Job Title: Project Officer – Environmental Compliance

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CRS, representing a consortium of international non-governmental organizations, local implementing partners and research institutions is leading the USAID Nawiri Project in Isiolo and Marsabit, a USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) funded 5-year Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) in Kenya. The overarching goal of this multi-sectoral activity is to sustainably reduce persistent levels of acute malnutrition in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). The activity will be implemented in two phases:

  • Phase I (1.5-2 years) Research, test approaches and collaboratively design a context-sensitive, multi-sectoral activity that sustainably reduces acute malnutrition.
  • Phase II (3- 3.5 years): Multi-sectoral Activity implementation and adaptation and Local System and Institutional Strengthening.

Overview of Nawiri’s Environmental Safeguarding:

Nawiri program operates in accordance with US Government environmental regulations and guidance, including Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), Pest Management Plan (PMP), Water Quality Assurance Plan (WQAP), Environmental Status Reports (ESR), Safe User Action Plan (SUAP), and Environment Management and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) among others. CRS seeks to recruit an environmental compliance officer in Isiolo and in Marsabit who will work as integral part of the technical assistance team to ensure that environmental and climate issues are properly considered and addressed, and that operations are supported in order to comply with USAID’s safeguard policies, USAID 22 CFR 216 and ADS201, and Kenya´s national regulations during program implementation.

Job Summary: 

The Project Officer – Environmental Compliance will lead and be accountable for full compliance to USAID environmental regulations and associated deliverables under the Nawiri program, as well as GoK environmental regulations at the county level. This includes understanding these regulations and deliverables and their operationalization within the ASAL context. The position will also be expected to generate and regularly updates on Nawiri’s environmental deliverables as required. As environmental compliance is not the sole responsibility of one person, staff capacity building and orientation is essential across a large and diverse team to ensure integration of environmental safeguarding issues across interventions. On site monitoring of activities and tracking of associated indicators must be implemented in close partnership with the key county government departments and the project’s monitoring, evaluation and learning team.  The environmental compliance officers will work directly report to the Environmental Safeguards Manager, and in close collaboration with all program leads.

Job Responsibilities: 

  • Conduct regular monitoring of Nawiri consortium activities to ensure full compliance with USAID environmental compliance regulations. Share the results of this monitoring in a timely manner and follow-up on recommendations given.
  • Ensure Climate Risk Management mitigation measures are implemented as per the IEE recommendations.
  • Work closely with team members, partners and local government to build their capacity on environmental management, specifically focusing on strengthening institutional capacity, improving environmental quality and the sustainable management of natural resources, and promoting equitable solutions in managing commons such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation and others.
  • Undertake quarterly environmental monitoring and evaluation of program activities against environmental regulations and standards. Take lead on developing and delivering a series of spot checks to ensure that proposed mitigation measures are properly implemented in line with the guidelines and unforeseen environmental and human health impacts are minimized. Prepare report (quarterly, field monitoring) on the safeguard risks with appropriate actions to be taken and ensure that timely actions are taken.
  • Facilitate the preparation and updating of environmental safeguard lessons/results by USAID’s requirements
  • Work in close collaboration with the M&E team to ensure that all the required environmental indicators are properly aligned and tracked with the overall M&E plan.
  • Conduct assessments and advise teams on the environmental implications of planned activities.
  • Coordinate with external stakeholders and contractors.
  • Contribute to maintaining relationships with donors, peer organizations and other institutions, participate in forums in the area of environment to collect and share best practices

Required/Desired Foreign Language:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to draft and edit reports.
  • Excellent verbal communication skills in Kiswahili.
  • Dialects local to Marsabit and Isiolo County a plus.

Travel Required: The position will be based in Isiolo and Marsabit with frequent travels to project sites at in the respective sub counties.

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: None

Internal: Environmental Safeguards Manager, County Systems Strengthening Specialist, County Health & Nutrition Manager, County Graduation Manager, County Food systems Specialist, County Research Coordinator, Gender & Social Dynamics Specialist, County M&E Specialist, County Learning & Accountability Specialists, Nawiri sub-county program team and Nawiri consortium partner staff.

External: County government of Marsabit and Isiolo staffs especially Ministry of Environment & Water, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock, NEMA, Public Administration and Civic engagement and other related government bodies and authorities, Local Implementing partners and private sector service providers

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

  • Degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Planning and Management, Natural Resources management, Environmental Health and Environmental Engineering or related field.
  • Minimum of 3 to 5 years relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with relevant field-based experience in environment safeguarding issues.
  • Demonstrated experience and knowledge of GoK environmental regulations and USAID environmental compliance experience
  • Demonstrated experience working in some or all of the following: environmental safeguarding, climate risk management, conservation, biodiversity management, capacity building.
  • Knowledge of and experience working with complex MEAL systems and indicator tracking
  • Experience working on technical sectors covered under the Nawiri project (nutrition, health, livelihoods, WASH, DRR, livestock, food systems, business sustainability)
  • Experience working with USAID as a donor preferred
  • Experience working in Marsabit and Isiolo counties and native speaker of the local dialect e.g., Borana, Rendile, Gabra, Samburu, Turkana is a plus
  • Good self-management and interpersonal skills
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills in the English language

For full job description and application: https://crs.taleo.net/careersection/ex_crs/jobdetail.ftl?job=210000GX&lang=en

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