USAID ERA looks for Еnvіrоnmental Officer

Since 2018, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) has focused its activities on eastern Ukraine. In 2022, it expanded its geography of cooperation to other regions due to Russia’s full-scale invasion and occupation of part of Ukraine. In 2023, given the military and political circumstances and challenges, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) changed ERA’s priorities.

ERA is one of the implementers of the U.S. Government’s Interagency Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI – Ukraine), which aims to support Ukrainian agricultural production and exports and help address the global food crisis exacerbated by Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. USAID supports the Government of Ukraine, including working with state- and private owned companies, namely the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI),  the State Customs Service, the State Border Guard Service through ERA, to modernize border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and exports,  and perceptions of Ukraine. ERA is also implementing the Economic Stability and Recovery Initiative (ESRI), which focuses on job retention and creation and assists small and medium-sized enterprises.

USAID ERA prioritizes work on AGRI and rehabilitating EU-facing border crossing points . The AGRI component is extending its technical assistance to Ukrainian Agri-traders and logistics companies supporting them in increasing capacity and potential of grain export logistics. The BCP component includes complex construction management and procurement of equipment and service for BCPs to become more efficient in processing bulk cargoes n and other commodities through the border.

About the job

The Environmental Officer is a key member of the AGRI-Ukraine initiative team and plays a pivotal role in assuring adherence to environmental policies and regulations, environmental controls, and reporting systems. The Environmental Officer will invest in providing environmental analysis support to the technical team and ensure preparation of environmental assessments for project activities and interventions. The Environmental Officer supports field examinations, reports on environmentally hazardous locations and materials, and maintains environmental documentation related to Agricultural projects. The Environmental Officer works in close coordination with the Big Infrastructure Lead to ensure environmental assessment for AGRI-related interventions. The Environmental Officer will report to AGRI Director and be based in Lviv.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Environmental Assessment for AGRI-Ukraine activities:

• Coordinate and review testing and analysis of potential environmental hazards;
• Support the AGRI-Ukraine program, ensuring environmental compliance of activities and interventions;
• Monitor project environmental impact and report on compliance with USAID environmental policy;
• Oversee and monitor field implementation of environmental mitigation measures;
• Ensure submission of required internal environmental documentation related to AGRI-Ukraine projects to the DAI ‘s experts based in head quarter and coordinate with them further documentation preparation process;
• As required, coordinate environmental training and technical assistance;
• Undertake additional actions required by the Deputy Chief of Party to ensure compliance with USAID and Ukraine environmental regulations policies;
• Perform other tasking as directed by the ERA senior management.

• Participate in evaluation of environmental risks of proposals submitted by subcontractors, grantees, or beneficiaries in line with their reliability and ability to achieve the goals with focus on safely export of Ukraine’s agricultural products; The Black Sea ports are the most commercially viable to ensure that Ukraine’s agricultural products can be cost-effectively transported to food insecure countries around the world.
• In coordination with Big Infrastructure Lead, work to ensure that AGRI-Ukraine activities are aligned with the USAID ERA’s environmental compliance standards;
• Conduct site visits to assess subcontractors, grantees, or beneficiaries’ environmental compliance, provide guidance on environmental hazards mitigation;

Communication:

• In close collaboration with the Director for Communication and Change Management, represent ERA in a professional manner to the key audiences;
• Proactively engage with target communities to identify opportunities to promote environmental attentiveness of the local communities.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

• Manage activities to implement workplan at improving ERA’s indicator for environmental compliance;
• Coordinate with MEL team regular data collection, its progress, relying on innovative data gathering methods when appropriate;
• Capture the output and outcome level data, document and report the results in timely manner.

Reporting:

• Compile the Environmental Compliance reports for the ERA management on a regular basis;
• Oversee Environmental Compliance of the awards through the review of reports, correspondence, site visits, etc.
• Prepare accurate and timely progress reports on a quarterly basis and contribute to preparation of annual reports;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the DCOP and COP.

Job Expectations

In this position, you are expected to share the DAI four core values:

• Integrity: commit to civil and ethical behavior, play by the rules, and do the right thing;
• Responsibility: be accountable to clients, partners, grant recipients, beneficiaries, colleagues, and communities where we work. If you fall short, you own up, fix the problem, and get it right the next time;

• Excellence: adhere to the highest technical and professional standards in innovation, learning, and service;
• Global Citizenship: respect the cultural diversity and treat everyone everywhere with professionalism and dignity to make the world a better place.

About you

• Advanced degree in Ecology, Environmental Management, or relevant field;
• Experience in Ukrainian environmental and technical compliance procedures for Agricultural and agricultural products processing enterprises;
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience;
• Work experience with international companies or donors- funded projects preferred;
• Spoken and written fluency in English and Ukrainian is a must;
• Experience producing technical reports and managing data;
• Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders.

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.

Benefits Package:

• 28 calendar days of annual leave
• 10 days of internal well-being paid leave per annum
• Medical Insurance for ERA staff and their families
• Life Insurance for ERA staff
• Coverage of all expenses for the business trips
• Military reservation is possible and granted if you are on a relevant military register

Start date: February 2024

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to [email protected].

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

Closing date for applications: January 30, 2024.

For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website era-ukraine.org.ua.