Health,Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) Specialist

The Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) Specialist will be responsible for assisting UNOPS Somalia Country Office (SOCO) to adopt and make use of the UNOPS Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and the Health, Safety, Social & Environmental (HSSE) system.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme (HoP), the Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) Specialist will ensure full coordination with the Project Managers, Construction Engineers, Site Engineers and other project team members.  In general, the HSSE Specialist’s role is to ensure that people and the environment are not harmed as a result of the work of UNOPS by ensuring compliance with relevant occupational health and safety, social and environmental regulations, procedures, guidelines and specifications.  The he/she is expected to provide advice on measures needed to eliminate Health and Safety hazards, and reduce negative Environmental and Social impacts while increasing positive impacts for UNOPS operations throughout the project life cycle. He/She will also perform the following substantial tasks: 

• Prepare and/or update health, safety, social and environmental management plans, review them on a regular basis and keep them up to date at all times.

• Advise and instruct project staff, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders on various safety, health, social and environmental related matters related to project implementation.

• Support the Head of Programme in raising awareness on health and safety issues among project staff, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders and within UNOPS in general, working closely with the UNOPS project managers.

• Conduct risk assessment and enforce preventative measures on HSSE.

• Initiate, organize and conduct HSSE training and workshops for UNOPS project team, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders.

• Inspect work sites and the work of personnel on a regular basis to identify issues or non-conformity, and enforce necessary actions where unsafe acts or processes that seem dangerous or unhealthy are detected.

• Oversee installations, maintenance and disposal of substances, plant and equipment etc. to ensure they are done in conformity with applicable regulations and industry best practice.

• Record and investigate incidents (including near misses) to determine the cause and to propose improvements to processes in the future.

• Prepare reports on incidents (including near misses) and compile statistical information to present to the Head of Programme on HSSE matters.

• Ensure a safe workplace environment is maintained at all times without risk to the health and safety of everyone including workers, UNOPS personnel, other stakeholders and the general public.

• Ensure that all Health & Safety policies, procedures, rules and regulations are adhered to and are regularly reviewed, updated and communicated.

• Ensure the contractor meets its statutory obligations in all areas pertaining to health, safety and welfare at work, including statutory training and reporting.

• Ensure that HSSE inspections, risk assessments, working procedures are managed, and contractors and employees are aware of their responsibilities in relation to health and safety issues.

• Address UNOPS operations on waste management, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

• Ensure that stakeholder consultation, human rights, labour conditions, cultural heritage, and social inclusion of all sectors of society are addressed as required. 

• Develop HSSE policies, systems, procedures and guidelines where needed and as appropriate

• Ensure full and accurate HSSE training records are documented.

• Establish a full programme of documented HSSE inspections, audits and checks.

• Establish and conduct a structured programme of health & safety training (including a well-developed induction program) for project personnel, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders.

• Keep up to date with all aspects of relevant health, safety & welfare at work legislation and communicate relevant changes to the stakeholders.

• Provide regular reports to the Head of Programme on relevant health and safety activities.

• Participate in regular site meetings to report on relevant HSSE matters and to provide necessary advice.

• Any other tasks assigned by the Head of Programme.

Impact of results 

The effective and successful performance of the HSSE Specialist in the areas of SOCO-HSSE activities will contribute considerably to the strengthening of existing and future programming and consequently reinforces the visibility and image of the UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice for sustainable development and project 

A.  Education

• Master’s Degree in Environmental Management, Health and Safety Management, Engineering, Natural Sciences, Social development or other relevant discipline is required.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management, Health and Safety Management, Engineering, Natural Sciences, Social development or other relevant discipline with a combination of two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance university degree.

• Internationally recognized professional certification in occupational health and safety, such as NEBOSH Diploma (or an equivalent) with additional three (3) years of relevant experience may also be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

• Additional qualification in Environmental studies or other social safeguards such as gender equality, child protection, disability inclusiveness will be an advantage.                    

B. Work Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years’ work experience in Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) management is required; 
• A proven track record with at least 3 years’ experience in the delivery of HSSE management systems (preferably certified) in construction, manufacturing, mining or similar production environments is an asset.
• Experience /knowledge of Google Suite is an asset.
• Knowledge of UNOPS/UN rules and regulations will be an advantage.
• Relevant experience working in developing countries is an asset.
• Experience with third party certification audits for health & safety and environment management is an asset.

• Fluency in written and oral English required.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life Harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types.
• Mogadishu is not a Family Duty Station.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon   request.
• UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.             

  It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. 

  Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

1. Contract type:International Individual Contract Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level: IICA 2 /ICS 10
3. Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Africa Region

AFR helps ensure that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.

Somalia Country Office:

UNOPS Somalia Country Office (SOCO) has had a solid and continuous in-country expert presence successfully implementing programs since the mid-1990s, where it is currently undertaking various projects and initiatives in close collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), Federal Member States (FMS) and partners from the global donor community. UNOPS’ projects in Somalia focus on several key sectors that include infrastructure development, institutional capacity building, project management, advisory services, and procurement services. These projects cut across multiple sectors, including education, healthcare, national security, law enforcement, immigration services, justice, transport, and public works among others. UNOPS work in Somalia is geared towards driving growth and development in the country, a process that requires developing a close relationship with the FGS and the other development partners.
  
Through its involvement in Somalia’s development process, UNOPS is providing transparent and accountable solutions in the country’s state and nation-building process. In addition, UNOPS is also committed to implementing the United Nations Strategic Framework Somalia 2017 – 2020, with the aim of helping Somalia achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNOPS work within the context of these commitments means that the projects it implements in Somalia are specifically designed to provide long-term solutions in the country, leading to sustainable and inclusive growth.

What drives us is a passion to fight inequalities and to provide opportunities to those most vulnerable. This means we often work in the most challenging environments, building foundations for communities to function and people to live with dignity and respect.

To succeed here, he/she need to be able to combine creativity with the organizational skills to manage numerous different projects to tight deadlines simultaneously, as well as working with the different units to meet their expectations.