Application deadline: Wednesday 7 October 2026 – 23:59
Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Full-time : 40 hours per week
Contract: 1 year fixed-term contract

Salary: Gross monthly salary Kshs 300,000

We’re BirdLife International, the only global Partnership conserving birds and all life on our planet. We exist to give one voice to nature, and to unite and strengthen conservation across borders.

We are seeking a Senior Environment and Social Safeguards Officer will lead the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of environmental and social safeguards for the GFIP RCP, in compliance with GEF and CI-GEF Agency Environmental and Social Management Framework and Safeguard policies and procedures. This position will will ensure that the RCP integrates robust environmental and social safeguards, gender equality, and social inclusion principles into all operations, in close collaboration with Conservation International. This includes compliance with CI-GEF Environmental and Social Safeguard Standards (ESSF), the Gender Mainstreaming Plan (GMP), the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), and the Accountability and Grievance Mechanism (AGM). The Senior Environment and Social Safeguards Officer will provide technical leadership on environmental and social risk management, including stakeholder engagement, grievance redress mechanisms, gender and social inclusion considerations, and safeguard monitoring and reporting throughout the project lifecycle. The Senior Environment and Social Safeguards Officer will work closely with the RCP Project Management Unit (PMU), National Child Projects and other regional stakeholders to identify, prevent, and mitigate environmental and social risks during project implementation.

How you will do this:

1. Environmental and social safeguards compliance

• Lead the operationalization of the RCP’s Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), including annual safeguard screenings, risk categorization, and mitigation monitoring

• Support development and updating project-level instruments including Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEPs), Gender Mainstreaming Plans (GMPs), Gender-Based Violence (GBV) action plans, etc.

• Maintain a safeguard risk register and support the integration of risk mitigation measures in all RCP activities.

• Oversee implementation of the Accountability and Grievance Mechanism (AGM), ensuring timely response and confidentiality in complaints management

• Ensure that all RCP reporting meets CI-GEF safeguard compliance requirements and that relevant safeguard data is captured in the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system.

• Lead the secondary safeguards screening process for all RCP activities using the CI-GEF template and ensure timely submission to CI-GEF.

• Coordinate responses to CI-GEF supervision and safeguard compliance reviews, including corrective action follow-up.

• Provide technical input to the RCP Operations Manual and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to integrate safeguards, gender, and grievance-handling provisions.

• Ensure safeguard requirements are reflected in consultant and sub-grantee contracts and monitored for compliance.

• Support the Technical Lead and Finance & Grants Manager in audit preparation and documentation related to safeguards.

2. Data Gender mainstreaming and social inclusion

• Coordinate implementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Plan (GMP) across RCP activities and ensure its alignment with those of the Country Child Projects

• Lead the design and delivery of gender and social inclusion training for RCP and partner staff.

• Develop case studies, communication materials, and success stories demonstrating gender-transformative impacts of the program.

• Advise partners on integrating gender analysis in landscape management, policy, and livelihood interventions.

• Serve as Secretariat to the GFIP Gender and Safeguards Coordination Group, organizing meetings, recording minutes, and tracking actions.

• Coordinate and mentor national Gender and Safeguard Focal Points across all Country Child Projects to ensure consistent approaches.

• Integrate gender-responsive indicators into the RCP’s M&E framework and GEF Core Indicator Tracker in collaboration with the MEAL Manager, and Monitor gender-related indicators

• Contribute gender analysis to regional policy outputs, governance tools, and learning products developed by the RCP.

• Lead the production of gender-responsive communication materials and case studies highlighting project impacts.

• Ensure project interventions adhere to principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) where applicable.

3. Technical assistance and capacity building:

Develop and deliver training on environmental and social safeguards

• Conduct training sessions for child projects and other stakeholders on safeguard standards, focusing on gender inclusion, community engagement, and social safeguards

• Serve as focal point and technical backstop for national safeguards and gender officers in all GFIP countries.

• Convene periodic cross-country learning sessions and technical working groups on safeguards and gender.

• Collaborate with the CI-GEF Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) Unit to ensure consistency of safeguard approaches across regional and country levels.

• Liaise with the GFIP MEAL Manager to ensure environmental and social safeguards indicators are effectively monitored and reported.

• Support RCP consultants and grantees in incorporating safeguards and gender provisions into Terms of Reference (ToRs), contracts, and grant agreements.

• Design and deliver regional training curricula and e-learning modules on gender, social inclusion, and safeguards for the GFIP Knowledge Portal.

• Organize at least one cross-country training or learning exchange per year on gender and safeguards.

• Prepare training evaluation summaries and integrate findings into quarterly and annual reports.

• Ensure safeguard and gender topics are incorporated in broader GFIP learning and capacity-building events.

4. Stakeholder engagement and grievance management

• Facilitate inclusive consultations with vulnerable and marginalized groups, ensuring equitable participation

• Ensure participation of women, youth, indigenous peoples, and vulnerable groups in project activities.

• Ensure alignment of gender and safeguards actions with the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)

• Prepare quarterly and annual reports on safeguard and gender performance for submission to CI-GEF.

• Contribute to GFIP knowledge products, ensuring documentation of lessons on gender and social inclusion.

• Produce quarterly gender-safeguards learning briefs and an annual synthesis report on lessons learned across the region.

• Support inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups in consultations, decision-making, and benefit-sharing mechanisms.

• Contribute to the GFIP Knowledge Portal and other regional platforms, uploading safeguard and gender case studies, training materials, and tools.

• Represent the RCP in regional and global networks or technical working groups on gender equality and environmental and social safeguards.

• Support establishment and operationalization of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM).

• Track and document resolution of grievances and complaints.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), reporting and documentation

• Prepare quarterly and annual environmental and social safeguards monitoring reports.

• Contribute safeguards inputs to annual work plans, and implementation progress reports.

• Maintain proper documentation and filing of safeguards instruments, approvals, consultation records, and monitoring data.

• Support safeguards audits and mid-term and terminal evaluations on gender and safeguards performance.

• Collaborate with the MEAL Manager to verify safeguard-related data for donor reporting.

• Respond to requests from GEF on environmental and social safeguard

What we are looking for:

Education: Undergraduate (Bachelor’s degree) in a relevant subject (e.g. in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field.

Experience: Minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience in environmental and social safeguards management for donor-funded projects (GEF, GCF, World Bank, or similar).

• Demonstrated experience in gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive project design and reporting.

• Familiarity with CI-GEF or GEF safeguard standards, IFC Performance Standards, or similar frameworks.

• Proven capacity to conduct training, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and manage grievance systems.

• Experience working in West Africa or multi-country programs is highly desirable.

Job Specific Knowledge: Experience working on forestry, biodiversity conservation, climate change, landscape restoration, or natural resource management projects is highly desirable.

• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, social risk assessment, and grievance handling mechanisms.

• Experience conducting field monitoring and compliance assessments.

• Leading and/or facilitating communities of practice.

• Strong knowledge of environmental and social risk assessment methodologies.

• Excellent understanding of gender equality and social inclusion concepts

Management & Organisation Skills: Proven coordination and facilitation skills with government, NGOs, and community organizations. Strong analytical, organizational, and interpersonal abilities. Prioritize and be pragmatic, work under pressure, and meet deadlines. Adapt approaches to new information or contexts

Communication Skills: The ability to communicate through creative storytelling and presentation will be a strong advantage.

Creativity & Initiative: Collaborative, flexible, and respectful of others’ knowledge and experience, Self-motivated, organized, and efficient, with the ability to learn by doing. A dynamic and creative problem solver.

Computer Literacy: Using MS Office, managing e-mail and using the web Learning new communications and collaboration technologies

Languages: Complete fluency in English and French is required. Working proficiency in Portuguese is an advantage.

Travel: Willingness to travel (up to about 10% of time)

See the full job description here.

Salary & benefits:

Commensurate with experience and qualifications and in accordance with BirdLife International, Africa Division terms and conditions.

• 12% Employer pension contribution

• Medical insurance

• 22 days annual leave, increasing to 1 day per annum up to 25 days, plus bank holidays

• Christmas office closure

• Group Life Assurance

• Access to LinkedIn Learning

• Employee Assistance Programme, including access to Health Assured online health portal (webinars, nutritional advice, 4-week programmes, financial wellbeing and more)

BirdLife values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Find out more about our Diversity statement.

We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.

We will consider putting into place appropriate reasonable adjustments for candidates who may have a disability.