Environmental and Social Safeguards Analyst

“UNOPS plays a critical role in providing management services for our life-saving, peace-building, humanitarian and development operations. I have seen many examples of how these activities help suffering people in troubled parts of the world.” -Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations Secretary-General.

The United Nations Office for Project Services’ (UNOPS) mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peace building, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need. UNOPS mandate is to act as a project delivery platform for UN system agencies, funds and programmes, international and regional financial institutions, intergovernmental organizations, donor and recipient governments, and non-profit non-governmental organizations. As a self-financing entity within the UN system, UNOPS must ensure that the projects it delivers meet client expectations in terms of cost, quality and time, while at the same time ensuring that these projects collectively meet a broader array of success criteria.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Background Information – Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMCO)

Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements. The KEMC sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and South Africa. This includes transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple ‘operational’ projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

General Background of Project/Assignment

The Technical Services Unit (TSU) office is based in Nairobi, and engages in multidisciplinary design, assessments and advisory work, and manages relationships with other technical stakeholders such as specialist design firms for high risk structures.  The TSU provides design services for infrastructure works to project managers, and also assessments, feasibility studies and advisory services on a wide range of infrastructure types, as well as services in relation to Environmental and Social Risk Management.  We want to continue and further expand technical services to our partners and clients at a wider field of operations.

The TSU currently has 18 permanent and 60+ retainer personnel including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, GIS and specialist infrastructure advisors (for dams, ICT and biomedical works) and CAD technicians as well as support personnel.  Current projects are underway / imminent in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Eswatini, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and South Sudan. The TSU is a business unit for the Multi Country office and comes under the direction of the Director for East and Southern Africa office (KEMC).

In order to expand its services on Environmental and Social Risk Management, the TSU is planning to deploy an Environmental and Social Safeguards Analyst.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment 

UNOPS seeks an experienced Environmental and Social Safeguards Analyst to support the TSU  in all tasks related to environmental risk management and in building the TSU’s capacity to integrate and deliver environmental and social risk management.

The Consultant will be located in the UNOPS Nairobi Office, but will be prepared to travel as required. The consultant will report to the Head of TSU and to the Social Development Advisor.

Analytical and technical tasks: 

• Support the TSU  in rolling out environmental and social (E&S) risk management as a service to UNOPS Projects, including the design of E&S risk management instruments and systems for projects and the implementation on a project basis - based on donor requirements.  implementation of the ESMF and other related Environmental & Social instruments. 

• Help liaise and coordinate between donor E&S requirements and the preparation and implementation of UNOPS’ Health, Social, Safety and Environmental (HSSE) system.

• Support partnerships specialists and project preparation and implementation teams in the design and implementation of E&S risk management aspects.

• Support Project teams in monitoring and reporting  on the implementation of environmental risk mitigation measures  

• Support Project teams in reviewing screening results of site-specific activities and assist with risk categorization of activities

• Support Project teams in monitoring and reporting on indicators in the Project E&S risk management instruments;

• Support the Project teams in ensuring that appropriate E&S instruments and tools are applied by all implementers of the project 

• Support the Project teams in triggering and overseeing the implementation of environmental correction measures by implementing partners where necessary;

• Support the Project teams in ensuring that appropriate environmental and social mitigation measures are proposed and met;

• Assist the Project Teams in developing and delivering a series of spot checks to ensure mitigation measures are properly implemented in line with the guideline;

• Assist the Project teams  in compiling reports on E&S impacts, and mitigation measures, as per Project E&S instruments;

• Support the TSU in communicating its services to the UNOPS Africa region and beyond

• Assist Project preparation teams in the design and implementation of stakeholder consultations and the preparation of other E&S risk management instruments, such as Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), Resettlement Action Plans (RAP), Biodiversity Assessments 

• Support the management of specialist retainers to prepare required Project E&S instruments

Capacity Building;

• Carry out training and capacity building on E&S tools and frameworks, especially for new staff in the TSU and UNOPS where required

Impact of Results

• All relevant project activities are successfully achieved in implementing E&S risk management tasks 

•  Improved UNOPS staff capacity in regard to E&S risk management

•  Bachelor's  Degree in Environmental Science or Social Science (Ecology, Sociology, Anthropology, etc ) or related field is required.

• Masters Degree in Environmental Science or Social Science (Ecology, Sociology, Anthropology, etc ) is an asset.

• Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in environmental and/or social safeguards analysis / implementation is required;

• Experience with World Bank Environmental and Social Framework is an asset;

• Candidates with experience working on rural infrastructure projects will be preferred;

• Candidates with experience in the region will be preferred.

• Full working knowledge of English is required. 

• Knowledge of French is an asset.

Contract type: Local Individual Contractual Agreement
Contract level: LICA 8 - Specialist
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

This is a Local Position open to Kenyan nationals. 

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx 

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.