Job Description
Environmental Specialist (ES), USAID, Kyrgyzstan Green Economy Activity
About Palladium:
Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.
This proposal Opportunity:
The purpose of the Green Economy Activity is to build the capacity of the Kyrgyz Republic to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in its economy in order to create and develop a “green economy,” or one that is low carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive. The Activity will promote practices that contribute to a robust and resilient economy, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the private and public sectors, increase climate financing, and develop a policy framework to catalyze sustainable and green climate solutions.
Location: Kyrgyzstan
Duration: 5 Years
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- The Environmental Officer will manage the Activity’s compliance with the local and U.S. government environmental requirements. Every grant issued shall be verified by the ES for compliance.
- The Environmental Specialist serves as technical advisor ensuring that all activities are in compliance with Reg. 216, USAID Environmental Procedures, and with host-country government environmental and social safeguard regulations.
- The Environmental Specialist provides substantive guidance to the COP, Technical staff, and Grant recipients on environmentally sensitive work, such as agricultural development, tertiary roads, land restitution, and protected areas management, workplace, and production safety.
- The Environmental Specialist facilitates efficient activity implementation in all sectors, by ensuring the high-quality documentation for environmental compliance; reviewing and approving environmental compliance aspects of activities, scopes of work, and activity descriptions; and, by identifying environmental compliance concerns, with suggested monitoring and mitigation plan.
- The Environmental Specialist reviews environmental analyses and documentation (Initial Environmental Examinations [IEEs], Requests for Categorical Exclusions [RCEs], Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plans [EMMPs],
- Environmental Assessments [EAs], etc.), from all Teams for quality, rigor, and adherence to USAID regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance.
- The Environmental Specialist is the primary liaison between the project and the USAID Mission in Kyrgyzstan on all environmental matters.
- The Environmental Specialist provides strong team membership in the review, approval, and monitoring of activities compliance with Reg. 216, reviewing and approving all sub-activities and quarterly reports.
Key Competencies Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Ecology, Integrated Sustainable Development, Natural Resources
- Management, or a closely related field.
- A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in an area involving application of environmental impact assessment or closely related regulations, standards, policies and best practices in a developing-country setting is required.
- This experience must demonstrate the ability to prepare and/or review environmental scoping statements, environmental impact assessments, and implement environmental management plans.
- In addition, an understanding of climate risk management is required.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a rapidly evolving environment and shifting local partners, and multiple competing priorities.
- Experience working with host government officials, private sector representatives, and participating in key counterpart, donor, and coordination meetings.
- Fluency speaking, reading, and writing in English and Russian, Kyrgyz language is highly preferred.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodation to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.
Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.
