UNIDO is seeking an Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist for a project in Zambia. The project aims to improve skills for decent employment in Zambian Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in critical mineral value chains.

Responsibilities or duties

The ESSS will be responsible for preparing an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) in accordance with UNIDO's Environmental and Social Safeguards Policy and Procedures (ESSPP), relevant national legislation, and international good practice. This includes developing a detailed ESMP with cost-effective measures to minimize, mitigate, or eliminate adverse project impacts, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, managed, monitored, and reported. Key duties include assessing and analyzing potential environmental and social risks, preparing an implementation-oriented ESMP with practical measures, and developing a stakeholder engagement approach and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). The role also involves reporting and stakeholder consultation, including validation and finalization of the ESMP.

Qualifications or requirements

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental science, natural resource management, social safeguards, or an equivalent discipline is required.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree or advanced technical college diploma with an additional 7 years of relevant professional experience is acceptable.

Experience needed

• At least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience is required.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing Environmental and Social Management Plans, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, or related safeguard instruments.
• Sound knowledge of Zambian or similar Southern African environmental, mining, and labour legislation, and EU/UNIDO donor policies.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, grievance redress mechanisms, and gender and social inclusion assessments.
• Proven experience in the extractives/mining sector and/or artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), ideally in Southern or East Africa, is desired.
• Excellent knowledge of environmental and social risk management, mitigation, and monitoring approaches in the context of skills development/TVET and/or small business development technical cooperation projects is desired.
• Experience working with UN agencies or international development organizations is desired.

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of Bemba and/or any other local language in Zambia is an asset.

How to Apply

Interested candidates can apply through the UNIDO careers portal.

Apply using the following link: https://careers.unido.org/job/ZAM-Other-cities-Environmental-and-Social-Safeguard-Specialist/1367455355/