The Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist will support the effective implementation and monitoring of environmental and social safeguards requirements, including Gender and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) considerations at project sites in varies governorate/districts of Yemen. The position will focus on ensuring compliance with our client 's Framework for Environmental and Social Management (FESM), applicable donor safeguards policies (including the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework), ESS monitoring in the project sites, collecting data for the ESS documentation including the stakeholder engagement/consultation and project site-specific safeguards instruments monitoring and reporting.

Working under the technical and direct supervision of the Environmental and Social Risk Assessment Specialist, the Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist will ensure that environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) standards, GBV Action Plan and SEA/SH Action plan are effectively implemented at field level, with particular emphasis on compliance monitoring, stakeholder engagement, grievance redress, and incident reporting. 

The Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist performs the following functions:

• A. Safeguards Compliance and Monitoring

• Facilitate compliance with environmental and social safeguards requirements including gender mainstreaming, GBV and SEA/SH AP at the project sites and ensure systematic safeguards performance at all stages of the  our client YR project implementation.

• Monitor the implementation of Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) instruments, including site-specific Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs)/Clauses, GBV AP, SEA/SH, GRM procedures, and other safeguards instruments at field level;

• Ensure that contractors, supervision engineers, workers, suppliers, and service providers fully comply with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements and Environmental, Social, Health and Safety (ESHS) standards in construction and rehabilitation projects.

• Follow up with contractors and the safeguards team on the implementation of specialized safeguards instruments (plans, studies, mitigation measures) to identify and mitigate potential environmental and social risks associated with construction and rehabilitation interventions.

• Provide regular field-based ESS compliance updates to our client, including reports and geo-referenced digital photographs documenting progress and compliance status.

• Follow up and support in monitoring environmental, social health and safety at the project sites and ensure that the ESHS standards are adhered by construction workers and personnels. 

• Follow the implementation of SEA/SH Action Plan and GBV Action Plan in coordination with ESS team and the relevant implementing partners and prepare/contribute to the required implementation reports.  

• B. Stakeholder Engagement and Grievance Redress

• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and consultation at field level during all project stages.

• Support the stakeholder engagement process from the gender/GBV/SEA perspective, facilitating stakeholder identification, engagement, GRM, and disclosure, and contributing (as needed) to gender-related aspects of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP).

• Brief workers and stakeholders on the our client Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), including how to submit grievances and how complaints are received, recorded, and addressed as well as ensure the access points and overall process are known to beneficiaries and affected people;

• Immediately report any grievances, complaints, incidents, or SEA/SH allegations through established GRM and ESS reporting channels in accordance with project documents and protocols.

• C. Capacity Building and Awareness

• Deliver training and capacity-building activities on project sites and at field level for contractor/suppliers/ services providers workers and personnel on Environmental and Social Safeguards, including on gender-focused activities, GBV, and grievance redress for GBV-SEA (including how it works, and how to receive and handle grievances); 
  Brief contractor workers, personnel and beneficiaries on gender-focused activities, GBV, and grievance redress for GBV-SEA (including how it works, and how to receive and handle grievances).

• Conduct regular awareness sessions in the project sites covering OHS, GRM, environmental and social risk mitigation measures, to ensure compliance with our client ’s Framework for Environmental and Social Management (FESM) and applicable donor requirements, including the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).

• Maintain accurate and complete documentation of all training and awareness activities conducted at field level, including training materials, attendance records, and related supporting evidence and related data collection as needed.

• D. Incident and Risk Management

• Monitor and document first aid cases, near misses, incidents, and accidents occurring at project sites.

• Ensure that all incidents and accidents are reported immediately to the GRM and ESS team in line with our client and donor incident reporting requirements.

• Support investigations in case of ESS related incidents and follow-up with corrective action aiming avoidance of recurrence of the incidents.

• E. Safeguards Documentation and Reporting

• Contribute to the preparation and updating of field-level safeguards instruments, including site-specific ESMPs, screening checklists, consultation records, and environmental and social clauses for contracts.

• Provide necessary inputs to contractor performance reports on ESMP implementation, GRM performance, SEA/SH Action Plan implementation, and compliance with the project’s ESMF and other safeguards instruments.

• Ensure safeguards-related documentation is properly maintained, and accessible for monitoring and audit purposes.

• Maintain records and proper documentation of first aid cases, near-misses, incidents, and accidents at work sites.

F. Other Duties

• Perform any other relevant safeguards-related duties as needed.

Environmental and Social Risk Assessment Specialist

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Social Work, Socio-Economics or closely related environmental fields.

• Minimum five years of relevant operational experience and proven track record in working on projects covering a broad range of environmental and social issues.

• Knowledge and understanding of international environmental and social impact assessment standards and practices (with an emphasis on social standards and social impact assessments).

• Demonstrated on-ground/in-field experience working on development projects, particularly related to stakeholder engagement and resolution/management of social issues/conflict.                                     

• English language fluency (reading, writing, speaking).

• Proficiency in standard computer software

• National of Yemen

•  Timely submission of Environmental and Social Safeguards, GBV, SEA/SH regular monitoring reports with referenced photo documentation.

• Monthly updates on the implementation of SEA/SH Action Plan.

• Records of first aid cases, near-misses, incidents, and accidents at work sites.

• Number of subprojects/interventions monitored in full compliance with ESS, SEA/SH, GBV, GRM requirements 

• Immediate incident notification reports (as required)

• Immediate reporting of complaints (as required).

• Corrective action plans for identified non-compliance and follow-up verification reports

• Stakeholder engagement/consultation records and attendance sheets

• ESS, OHS, GBV, SEA/SH and GRM awareness sessions documentation and attendance records.

• Provides ESS awareness sessions and training in the project sites.

This role does not have team management responsibility.

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.