruments, including DPOs and IPFs, as well as our Environment and Social Framework and environmental safeguards, policies, and procedures;
• Understanding of the environmental regulatory and institutional framework in LCR countries, with a particular knowledge of Argentina desired;
• Proven project management skills, including client management, scheduling and budgeting, financial management, procurement, and project team management;
• Proven ability to communicate, exercise good judgment, solve problems, and exercise diplomacy in a work environment with tight processing constraints and complex development issues
• Experience with the planning and conduct of training programs for external and internal audiences concerning environmental risk/safeguards management;
• Excellent writing and communication skills;
• Fluency in written and oral Spanish and English;
• Ability to travel frequently; and
• Knowledge of relevant software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
