Job Description

Environmental Specialist

Job #:
req38006 Organization:
World Bank Sector:
Disaster Risk Management Grade:
GF Term Duration: 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment Location:
Manila,Philippines Required Language(s):
English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date:
9/11/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

This position is a part of the Japanese recruitment mission.

Build a career with impact. Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity to help countries solve their greatest development challenges. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, the WBG is a unique partnership of five global institutions dedicated to ending poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the WBG works with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

East Asia and the Pacific
(EAP) Region:
EAP is a large and diverse region, ranging from Small Island States of the
Pacific to the Philippines and China! Despite substantial economic growth and
poverty reduction, the EAP region faces huge development challenges. Growth has
been uneven across and within countries, institutions still need strengthening,
and most countries are heavily affected by climate change. The Bank plays a
significant role on global public goods, including climate, biodiversity, water
pollution, and health. The COVID pandemic, and more recently food and energy
price increases are compounding the impact of the global economic slowdown. The
World Bank Group is seen as a premier development institution in the Region,
with a leadership role on analytical and advisory services as well as
financing.
East Asia and the Pacific Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/eap

Duties and Accountabilities:

• As the assigned Environmental Specialist, contribute to the preparation of lending operations during project identification, preparation, and appraisal stages, and ensure that environmental issues are addressed early in the process by undertaking careful environmental analysis as per the Bank’s ESF, associated information disclosure, and public consultations/stakeholder engagement requirements.
• Advise Task Teams on the interpretation and application of the ESF/ESSs.
• In coordination with the assigned Social Specialist, provide advice to client and counterpart organizations and project teams regarding the preparation of environmental, social, health and safety assessments, frameworks, and mitigation/management plans, stakeholder engagement plans and strategies, grievance management systems, labor management procedures; and other specific plans and procedures as required by applicable Bank policies.
• Provide guidance and capacity support to clients in the preparation of relevant project cycle documentation, including by assisting borrowers in drafting Terms of Reference (TORs) for the preparation of environmental assessment, planning and management instruments; guiding the client in completing the assessment and planning process; and supervising their implementation, including review of monitoring reports and follow-up.
• Provide timely input, as applicable, to Bank project documents related to environmental aspects, including Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRS) as well as EHS sections of Project Concept Notes (PCNs), Project Information Documents (PID), Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), Aide Memoires (AMs), and Implementation Status Reports (ISRs).
• Advise and support clients in commissioning required assessments (including developing terms of reference) and ensuring that necessary environmental, health and safety management plans and measures are appropriately reflected in works’ bidding and contract documents where applicable, and in developing and implementing appropriate supervision and monitoring arrangements for the necessary E&S plans and measures.
• Supervise World Bank approved projects under implementation in terms of project specific environmental, health and safety (EHS) requirements and performance (i.e., project implementation stage). This will include site visits, review of monitoring reports, discussions with clients and stakeholders, and building effective working relationships with the borrower/project implementation agency to ensure proper understanding and implementation of the policies and to constructively resolve emerging issues and compliance challenges.
• Participate in ongoing and future analytical work related to Philippines’s national systems for environmental and social assessment and management, including in dissemination and follow on client engagement related to priority recommendations for systems strengthening.
• Proactively identify needs for strengthening client capacity or systems on environmental, health and safety management aspects, and work with other colleagues to design and implement efforts aimed at strengthening that capacity.
• Support the SEAM2 Practice Manager and the Philippine, Malaysia, and Brunei (PMB) Country Management Unit (CMU) ESF focal point in preparing communications to be conveyed to management of the PMB CMU and engaging in internal strategic discussions on environmental issues as needed.
• Provide operational support to ENV-led operations or activities in Philippines on an as-needed basis.
• Carry out other tasks as requested by the PM such as for example contribute to the organization of training or knowledge management and knowledge sharing events.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree (PhD or Masters) degree in environmental engineering, civil engineering, environmental science, geography, natural resource management or related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in the environmental sector, including proven experience in the assessment and management of environmental and social risks and monitoring compliance, such as for government agencies, international financial institutions or other development partners, engineering companies, or consultancy firms.
• Field experience in assessing project site vulnerabilities, environmental, occupational and community risks, as well as supervising/inspecting projects during implementation to monitor performance.
• Proven track record in designing and implementing environmental safeguards or environmental risk management tools and instruments (including on Occupational Health and Safety); and/or monitoring environmental safeguards compliance for international financial institutions or engineering companies or similar areas is required.
• Sound knowledge of World Bank’s safeguards policies, the ESF, and/or IFC Performance Standards/MIGA Environmental and Social policies, or similar internationally recognized standards and codes of practices in the environment sector.
• Demonstrated ability and experience developing and delivering effective training programs to clients on environmental risk management.
• Experience working with clients and contractors that have weak implementation capacity for environmental risk management.
• Strong operational and analytical skills and demonstrated ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and practical recommendations.
• Ability to present complex issues related to environmental sustainability to Task Teams and other Bank audiences, and to engage effectively with government counterparts, project beneficiaries and civil society.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams.
• A strong sense of teamwork and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Prior work experience in Philippines and knowledge of country’s environmental legal framework and institutions is required.
• Prior work experience with the private sector on ES risk management issues is desirable.
• A strong sense of teamwork and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Oral and written fluency in English is required.
• Strong operational and analytical skills, including strong client orientation, diplomacy skills, ability to juggle multiple tasks and work under tight deadlines.
• Ability to present complex issues related to environmental sustainability to diverse internal and external audiences, and to engage effectively with government counterparts, project beneficiaries, and civil society.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Philippines, including to remote rural areas, with occasional trips to Washington, DC or elsewhere.

Technical Competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translate technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level.
• Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipate needs and requests in the field and conduct independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.
• Integrative Skills - Understand relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.
• Environmental Sector Issues - Demonstrates strong knowledge of at least one relevant thematic business line, namely “blue”, “brown”, “green”, climate change, or environmental risk management.
• Environmental Policy, Strategy and Institutions - Translates technical analyses into policies, operations and/or research as they relate to any of the following thematic business lines: “blue”, “brown”, “green”, climate change, and environmental risk management.
• Sector/Network Representation - Demonstrates ability to coordinate, participate in, and act as a catalyst for, strategic cross-sector dialogues within the network, across the country, among Bank colleagues and other development institutions, government, and other organizations.
• Project Design for Impact and Sustainability - Contributes to the design of projects and programs, based on an understanding of the country and sector context and requirement of environmental risk management.
• Communication and Influencing Skills - demonstrates the ability to influence and persuade others to accept ideas and suggestions (such as counterparts in government, international partner organizations, academia, and Bank colleagues, senior staff, and managers). Has ability to communicate and defend, orally and in writing, challenges and positions to colleagues and management.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.