Principal Environmental Specialist, Washington, DC

Principal Environmental Specialist

Description

At the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

The WBG Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Vice Presidency is the core unit responsible for Group-wide institutional risk oversight, including establishment and monitoring adherence to risk policies and guidelines and risk assessment and reporting to the Board and executive management. Its mission is to enable and support the WBG to achieve its goals in a financially sustainable manner. The VPU assists management with identifying and managing Group-wide cross-cutting risks, enhancing risk response decisions, reducing financial and operational surprises and losses, seizing opportunities and improving deployment of capital. The WBG CRO Vice Presidency includes the IBRD/IDA, IFC, and MIGA risk teams and covers a wide range of financial and non-financial risks.

To enhance accountability and credibility, the World Bank Group (WBG) has established an independent second line of environmental and social risk oversight within its Chief Risk Officer (CRO) function called CROES. While operational teams at the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA are responsible for designing and implementing projects in accordance with E&S policies, the newly formed E&S Risk Department—led by the WBG Global Director for Environment and Social Risk—oversees, monitors, and evaluates E&S risk and performance.

CROES seeks a seasoned, dynamic, and motivated Senior Environmental or Social Specialist with strong technical judgment and substantial experience in social risk management. The selected candidate will support independent second-line oversight of operations and portfolios across the World Bank Group, with balanced thematic coverage of environmental and social aspects, such as pollution prevention, labor and working conditions; land acquisition, biodiversity conservation, resettlement and livelihood restoration; stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanisms. The role will identify project-level and systemic social and environmental risks, assess the adequacy of mitigation and implementation arrangements, and provide clear advice to CROES management and senior decision-makers.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Principal E&S Specialist will work in collaboration with the Manager, Lead E&S Risk Specialists, regional teams, and relevant WBG technical specialists. Key duties include:

Independent E&S Risk Oversight

• Lead independent second-line review of environmental and social risks in WBG operations, focusing on complex and high-risk projects and material implications for affected communities, the environment, development outcomes, and institutional reputation.
• Assess the adequacy of E&S risk identification, assessment, mitigation measures, monitoring arrangements, and escalation pathways proposed by operational teams, while maintaining independence from first-line responsibilities.
• Provide independent technical opinions on E&S risk categorization, application of relevant E&S policies and standards, adequacy of mitigation measures, institutional capacity, and implementation readiness.
• Review project documentation, E&S assessments and management plans, stakeholder engagement arrangements, advisory products, and relevant legal commitments from an independent E&S risk perspective.
• Lead or support quality assurance reviews of selected operations, assessing the quality of E&S due diligence, management of stakeholder impacts, feasibility of mitigation measures, and capacity to meet applicable E&S requirements.

Portfolio Monitoring and Analytics

• Lead portfolio-level monitoring and assessment of E&S risks and performance across sectors, regions, and WBG institutions.
• Develop and maintain an E&S Risk Watch List highlighting projects with elevated environmental, social, stakeholder, compliance, implementation, reputational, or development outcome risks.
• Conduct thematic and sector-specific portfolio reviews to identify systemic E&S risk trends, recurring implementation challenges, and emerging risk patterns.
• Analyze E&S risk events and lessons learned to strengthen institutional risk practices and contribute to enterprise-level reporting and integrated risk dashboards for senior management and governance committees.
• Recommend improvements to E&S risk management practices based on portfolio experience, independent assessments, and international good practices.
• Monitor E&S risks in projects subject to accountability mechanism reviews, CAO or Inspection Panel processes, integrity investigations, significant stakeholder complaints, disputes, or public controversy.
• Advise on risk implications of complaints, disputes, compliance findings, and corporate management responses.
• Coordinate with operational teams, regional ESG specialists, and other relevant functions to assess the implications of E&S issues for implementation, development outcomes, and WBG reputation.
• Support independent reviews and lessons-learned exercises arising from major E&S incidents, disputes, compliance cases, or implementation failures.

Strategic Risk Advice

• Advise CROES management and senior leadership on significant E&S risk developments, emerging trends, and implications for WBG operations.
• Support escalation of material E&S risks that may affect development outcomes, compliance, institutional reputation, stakeholder confidence, or the sustainability of operations.
• Provide independent perspectives during corporate discussions on high-profile operations, complex E&S issues, and proposed responses to significant implementation challenges.
• Assess implications of evolving regulatory, policy, environmental, social, and political economy conditions for E&S risks in WBG operations and portfolios.

Knowledge Leadership and Capacity Building

• Serve as a trusted senior advisor on E&S risks across the institution and contribute to building CROES capability in independent E&S risk oversight.
• Mentor junior staff and provide technical guidance to specialists, associates, and analysts working on E&S risk reviews.
• Represent CROES in internal E&S communities of practice, technical working groups, portfolio discussions, and risk review forums.
• Promote cross-institutional learning and dissemination of emerging E&S risk insights, lessons learned, and good practices.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree or higher in environmental sciences, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of fifteen years of relevant professional experience in environmental and social risk assessment, due diligence, supervision, advisory services, or related independent risk oversight functions.
• Demonstrated experience assessing, supervising, or advising on complex and high-risk E&S issues in projects in emerging markets and developing economies, including evaluating mitigation measures and implementation capacity.
• Strong technical understanding of E&S risk management requirements and practices, including impact assessment, mitigation planning, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, and monitoring, with the judgment to provide independent challenge and escalate material risks.
• Experience managing or overseeing E&S risks in sectors such as transport, energy, water, urban infrastructure, telecommunications, health, education, or other social infrastructure.
• Familiarity with World Bank Group operations, guarantees, private sector investments, advisory services, and applicable environmental and social risk management frameworks, as well as accountability mechanisms and compliance review processes, would be highly desirable.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize diverse information sources, assess portfolio-level E&S risk trends, identify systemic issues, and translate findings into actionable advice and senior management reporting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex risk issues clearly and concisely to senior audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to influence decisions, provide senior-level technical advice, mentor staff, and work effectively with multidisciplinary, multicultural teams while maintaining professional independence.
• Strong project management capabilities and ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• High professional integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive matters respectfully.
• Willingness and ability to undertake international travel.
• Experience working in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS/FCV) is desirable

As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
• Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
• Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

WBG Five Managerial Competencies Include only for managerial positions

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.