Job Description - Social and Environmental Safeguards Specialist (2600836)
Job Posting: 17/Apr/2026
Closure Date: 01/May/2026, 3:29:00 AM
Organizational Unit: FAIND
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Grade Level: N/A
Primary Location: India-New Delhi
Duration: 40 days; 5 months
Post Number: N/A
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
- FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports innovative projects that demonstrate a holistic and systemic approach to addressing the “levers” for transformation, integrating cross-cutting priorities including livelihood and climate resilience with a focus on biodiversity, climate change, and land degradation. The GEF's Eighth Replenishment Cycle (GEF-8) has begun from 01 July 2022. This project is under the GEF8 cycle.
This position will be based in New Delhi FAO India, office.
About the Project
GEF8 Supporting an integrated approach for ecosystem and biodiversity conservation and improved livelihoods in Central India (Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra)
Central India’s forests have large biodiversity-rich forests and are home to several communities living in and around these forests with a rich cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. This forest landscape falling in the States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is a hotspot of global biodiversity. It has seven metapopulations of tigers that have a long-term future if they remain connected through wildlife corridors. The landscape has different types of forest lands: i) government-managed protected areas; ii) government-managed forests; iii) community managed forests under the Forest Rights Act (2006) (FRA); and iv) individual land rights holders under the FRA. The two States contain 22% and 23% of the country’s individual and community FRA titles, respectively. The allocation of individual forest rights in particular has led to fragmentation of the forest lands as they are dotted around the landscape. The Project Objective is to restore and conserve biodiversity-rich forest landscapes and improve livelihoods in Central India using an integrated and inclusive landscape-level approach.
As per the endorsement received from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), FAO India has been entrusted with developing the full project proposal based on the Project Identification Form (PIF) for the technically cleared project. The project aims to promote integrated landscape management through sustainable forest management, ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, and community-based land-use planning.
The landscape experiences pressures including forest fragmentation, unsustainable harvesting, HWC, climate risks, and livelihood insecurity—especially among Indigenous Peoples, women, FRA title-holders, and socially backward groups (SC/ST/OBC). The project must comply with FAO Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) and GEF safeguard requirements, including a robust Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM).
Reporting Lines
Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in India, Assistant FAO Representatives (Programme and Administration) and guidance of the International GEF Design Expert and Lead national consultant, and the consultant will collaborate and work with relevant PPG Team members and other key stakeholders.
Technical Focus
Ensure compliance with FAO ESS and GEF safeguards through risk assessments and mitigation measures. Develop key safeguard tools such as ESMP and GRM. Ensure inclusive stakeholder engagement and protection of vulnerable communities..
Tasks and responsibilities
A. Environmental Safeguards
- Conduct environmental risk screening aligned with ESS1, ESS2, ESS6, ESS11.
- Assess impacts on biodiversity, wildlife corridors, protected areas, forest fragmentation, climate vulnerability, and ecosystem services.
- Provide support in preparing mitigation measures for land degradation, HWC, invasive species, and unsustainable harvesting.
B. Social Safeguards
- Conduct social risk assessments aligned with ESS7, ESS9, ESS10, ESS5.
- Assess impacts on tribal groups, SC/ST/OBC populations, FRA title-holders, and vulnerable households.
- Identify risks related to labour standards, exclusion, cultural heritage, access restrictions, and displacement (if any).
- Provide support in proposing mitigation strategies and social inclusion measures.
C. Safeguard Instruments
- Compile a summary of key international agreements and domestic legislative, regulatory and administrative regimes related to social and environmental safeguards, that will apply in the planning, approval and implementation of activities and develop and provide guidance on environmental and social criteria to be used during the identification and selection of priority activities
- Develop the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP).
- Review the responsibility and capability of institutions at different levels (e.g. local, province and national) to manage and monitor ESMP implementation. Establish a clear understanding of the institutional requirements, roles and responsibilities for adopting and implementing the ESMP. Based on a full understanding of the context and requirements, provide support in developing the ESMP, including activities implementation arrangements, budget and monitoring procedures, as well as associated capacity building requirements.
- Environmental and Social Risk Annexes
- Integrate safeguard mitigation measures into project components and Results Framework.
- Prepare Indigenous people plan
D. Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM)
- provide support in designing a multi-tiered project-level GRM consistent with FAO ESS and local institutional structures.
- provide support in finalizing the GRM that is accesible to women, tribal populations, persons with disabilities, and socially backward groups.
- Establish documentation, response timelines, escalation pathways, and monitoring systems.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Master’s in environmental science, ecology, sociology, environmental management, or related field
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the formulation and review of environmental and social management frameworks, impact assessments, management plans and reporting frameworks.
- Working knowledge of English (C1); knowledge of Hindi or other Indian languages is an asset.
- National of India or resident of the country with valid work permit.
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Strong knowledge of FAO Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) and GEF safeguard policies.
- Experience in conducting environmental and social risk assessments and impact analysis.
- Ability to develop Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP) and safeguard frameworks.
- Experience in designing and implementing Grievance Redressal Mechanisms (GRM).
- Knowledge of relevant national laws and policies such as FRA, PESA, and environmental regulations.
Selection Criteria
- Familiarity with the environmental and social safeguard requirements of the project's resource partners, is considered an asset.
- Strong knowledge of FAO ESS, GEF standards, FRA, PESA, and national environmental regulations
- Experience in preparing safeguard instruments for UN or donor-funded projects
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
- Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
- Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
- For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
HOW TO APPLY
- To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
- Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
- Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
- Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
- Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
- We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp
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