Technical Specialist - Environment

Job categories Environment

Vacancy code VA/2023/B5517/27019

Department/office AR, SAMCO, Sri Lanka MCO

Duty station Colombo, Sri Lanka

Contract type Local ICA Specialist

Contract level LICA Specialist-10

Duration Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

Application period 09-Nov-2023 to 23-Nov-2023

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Management Support Specialist (Field Coordination), and overall Supervision of the Senior Programme Manager. The Incumbent will support UNOPS to implement project activities in the country and provide technical support and advice to the project lead, in communication with the project HQ in Colombo, Sri Lanka.


1. Technical advice and support to grant implementation

• Guide the grantees to understand strategic directions and technical features of the project and ensure high quality of the project implementation. This may include issues specific to pollution from the specific projects, emissions reduction, energy conservation, environmental and development of social management plan.
• Provide technical advice to the grantees to develop key guidance, templates and other management tools and instruments as required, to enhance the ability of project  personnel and teams to plan and implement environmental management activities in their projects, such as Environmental Management Frameworks, Environment Management Plans or Environment Impact Assessments, among others.
• Direct grantees to carry out environmental due diligence to sub grantees, contractors and suppliers prior to commencement of project work to ensure that the ones with unsatisfactory performance are not engaged.
• Train the grantees to understand plastic waste characteristic and possible leakages to natural system.
• Guide the grantees to organize training to the selected sup grantees / partners / beneficiaries to earn knowledge on properties of plastic waste and possible solutions to the specific types of the plastic waste.
• Guide grantees to improve knowledge on plastic waste management; develop reports on comparison on national, international and product stands on key parameters relevant to the specific project.
• Promote grantees to earn deep knowledge on plastic waste issues in the country and possible solutions that could ease the plastic waste management issues in the country; understand the global trend of plastic treatment options and explore possibilities to implement innovative projects.
• Familiar with ISO/TR 23891:2020 and ISO 14001 and look for a possibility to adopt the standard to the local context.
• Identify possible risks that may be encountered by the grantees and assist to develop suitable mitigation measures.
• Thorough understanding on national policy related to plastic waste management and guide the grantees to assist government in framing plastic waste management in the local context and regional requirements.

2. Guide grantees to develop technical documents for the operations of facilities

• Provide technical advice, directions and a quality assurance framework within the region in relation to Environment and Sustainability.
• Guide the grantee to development of standard operations procedures for the facility supported through the PLEASE project and ensure the facility is managed as per the standard operations procedures.
• Guide the grantee to provide technical inputs to develop standard operating procedure and facilitate obtaining validation from the respective national and regional counterparts.
• Be responsible to explore destructive technology and estimate risk to the existing projects and develop mitigation measures.
• Responsible for guiding guarantees to conduct time and motion study and set up an effective plastic waste collection system.

3. Lead to explore new innovative idea and support to test the prototypes 

• Guide grantees to develop new innovation and develop prototypes. Facilitate the grantees to test the prototypes.
• Support grantees for the coordination with national universities and find out new trends of the research and interest of students and faculty members in the plastic waste management.
• Be responsible for facilitating the grantees to coordinate with research institutes or universities to test samples of products produced at the facility.
• Review the test report and provide advice and recommendation to the production process improvement if required.
• Suggest opportunities to the grantee to seek possibilities to expand the project and diversify the products.

4. Guide grantees to develop reports and grant monitoring and evaluation

• Review technical reports and provide comments for improvements.
• Be responsible to align skills  and policies of the grantees with sectoral strategies that contribute to export growth, economic diversification, and employment creation.
• Capacitate grantees  to build and maintain an institution for continuous skills dialogue and support to implementation.
• Be responsible for Integration into broader technical assistance to the grantees in the area of skills, trade, sector development and employment promotion.
• Guide the grantees to develop write-ups / articles related to the project and ensure it meets international standards.
• Participate in QC/QA missions and provide technical analysis and advice.
• Support communications and knowledge management activities under the project.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering,  Environmental Science, Natural Science, Environmental Engineering, Sustainability or Environmental Management is required. 
• An additional 2 years of relevant work experience in combination with a relevant first university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) may be accepted in lieu of the Advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in the Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, plastic waste management at industrial scale, environmental management sector is required. 
• Research experience and relevant publication records are required.
• Familiarity with the national and international policy framework, standards, and systems in plastic management is required.
• Experience in drafting of impact assessments and plans such as ESIAs, ESMPs and ESMF, etc. is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of the local language(s) is an asset.