Position Title: 

Environmental Specialist

• Position Classification: Fixed Term – (Full Time), Tunisian, and CCN, and will Tunisia, preferably Tunis.
• Project Overview: The USAID Power Tunisia Program (Power Tunisia) seeks to advance Tunisia’s energy security and resilience by providing technical assistance and facilitating investment funding for the deployment of clean energy technologies resulting in the Program’s three core objectives:
  • Increased clean energy generation capacity
  • Reduced energy demand and consumption
  • Lower CO2 emissions

Position Overview:

The Environmental Specialist is responsible for implementation of all aspects of the Program specific to compliance to US Government (USG), Government of Tunisia (GOT), and Deloitte environmental requirements. Specifically, the Environmental Specialist ensuring that all Power Tunisia activities comply with the environmental impact requirements set forth in the USAID Initial Environmental Assessment (IEE) and Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) should one be developed. In addition, the Environmental Specialist will provide advice and guidance to project counterparts on how to effectively take into account environmental considerations related to construction of the agreed-upon clean energy projects. 

Detailed Responsibilities: The Environmental Specialist shall perform the following general functions:

• Review specific projects proposed to be supported with Power Tunisia funding by completing initial environmental and social reviews, which may include:  

• Application of US federal environmental compliance requirements for all Power Tunisia interventions and transactions as mandated by Power Tunisia environmental guidelines
• Ensuring procedures are completed for all qualifying projects prior to commencement of construction, and that source documentation for these interventions and transactions are maintained within Power Tunisia
• Assisting in identifying and developing mitigation plans for environmental and social impacts that may result from project implementation
• Where relevant, verify that USG agencies, international financial institutions (IFIs), the GOT, project developers, local banks, or other stakeholders involved in a particular project are adhering to their own environmental and social safeguard policies
• Implementing the training component of the IEE’s conditions, including compiling training material and interacting with activity managers / transaction advisors and relationship managers by means agreed to convey the material and ensure they have a solid understanding of environmental and social assessment and safeguard approaches.

• Compile and disseminate to stakeholders’ relevant information on environmental and social appraisal procedures as required by the USG
• Update clean energy projects in the Power Tunisia pipeline to ensure they are up-to-date regarding status of environmental compliance
• Work closely with project stakeholders (project developers, government agencies, financing entities, donors and IFIs, NGOs and CBOs, etc.) to confirm project adherence to all applicable environmental and social standards and requirements in addition to those of the USG
• Monitor, document, and report on projects receiving Power Tunisia support with respect to environmental and social risk and compliance and USAID implementing contractors’ adherence to established plans
• Gather, review, consolidate, evaluate and report on environmental compliance and monitoring data
• Conduct inspection activities, tests, observations, verifications, and similar actions with respect to project activities
• Participate in Program status updates and other meetings with USAID and other Program stakeholders; providing status reports for on-going projects receiving Power Tunisia support relevant to environmental monitoring and compliance

• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisor and Reporting Responsibilities: For all routine responsibilities and duties, either directly or indirectly related to the Position description, the Employee shall report directly to, and be supervised by the position of Director of Finance, Administration and Compliance . The Employee’s Supervisor may change from time to time on an ad hoc or temporary basis depending on the needs of the Program.

Qualifications: 

• B.S. in Civil Engineering (preferred) or Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, or equivalent (Masters degree preferred)
• At least five (5) years’ practical experience in environmental legal compliance and environmental and social sustainability and safeguard systems
• Experience managing environmental compliance efforts for previous USAID or U.S. Government-funded projects
• Experience advising/consulting to Tunisian business on environmental issues (specific experience in the clean energy preferred) on construction projects including completing environmental and social impact assessments for small, medium, and/or large-scale infrastructure projects
• Experience completing environmental and social impact assessments for small, medium, and/or large-scale renewable energy projects (concession and/or authorization projects, self-consumption projects, etc.), and/or energy efficiency projects (fuel switching, installation of EE motors, LED lighting, servo-motors, etc.)
• Prior experience on USAID or donor-funded projects preferred
• Fluent in English (both oral and written) required
• Fluent in French required; Arabic preferred