JOB DESCRIPTION: 
The WBG seeks to recruit an Environmental Specialist on an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) contract in the Yerevan Country Office. The Specialist will join a team of about 40 environmental professionals located in Washington DC and various ECA countries and will report to the unit’s Practice Manager (currently located in Washington DC). The Specialist will support the Environment Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) program in Armenia, under the guidance of Senior Environment Specialists from the unit. The Specialist will be an integral part of the Yerevan Country Office.
RESPONSIBILITIES: 
As part of environmental impact and risk management of the World Bank portfolio, the Specialist will provide operational and technical support for the World Bank financed projects, under the respective World Bank safeguards operational policies (OPs) and the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), working closely with and under guidance of assigned senior specialists:
- Provide guidance and technical support for screening Bank projects for environmental impacts and vulnerabilities and identify impact and risk management opportunities/ strategies;
- Guide the project implementing agencies in preparing the necessary ESF instruments and Environmental Assessment (EA) documents and review them for quality assurance; maintain regular dialogue and assist with enhancing implementing agency capacity to comply with World Bank environmental policies;
- Monitor compliance of project-financed activities with environmental safeguards or ESF by participating in project technical discussions and field visits, reviewing project reports and recommending adequate measures;
- Seek and develop opportunities to integrate sound environmental management and climate considerations in various lending operations that contribute to enhancing project outcomes;
- Contribute to disseminating lessons learned and best practices from applying ESF in specific World Bank projects, as well as actively learn from relevant regional and global experience.
As part of advancing operations and analytical work, the Environmental Specialist will undertake some of the following:
- Engage in policy dialogue with the government and other stakeholders in the thematic areas that could include some of the following: forestry, biodiversity conservation and natural resource management, climate resilience, pollution management and circular economy, and green growth;
- Contribute to the development and implementation of lending operations, technical assistance, or/ and analytical work which would require knowledge of the above-mentioned thematic areas;
- Advise on the development and implementation of policies and regulations that are relevant for advancing country’s climate and environmental agendas;
- Keep abreast of cutting-edge knowledge in the areas of technical expertise, including by participating in the respective Communities of Practice at the World Bank to learn from relevant global experience and share lessons from own work.
As a staff member of the SCAEN, ECA Sustainable Development and the Yerevan Country Office, the Environment Specialist will:
- Facilitate and maintain effective communication with relevant stakeholders in Armenia inside and outside the World Bank, including government officials, NGOs, academia, civil society, the private sector, as well as specialized international organizations;
- Contribute to activities and initiatives of the Yerevan office, as needed, raising the profile of the environmental sustainability and climate change agendas within the office and the country.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 
- Advanced degree (master’s or Ph.D) in Environmental or Natural Science/ Management, Engineering, Economics, or other relevant disciplines;
- At least 5 years of relevant experience as an environmental professional in the fields of environmental policy, environmental risk management, natural resource management, climate change, including both sector-wide policy review and project-specific experience;
- Good analytical skills with ability to analyze and synthesize diverse qualitative and quantitative environmentally related data and information;
- Ability to work well with a range of stakeholders, including project-affected parties, government officials, non-governmental organizations/ civil society, and development partners;
- A good team player who works well as a member of multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, motivates others and networks effectively across boundaries;
- Familiarity with EU policies and directives related to environment and climate change is a plus;
- Knowledge of international good practice for management of environmental risks, including World Bank ESF/Safeguards policies and instruments, and/ or IFC’s Performance Standards/ MIGA Environmental and Social policies, or similar standards, would be an advantage;
- Ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions;
- Excellent verbal and written skills in English and Armenian languages; knowledge of Russian language would be an advantage;
- Ability and willingness to travel frequently within and outside Armenia (subject to COVID-19 related restrictions).
APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 
Qualified candidates are welcome to apply for the position by following the link:
https://tinyurl.com/2manbabt.
Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.
ABOUT: 
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, please visit:
www.worldbank.org.
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region:
The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region comprises 30 extremely diverse countries, with a population of nearly 500 million people. Although ten of our clients have joined the EU and seven of these have graduated, most continue to remain active recipients of knowledge and/or lending services. Furthermore, in the midst of a crisis like the pandemic that we are experiencing now, some of the advanced countries re-engage with the Bank for additional support, including financial. ECA has a strong lending pipeline as well as a large and growing portfolio of Reimbursable Advisory Services. Knowledge is critical to the Bank’s value proposition to client countries in the ECA region in both lending and advisory services.
A predominantly middle- and high-income region, ECA continues to be at the forefront in confronting the numerous development challenges that countries face in the evolving global economy. The region is at the vanguard of building regional connectivity while having to manage the changing structure of the labor market. At the same time, digital technologies are changing the nature of work, populations are aging, and large migration flows have generated social tensions that have contributed to increased political polarization. These emerging trends threaten to reverse the region’s achievements in regional integration, poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
The ECA region is also vulnerable to climate change. It has a large potential to strengthen climate resilience and reduce its contribution to GHG emissions. Other important challenges affecting parts of the region include frozen conflicts and domestic political instability.
In February 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak interrupted the incipient recovery and the impact on growth remains highly uncertain and in a downside scenario of prolonged shutdowns, output in ECA could contract by nearly 8 percent in 2020. The pandemic also poses medium-term risks, particularly if global value chain linkages are lost or if extended school closures have a significant impact on learning, dropout rates, and human capital development. The near- and medium-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis serve to re-emphasize the critical importance of ECA’s medium-term strategic agenda on raising productivity and boosting resilience, while pursuing “green transition” that addresses environmental and climate risks.
ABOUT COMPANY: 
Armenia is a middle-income country whose economy expanded rapidly between 2017 and 2019, with an annual GDP growth rate averaging 6.8 percent. However, following the twin shocks of the pandemic and the military confrontation with Azerbaijan in 2020, GDP fell by 7.4 percent, one of the sharpest contractions in the region, and poverty rates rose sharply, especially in urban areas. Emergency spending packages and limited tax breaks provided as part of the fiscal response to the pandemic, coupled with declining revenues, increased public debt to 67 percent of GDP in 2020. However, the debt composition remains favorable. The current-account deficit narrowed in 2020, while increased borrowing kept reserves adequate.
The country partnership framework (CPF) for FY19-FY23 outlines a program of support to the Government of Armenia’s vision for a just, inclusive, and citizen-centric Armenia. The World Bank Group (WBG) strategy is to capitalize on the new momentum for deeper reforms and commitment to good governance brought about by recent political changes in Armenia to support a rebalancing of the economy toward a new growth model. The CPF presents to focus on: (i) boosting export enablers and firm competitiveness; (ii) enhancing human capital and equity; and (iii) sustainably managing environmental and natural resources. The third focus area of CPF responds to Armenia’s stated goal of protecting the environment, improving the management and governance of natural resources, and managing environmental and climatic risks. Forward-looking management of environmental and natural resources—including forests, pasture lands, watersheds, and mineral resources—provides the foundation for sustained inclusive growth through improved performance and citizen engagement in sectors such as agriculture, mining, tourism, and forestry, as well as providing a buffer against climate change and extreme weather events. To enhance environmental and climate-change resilience, the World Bank will focus on strengthening government capacity to deliver critical and timely weather and climate services, and improving preparedness against natural disasters at the national, subnational, and local levels.
The Armenia County Office consists of 30 IBRD and 7 IFC staff. It is led by a Country Manager overseeing the World Bank program in Armenia.