Environmental & Social Risk Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Development Policy (ODP) at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and conducts environmental and social (E&S) risk assessments for projects which identify, assess, and avoid adverse E&S impacts under consideration for DFC support, across the spectrum of products, including debt finance, insurance, equity finance, or financial intermediaries.

Duties

As an E&S Risk Specialist (at the full performance level), you will: Identify, collect, and provide in-depth analysis of relevant information concerning: the potential impact of proposed projects on the environment, workers, local populations of the host country(ies). Review and assess prospective and active DFC clients and supported projects for their alignment and compliance with DFC's environmental and social requirements, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and DFC's Environmental and Social Policy and Procedures (ESPP). Identify suggested improvements to the approaches to management of environmental and social risks that can lead to improved social, environmental, and financial performance. Provide or support guidance to prospective clients and DFC staff regarding DFC's E&S policies and procedures and the appropriate content, procedures, and format for conducting and presenting Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Environmental and Social Audits, Environmental and Social Management Plans, Annual Environmental and Social Reports, and Third-Party Audits. Prepare highly technical environmental and social clearances and other assessments, reviews or studies as required. Make or support recommendations to DFC management regarding project eligibility and conditionality on environmental and social grounds and specify environmental and social conditions of default to be included in DFC finance, insurance, equity, and investment funds agreements. Monitor the actual environmental, health, safety, and social impacts of previously approved DFC projects through analysis of investor and third-party monitoring reports, review and tracking of deliverables and through site visits. Prepare reports identifying issues of non-compliance with DFC contract conditions and make recommendations for appropriate corrective action. Synthesize technical E&S analysis into succinct and comprehensible summaries appropriate for non-technical audiences. Draft environmental and social sections of Investment Committee and Board papers. Provide clear and effective briefings, written or oral, to DFC staff, DFC management, DFC Investment Committee, and DFC's Board of Directors. Draft environmental and social conditions for inclusion into DFC contractual agreements with its clients. Please Note: This is a Bargaining unit position represented by AFGE, local 1534.

Qualifications

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level). Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements no later than the closing date of this announcement. TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your experience in all of the following: Experience conducting research or analysis on environmental and social sustainability/sustainable development topics in an international context. OR B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.M. degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position; OR C. A combination of education and experience as listed above. You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirements: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your experience in all of the following: Experience analyzing and applying international frameworks or standards related to environmental and social sustainability and performance, such as those from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) or an international organization such as the United Nations or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Note: Education is not substitutional at this grade level. You may qualify at the GS-13 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirements: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your experience in all of the following: Experience supporting environmental and social impact assessments of private investments in a range of sectors (i.e. agriculture, financial intermediaries, infrastructure, extractives) against international standards, such as the International Finance Corporation's Performance Standards; and Experience identifying potential environmental and social risks in investments or projects and proposing mitigation and management measures to leadership. Note: Education is not substitutional at this grade level. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. This position is being advertised concurrently with vacancy announcement 26-ODP-DE-13061171-BN using Delegated Examining (DE) procedures. If interested, refer to that announcement to determine if you meet DE requirements and can apply to that announcement. NOTE: You must apply separately to each announcement in order to be considered under both. This announcement may be used to fill similar positions, if additional vacancies occur.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION is education acquired outside of any State of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or pos