Environmental and Social Safeguard (ESS) Expert

Job title: VAC-33564 Environmental and Social Safeguard (ESS) Expert

Location: Homebased working for client operations in Somalia

Apply by: 12-Aug-2025

Start date: 01-Oct-2025

Duration: 1 year 3 months

Number of vacancies: 1

Qualification: Master's in or higher in environmental science, environmental engineering, civil engineering, social sciences, environmental policy & management, public health or a related discipline (essential).
Sector experience: Minimum of 8 year/s of demonstrable relevant experience in the field of environmental & social safeguards, environmental risk management or related areas, preferably in the WASH or infrastructure sector (essential).
Geographical experience: Minimum of 8 year/s of experience in Africa (essential).
Languages: Fluent in English (essential).
Fluent in Somali (desirable).
Job description

CTG overview

CTG was established in 2006, almost 20 years ago, in Afghanistan. We currently operate in 35 countries and have approximately 11,500 staff members committed to good!

But do you know who we are? And what do we do?

We provide tailored Human Resources and Staffing Solutions that support critical global initiatives across Humanitarian and Development sectors, and are now strategically foraying into new industries, including Construction, Energy, and IT, with a focus on high-risk regions.

Here’s a list of services we offer:
•Staffing solutions and HR management services
•Monitoring and evaluation
•Fleet management and logistics
•Facilities management
•Sustainability and Communications Advisory
•Election monitoring and observation
•IT professional services
•Medical assistance

Visit www.ctg.org to find out more.

Overview of position

• Somalia, part of the drought & conflict affected Horn of Africa, faces acute water shortages & weak WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) infrastructure. As of 2022, 6.4 million people needed improved WASH services. Displacement driven by conflict & climate shocks continues to strain limited resources, particularly in Qardho, Doolow & South Galkayo. These towns lack proper waste & faecal sludge management, leading to environmental & health risks. Women & girls are especially affected due to their role in water collection. WASH services in households, schools & health facilities remain inadequate.

• The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), still dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 & frequent disease outbreaks, is working with partners to strengthen climate resilience through national development programs. To address these challenges, Somalia has sought funding from the African water facility for a project titled “building resilience to climate change through WASH” in Qardho, Dollow & South Galkayo. The project will deliver immediate interventions, assess climate risks & support long term adaptation through improved watershed & WASH management for both host & displaced communities.

• Integrating Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) into all construction activities as reffered in AfDB & our clients guidelines, is a core requirement to ensure that water & sanitation infrastructure projects are sustainable, inclusive & do not cause unintended harm to people or the environment. It is essential that contractors strictly adhere to ESS guidelines throughout the project lifecycle, from planning & design to implementation & decommissioning. This includes managing environmental risks, ensuring community health & safety, addressing gender & protection concerns & maintaining proper waste disposal practices. Given the fragile context of Somalia & the vulnerability of host & displaced populations, strong ESS compliance not only protects communities & ecosystems but also enhances project quality, accountability & long term resilience.

• Our client requires a senior expert to lead & oversee the integration of Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) throughout project implementation. This expert will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate mitigation measures are in place, recommending context specific corrective actions as needed & monitoring the implementation of Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) across construction sites in Qardho, Dollow & South Galkayo. Their role will be critical in ensuring compliance, minimizing risks & promoting responsible & inclusive project delivery.

Role objectives

The primary objective of this assignment is to ensure the effective integration & implementation of Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) across all WASH related construction activities under the “building resilience to climate change through WASH” project in Qardho, Doolow & South Galkayo. The assignment aims to strengthen compliance with AfDB & our clients ESS guidelines by providing technical oversight, monitoring the application of Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) & ensuring that mitigation measures & corrective actions are timely, context appropriate & responsive to the needs of vulnerable communities. The expert will play a key role in safeguarding community well being, reducing environmental risks & enhancing the sustainability, inclusivity & resilience of WASH infrastructure interventions in Somalia’s fragile & high risk operating environment. The Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) Consultant will provide technical leadership, guidance & oversight to ensure full integration of ESS principles across all stages of WASH infrastructure development under the “building resilience to climate change through WASH” project in Qardho, Dollow & south Galkayo. The consultant will work closely with our client, implementing partners & contractors to ensure compliance with AfDB & our clients ESS standards. The consultant’s responsibilities will include, but not limited to, as follows:

Inception report:

• Develop & submit an inception report within the first two weeks, detailing the consultant’s approach, methodology, work plan, deliverables schedule & coordination mechanisms with our clients team & stakeholders.

Review & validation of ESMPs:

• Review & revise Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) to ensure alignment with project specific risks & safeguard standards.

• Provide clear recommendations for any required updates or additions based on current project designs & site specific contexts.

Technical oversight & guidance:

• Provide continuous technical advice & support to our client & their implementing partners on the application of ESS safeguards across construction activities.

• Ensure environmental screening, stakeholder engagement & gender and protection concerns are appropriately addressed.

Field monitoring & reporting:

• Conduct at least three site visits to assess on ground ESS implementation & contractor compliance.

• Produce compliance monitoring reports summarizing findings, highlighting risks or gaps & outlining recommended mitigation or corrective actions.

Capacity building:

• Design & facilitate at least one capacity building session including on site sessions, for contractors, implementing partners & our clients staff to strengthen their understanding & practical application of ESS requirements.

• Provide supporting materials & post training evaluations.

Grievance redress & risk tracking:

• Review existing Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) & provide recommendations to strengthen community feedback & complaint handling processes.

• Track & document any grievances, community concerns or incidents & assess how they are addressed by contractors or partners.

Technical advisory notes:

• Provide ad hoc written technical notes or briefings on emerging safeguard issues, risks or non compliance, with recommended actions.

• Share timely insights to inform decision making & operational adjustments during implementation.

Final ESS compliance & lessons learned report:

• Submit a final comprehensive report at the end of the assignment capturing all key activities, ESS implementation outcomes, challenges encountered, risk mitigation actions, lessons learned & strategic recommendations for future projects.

Ad hoc work:

• Any other ESS related tasks requested by our client or AfDB during the implementation phase & within the duration of the consultancy.

Deliverables:

Inception report (Due within 2 weeks of contract start):

• Desk review including all policies, projects & guidelines.

• Detailed consultant work plan outlining approach, methodology, timeline, coordination mechanisms & deliverable schedule.

• Initial review findings of project documents including ESMPs & key safeguard frameworks.

• Preliminary recommendations for ESS integration & capacity building needs.

• Annexes: Work schedule, list of key stakeholders consulted.

Quarterly reports (submitted every 3 months), each quarterly report will include:

• Updates on the review & validation of ESMPs, including any revisions or gaps addressed.

• Summary of technical advice & guidance provided to our client & their implementing partners.

• Compliance monitoring results from site visits & remote assessments, including findings & recommended corrective actions.

• Documentation of capacity building activities conducted, including training materials, participant lists & evaluations.

• Status & analysis of GRM's, complaints tracked & resolved.

• Technical advisory notes issued on emergent ESS issues or non compliance.

• Summary of challenges faced & solutions implemented.

• Annexes: Site visit reports, training materials, compliance checklists, grievance logs & timesheets showing days utilized.

Final ESS compliance & lessons learned report (due at end of consultancy):

• Comprehensive summary of all ESS related activities conducted during the consultancy period.

• Consolidated findings from ESMP reviews, monitoring visits, capacity building & grievance tracking.

• Assessment of overall compliance with AfDB & our clients ESS standards across project sites.

• Documented lessons learned, best practices & strategic recommendations for future WASH projects in Somalia’s context.

• Final reflections on challenges, risks mitigated & impact of ESS integration.

• Complete annexes including all supporting documentation, reports, advisories & final timesheet with total days utilized.

Project reporting

This role reports to the WASH Manager.

Key competencies

Required background for this role: 

• Master’s degree or higher in environmental science, environmental engineering, civil engineering, social sciences, environmental policy & management, public health or a related discipline.

• Strong knowledge of safeguard policies, tools & methodologies, including Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), risk classification & mitigation planning.

• Understanding of GRMs, gender & protection considerations & community engagement processes in ESS.

• Excellent analytical, writing & reporting skills, ability to synthesize technical information into actionable recommendations.

• Familiarity with WASH infrastructure & service delivery models, particularly in displacement affected or drought prone areas.

• Ability to work independently & flexibly, with strong time management & coordination skills.

• Willingness & ability to travel to field locations in Qardho, Dollow & South Galkayo subject to security clearance from UN.

• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of environmental & social safeguards, environmental risk management or related areas, preferably in the WASH or infrastructure sector.

• Proven experience in developing, reviewing & implementing Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs), including stakeholder engagement & environmental screening.

• Familiarity with AfDB, UN or other international donor safeguard guidelines & frameworks.

• Experience conducting ESS monitoring, compliance reporting & risk assessments in fragile or humanitarian settings is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated ability to design & deliver capacity building & training sessions for implementing partners, contractors & project teams.

• Experience working in fragile, conflict affected or low capacity settings (experience in Somalia or the Horn of Africa is a strong asset).

• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal & written) & knowledge of Somali is an asset.

Required competencies for this role:

Core values:

• Care.

• Respect.

• Integrity.

• Trust.

• Accountability.

Core competencies:

• Nurtures, leads & manages people.

• Demonstrates self awareness & ethical awareness.

• Works collaboratively with others.

• Builds & maintains partnerships.

• Innovates & embraces change.

• Thinks & acts strategically.

• Drive to achieve impactful results.

• Manages ambiguity & complexity.

Team management

This role has no team management responsibility.

Further information

• Payments will be made based on deliverables & verified working days, following our clients payment policy.

• A detailed timesheet & progress report will be required for each payment.

• Our client is open to considering both national staff as well as international staff for this role whose experience match the advertisement TOR.

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.

Disclaimer:
· At no stage of the recruitment process will CTG ask candidates for a fee. This includes during the application stage, interview, assessment and training.
· CTG has a zero tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) which is outlined in its Code of Conduct. Protection from SEA is everyone’s responsibility
· CTG encourages all candidates applying for this advertisement to ensure that their candidate profile is up to date with up to date experience / education / contact details, as this will help you being considered further in your application for this role.