Job Description

Environmental Specialist

Job #:
req38036 Organization:
World Bank Sector:
Safeguards Grade:
GF Term Duration: 3 years 0 months Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment Location:
Addis Ababa,Ethiopia Required Language(s):
English Preferred Language(s):
Amharic Closing Date:
8/25/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Do you want to
build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the
largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique
global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and
promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120
offices worldwide, we work 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. For more information,
visit www.worldbank.org.

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region

Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern
Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26
countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in
the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The
subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources
and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material
exporters. The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts,
rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education,
health, and skills development continue to keep people from reaching their full
potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the
lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade.
But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil
society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for
the future.

The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of
approximately 1,200 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping
countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the
following priorities:

Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.

Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Making Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support helps governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.

Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities.
Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure.

Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.

Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

Unit Description:

On October 1, 2018, the World Bank launched a new Environment
and Social Framework (ESF) to help protect people and the environment in the
investment projects that it finances. The effort, now about seven years under
implementation, is one of several initiatives, including procurement reform,
the gender strategy, and the climate change action plan, undertaken by the Bank
to improve development outcomes.

The ESF brings the World Bank’s environmental and social
(E&S) protections into closer harmony with those of other development
institutions, and makes important advances in areas such as transparency,
non-discrimination, social inclusion, public participation, and accountability
– including expanded roles for grievance redress mechanisms. The ESF helps to
ensure social inclusion, non-discrimination, and explicitly references human
rights in the overarching vision statement.

As the World Bank Group (WBG) advances with modernizing its
ESF approach, a new organizational arrangement has been agreed involving
“Makers” (responsible for preparation, implementation support, and monitoring
and problem solving) and “Checkers” (responsible for monitoring and risk-based
oversight and identifying and flagging challenges and problems that need to be
addressed) to ensure a strengthened approach to risk management on E&S
matters. The new arrangements also demonstrate a commitment to promoting “One
WBG” and the key role that the Environmental and Social leadership in IDA/IBRD,
IFC and MIGA, will play in this effort.

The Central Safeguards Unit (SAEM3) is one of the three units
in AFE that manages E&S risks and covers two Country Management Units
(CMUs): The Ethiopia CMU comprising of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and
Eritrea; and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) CMU comprising of DRC,
Angola, Burundi and Sao Tome and Principe.

The Position – Environmental Specialist

This position is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will focus on environmental and social risk management, including on health and safety in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan.

This position will focus on implementing the World Bank’s environmental and social risk management policies (including the Safeguard Policies and the Environmental and Social Framework, or ESF) and building and strengthening national systems and capacity in this regard. All World Bank-supported investment projects must meet ambitious environmental, social, health and safety standards. SAEM3 is responsible for providing technical support and oversight into all investment projects to meet these obligations.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Environmental Specialist will have the following key responsibilities:

• Conduct environmental and social risk management due diligence of World Bank-financed operations, including preparation of Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRSs), E&S Section of the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), etc.

• Ensure the effective integration of environment, health, and safety into the design, preparation, appraisal, and implementation of World Bank-supported projects, in line with the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), WBG EHS guidelines, IFC Performance Standards, and other good international practices.

• Oversee compliance with World Bank Group EHS guidelines, IFC Performance Standards, and other relevant frameworks.

• Guide and support clients and counterparts in preparing project documents, including Environmental and Social Commitment Plans (ESCPs), Labor

• Management Procedure (LMP), Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Stakeholder

• Engagement Plans (SEPs), Project Implementation Manuals (PIMs), and others to meet ESF and operational policy requirements.

• Support timely and accurate disclosure procedures and public consultation for all required environmental assessment and management instruments.

• Provide guidance on specialized plans (e.g., biodiversity management, resource efficiency and waste management, occupational health and safety, dam safety, international waterways).

• Support clients and counterparts with incident and accident management, including immediate, underlying and root cause analysis, implementation of corrective actions, reporting, and ensuring SEA/SH-sensitive confidentiality for projects with moderate environmental and social risks.

• Organize and deliver needs assessments, capacity building, and technical training on environmental, health, and safety risk management for national agencies, local governments, and public/private sector practitioners.

• Collaborate with other World Bank Group teams to integrate risk management capacity development into sectoral programs.

• Work closely with Lead Specialist and the CMU ESF Coordinator, as well as Task Team Leaders and cross-practice teams (Procurement, Legal) to ensure quality and consistency in safeguards work and risk management across the region.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree (PhD or Master’s) in environmental/natural sciences or environmental/civil engineering with good technical training in related topics such as OHS, solid waste management, large scale civil engineering, pollution prevention and control, biodiversity and conservation, etc.

• Minimum 5 years of full-time, relevant professional experience in environmental management, including: (i) Managing environmental, social, health, and safety risks of large infrastructure, extractive, or industrial projects; (ii) applying World Bank Group ESF and/or similar global sustainability frameworks including the preparation of environmental safeguard/risk management documents.

• Technical experience in the management of the environmental, social, health and safety risks of large infrastructure projects (e.g., roads, dams, irrigation, power systems, water systems) is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated project management and operational skills, including occupational health and safety management and working with contractors with varying capacity.

• Experience in capacity building for environmental, health, and safety risk management is an advantage.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; diplomatic approach and ability to work under pressure.

• Experience working in developing countries, with understanding of institutional/political context and national environmental policy challenges; experience in FCV (Fragile, Conflict, and Violence) countries is beneficial.

• Fluency in English and Amharic, both oral and written (Required).

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills; ability to synthesize diverse qualitative and quantitative environmental data.

• Willingness to travel extensively, including to remote rural areas.

Please do not apply if you don’t
meet the above criteria in a significant manner.

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.