The Bank is recruiting an Environmental Specialist to:
Support the GEN07 in the preparation and implementation of lending operations in coordination with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, donors and other stakeholders particularly in the areas of forests, natural resource management, and biodiversity conservation. More specifically the staff to be hired will be expected to:
• Support and/or lead operational and analytical work on REDD+, forests and the links to poverty reduction and development in the context of economic development and rational land use across sectors.
• Support the Democratic Republic of Congo in finalizing its Emission Reductions Program Document in accordance with the FCPF Carbon Fund Participants’ expectations.
• Support the preparation of projects or programs up to contract signing (Emission Reductions Payment Agreement under the FCPF, Grant Agreements under the CAFI and the GEF).
• Support the task team leaders in project supervision (FCPF, FIP, DGM, and GEF projects)
• Facilitate and maintain effective communication with local partners, NGOs, civil society, the private sector, as well as specialized international organizations.
• Contribute to GENDR and corporate tasks related to forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.
• Contribute to country team discussions (SCDs, CPFs, etc.).
• Support engagement around environmental issues with focus on environmental management and forests and contribute towards translating these dialogues into proposals for IDA, GEF or international climate financing opportunities.
• Contribute at the corporate level to knowledge sharing, particularly in the area of forests and natural resources and share experience through participation to BBLs, thematic groups meetings, etc.
Provide environmental safeguards support to investment operations under preparation and supervision by other Global Practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which may involve:
• During project preparation: identify which of the Bank’s safeguards policies will be triggered; assist the borrower/project implementation agency in preparing these instruments and review them for quality; contribute well-written summaries of key safeguards instruments for inclusion in project documentation.
• During project implementation: supervise compliance with the Bank’s safeguards policies by building effective working relationships with the borrower/project implementation agency to ensure proper understanding of the policies; help the borrower/implementing agency apply the safeguards policies effectively.
• During both preparation and implementation: go beyond narrow policy compliance to look for opportunities to improve the environmental outcomes of the project he/she is supporting; work closely with the Social Safeguards Specialist assigned to each operation and provide back up support as required.
• The proportion of time spent on 1) and 2) could be 75-25%, but it would depend on business needs and may vary over time
Selection Criteria
In addition to the above the above core competencies the following criteria will have to be satisfied for the position of Environmental Specialist:
• Master’s degree or equivalent academic qualification in a relevant discipline with a preference given to forestry, and as alternatives environmental science, environmental economics, biology, public policy, or equivalent;
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the environmental sector, including proven experience in forest landscape projects;
• Good knowledge of environmental legislation and institutions in Central African countries;
• Familiarity with the application of the World Bank’s environmental safeguards policies;
• Familiarity with social safeguards issues and particularly an understanding of social issues related to forests.
In addition the following skills will be particularly considered during the selection process:
• Understanding of the programmatic approach to forests;
• Understanding of the Bank’s assistance to the forest sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including of the various funding instruments that make up the Bank’s support to the government;
• Strong understanding of REDD+ as a policy instrument, including of the use and design of jurisdictional REDD+ emission reductions programs;
• Field experience in the forest sector;
• Capacity to articulate the role of forests in economic development and to position forests in national development plans, in relation to other development priorities;
• Strong client orientation with the ability to build an understanding with implementing agency counterparts on the value-added of Bank operations;
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams on diverse and complex tasks;
• Drive for results while working with limited supervision and under tight timelines;
• Ability to solve problems rather than merely identify them;
• Ability to think innovatively and negotiate effectively;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French;
• Willingness to travel internationally as necessary.
