Lead Environmental Engineer (retainer position)

Project background

The Project “Clean up of OHIS Site and Small Pond of OHIS Industrial Site Clean-Up” is designed to support remediation of the most critical environmental hotspot in the Republic of North Macedonia - the industrial pollution at the site of the former Organic Chemical Industry of Skopje. The European Union (EU) has provided 2.5 million Euros through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) III to fund the Project, which is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) over a period of 24 months. he Government of North Macedonia also provides funding contributions to remediation activities. 

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the environmental standards in North Macedonia through enhanced application of environmental policies in remediation of industrial hot-spots, and by decreasing the pollution-related risks to the environment and human health. The main environmental benefit from the project is the mitigation of risks associated with the release of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) into the environment and their subsequent distribution with resultant ecological and human health impacts from exposure to these chemicals.

This Project will contribute to the completion of the cleaning activities of the OHIS small basin of waste. The methodological approach that will be used will be removal of wastes and overlying contaminated soil and concrete and destruction by thermal decomposition, i.e. incineration at a licensed facility abroad.  

• Provision of subject-matter opinion regarding the existing strategies, feasibility studies and plans related to the remediation of OHIS small basin
• Support operations with contextual analysis and assessments
• Provide the technical angle, inputs and requirements in the definition, fine-tuning and periodic revisions of the project work plans, project risks and issues assessments 
• Exchange of technical opinions with the technical experts from the environmental field regarding proper treatment of the HCH and ability to treat a wider spectrum of waste fractions
• Provide advice on the relevance of the action as compared to the country strategy, technical, environmental and economic criteria
• Review of technical specifications/ToRs related to OHIS remediation activities
• Participate in evaluation of tenders related to OHIS remediation 
• Contribute to Environmental Management Plans, closure and rehabilitation plans for OHIS  sites
• Review air monitoring plans and contribute to assessment of air quality risk and issues
• Contribute to monitoring the soil sampling and testing
• Interpret and provide advice on national and international environmental regulations
• Perform inspection site visits 
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

• Master Degree preferably in Chemical Science/Engineering/Environmental Management or other relevant discipline is required 
• A Bachelor’s degree with a combination of seven years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s Degree

• At least five years of professional experience in the dealing with industrial hot spots related to contaminated sites is required 
• Knowledge of international/national contaminated site legislation and management practices is required 
• Knowledge in classification of different wastes in accordance with European Waste Catalog (EWC) is an advantage
• Experience in working with national institutions, CSO and international organizations, donor activities in the sector of environment in the Western Balkans countries and the EU funds would be an advantage
• Experience in preparation of Environmental Assessment /Management Plans is an asset
• Experience with remediation of environmental hotspots in North Macedonia is an advantage

• Fluency in English and Macedonian (speaking, reading and writing) is required
• Knowledge of Albanian is an asset

This is a local position, it is therefore open to nationals of Serbia and to individuals who have a valid residence/work permit.

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) - retainer 
Contract level: Local ICA, Level 10
Contract duration: Up to 40 working days, in period of 10 months

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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.