Lead Environmental Specialist

Lead Environmental Specialist

Job #:
req27776

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Environment

Grade:
GH

Term Duration:
4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):
Spanish, Portuguese

Closing Date:
6/20/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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

The Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) Global Practice forms part of the World Bank's Sustainable Development (SD) Practice Group. ENB provides expertise, technical assistance, and financing to help low- and middle-income countries manage land, sea, and freshwater natural resources in a sustainable way to help create jobs, improve livelihoods, enhance ecosystem services, decrease pollution, meet national climate change mitigation and adaptation targets, manage the low-carbon transition, and increase resilience to climate change. Over 350 ENB staff working across the globe help set developing countries on a clean and green growth trajectory for low-carbon, resilient economies and for healthy communities.

ENB has five key business lines consisting of lending and non-lending services in: (1) Forests, Landscapes and Biodiversity; (2) Blue Economy; (3) Pollution Management, Environmental Health, and Circular Economy; (4) Environmental Economics, Policies, and Institutions; and (5) Environmental Risk Management.

ENB has three broad and distinct functions, to:

- Provide clients directly with lending and non-lending services to support the GP's key business lines, including in collaboration with other GPs and agencies of the WBG;

- Support effective environmental risk management and sustainability by managing risk at the project level and creating opportunities to advance sustainable development, in part through implementation of the World Bank's environmental risk management policies;

- Work closely with other sectors to mainstream environmental considerations into their policies, strategies, and operations.

LCR ENB Context

The SLCEN unit covers the entire Latin America and Caribbean Region (LCR) and comprises around 50 staff, with half based in Country Offices and the remainder based in Washington, DC. It is a core part of the SD Department in LCR with over 200 staff. SLCEN is headed by a Practice Manager and the SD Department is headed by a Regional Director, both based in Washington.

The SLCEN team also provides all environmental risk management functions, including implementation of the Environment and Social Framework (ESF), for the World Bank's pipeline and portfolio in LCR.
Starting in July for FY25 onwards, the unit is being divided into two units, with two Practice Managers both based in Washington DC. SLCEN and its successor units are seeking to recruit a Lead Environmental Specialist. While based in Washington, DC the candidate is expected to work across all countries in LCR. The position requires frequent travel across countries in the Region. Working in close collaboration with the different country programs and having significant experience in large scale programmatic engagement including in operational cross-sector collaboration within and beyond SD, the Lead Environmental Specialist's core responsibility will be to provide strategic and operational leadership for SLCEN's operational program, both Projects and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA). S/he will work according to an annual work plan, adjusted periodically as necessary. S/he will report to the Practice Managers, one formally and one dotted line, both based in Washington, DC.

Job duties and responsibilities:

- Lead the identification, design and implementation support of natural resource management (NRM) lending programs and projects, including through leading preparation of operational design elements of IPFs and DPFs, with a primary focus on forests, sustainable landscape management, and blue economy programs contributing to climate resilience and the delivery of global public goods (GPGs).

- Maintain effective communication and coordination with regional, national, and local partners, including government, civil society, academic/research institutions, the private sector, and bilateral and multilateral development partner agencies. Innovation, business development, partnerships, mobilization of finance, and collaboration across institutions will all be key focus areas of this position.

- Contribute to and/or lead analytical inputs in support of LCR and corporate environment, GPG and climate agendas, including the preparation of CCDRs. Assess and advise on policy frameworks, particularly regarding land-use and NRM, including the valuation and payment for ecosystem services and GPGs.

- Support capacity building and knowledge sharing opportunities with and for key partners, through for example the development and delivery of training and knowledge-sharing events in support of the Knowledge Compact.

- Provide and mobilize technical assistance in support of client needs to improve capacity for NRM, from within and outside the Bank's global network.

- Contribute to the quality assurance of SLCEN products, including the review and quality control of lending and non-lending products.

- Contribute to the development of country programs in LCR, including the integration of NRM, climate and GPG issues into SCDs/CPFs/PLRs.

- Working across sectors, engage with other practices, practice groups and agencies of the WBG to innovate and develop impactful programs in the context of the Evolution Road Map.

- In collaboration with the Practice Managers, coach and mentor unit staff working both in country offices and in HQ.

Selection Criteria

* Advanced degree (PhD or Masters) in environmental science, natural resources management, environmental management, or related disciplines.

* Minimum 12 years of proven experience as an environmental professional. Experience in at least two regions, or one region and one corporate assignment, or similar experience that builds global expertise and client facing skills.

* Strong country office experience would be a plus.

* Ability and willingness to travel frequently, including to developing countries and possibly remote, fragile and conflict affected areas, is required.

* Excellent verbal and written English language skills are essential; at least one of Spanish or Portuguese language skills at fluency level is essential.

* Good team player with experience as a member of a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team, and proven ability to motivate and lead group efforts, and network effectively across boundaries.

* Excellent strategic leadership, team management, resource mobilization and coordination skills, track record of working with multi-sectoral teams.

* Familiarity with all Bank instruments, including IPFs, P4Rs, DPFs and management of TFs.

The World Bank Groupoffers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life anddisability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well asreasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.

This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

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.

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