Social and Environmental Safeguards Specialist [Open to internal and external applicants], Nairobi, Kenya

## Social and Environmental Safeguards Specialist [Open to internal and external applicants], Nairobi, Kenya - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby: - Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026. - Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments - Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers - Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply. General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations.” The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDF's vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity. As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF's unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022-2031. As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF's work is focused on three priority areas, including: UNCDF's organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States. UNCDF's Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) support UNDCF's commitment to integrate social and environmental sustainability into our programs, projects, and investment transactions that promote sustainable development. The objectives of the SES are to: - Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of programs and projects. - Avoid adverse effects on people and the environment. When avoidance is not feasible, minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts. - Enhance the capacities of UNCDF and partners to manage social and environmental risks. - Ensure comprehensive stakeholder engagement, including a mechanism to address complaints from individuals affected by UNCDF initiatives. A key mechanism for ensuring the application of the SES is the project-level / transaction-level Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP), which is mandatory for most proposed projects/transactions. The objectives of the SESP are to: (a) integrate the SES Overarching Principles (leave no one behind, human rights, gender equality, sustainability and resilience, and accountability); (b) identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance, along with mitigation strategies and options; (c) determine the project/transaction's SES risk category (Low, Moderate, Substantial, High); and (d) outline the level of social and environmental assessment and management needed to address potential risks and impacts during the implementation phase of UNCDF-supported programs, projects, and investment transactions. Under the direct supervision of the Chief Risk Manager, the SES Specialist will assist with compliance at the program, project, and investment transaction levels with the UNCDF SES (which fully aligns with UNDP's SES standards) throughout project design and implementation (from cradle to grave). This support is essential to ensure that selected programs, projects, and investment transactions in development avoid potential social and environmental risks and, when avoidance is not feasible, guarantee that proper assessments are conducted. Management measures are established to effectively manage risks during the implementation phase. It is critical that all UNCDF-supported initiatives adhere to their Environmental and Social Management Plan/Framework (ESMP/ESMF) and fully comply with UNCDF's SES standards (which align with UNDP's SES standards) throughout the entire project cycle. The SES Specialist will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and may be required to travel. UNCDF adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage connections across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNCDF personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multi-disciplinary settings to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration. Duties and Responsibilities 1) Conduct and coordinate SES screenings and SES assessments: - As part of UNCDF's project/investment transaction cycle process, prepare pre-screening (concept stage) and/or full screening (development stage) documentation related to UNCDF projects/investment transactions. - Oversee the quality of consultants' work to support the preparation of these documents. - Identify potential environmental and social risks that require specialized expertise or other considerations. - Review and maintain quality standards for draft and final deliverables, including, but not limited to, the completed SESP template with all supporting documents/evidence, as appropriate. - Provide quality assurance for baseline data collection and oversee the quality of impact assessments, including Environmental and Social Impac