Environmental Compliance Specialist

Organization
IFC
Location
Washington, DC,United States
Deadline for Applications
12/01/2025
Tags
Full-time

Description

Build a career with impact. Working at the World Bank Group (WBG) provides a unique opportunity to help countries solve their greatest development challenges. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, the WBG is a unique partnership of five global institutions dedicated to ending poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, the WBG works 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.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2025, IFC committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions, and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

The CAO’s mandate is to assist the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)—the private sector lending and insurance arms of the World Bank Group—to address complaints from people affected by IFC and MIGA activities in a manner that is fair, objective, and constructive and to enhance the E&S outcomes of activities in which these institutions play a role.

CAO’s Compliance Team carries out reviews of IFC/MIGA compliance with their E&S Policies, assesses related harm, and recommends remedial actions to address non-compliance and harm where appropriate. This involves skilled fact finding, research, and analysis. The compliance team also monitors and reports on the implementation of Board approved commitments made by IFC or MIGA to address recommendations. In executing its work, the compliance team generates experience and knowledge that can assist IFC and MIGA in developing leading edge approaches to environmental and social risk management and to facilitating access to remedy. For more information visit www.cao-ombudsman.org.

IFC is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities where they are needed most.
MIGA promotes cross-border investment in developing countries by providing guarantees (political risk insurance and credit enhancement) to investors and lenders.

The Role: Working under the direction of the Manager of the Compliance Team, the Senior Specialist will lead complex analyses of compliance with IFC environmental and social standards with respect to complaints received by CAO, prepare reports that summarize findings and recommendations, and identify opportunities to contribute to the development of lessons learned from compliance case work.

Responsibilities:

Case Management

• Lead multiple, highly complex analyses of compliance with IFC environmental and social standards with respect to complaints received by the CAO, applying in-depth technical and strategic expertise and judgment.
• Provide technical leadership in relation to the design, organization, and data analysis of assigned CAO compliance appraisals, investigations, and monitoring processes. Serve as the lead author of CAO compliance reports, producing clear, well-reasoned compliance analysis and incorporating feedback from stakeholders.
• Provide technical expertise on environmentally related issues.
• Manage various compliance cases in parallel, ensuring appropriate allocation of resources, adherence to policy-mandated timeframes, addressing risks and obstacles.

Stakeholder Management

• Work with IFC/MIGA staff, community groups, NGOs, and private sector sponsors in discharging the above duties while maintaining the independence and integrity of CAO
• Represent CAO at internal and external stakeholder meetings and events as necessary.
• Attend Board meetings for any matter related to relevant compliance reviews and investigations.
• Contribute to and collaborate with CAO’s Advisory team in the creation and dissemination of knowledge and lessons learned as they relate to CAO’s compliance work.

Information Gathering and Compliance Analysis

• Integrate a broad range of issues and views into a cohesive, evidence-based and impartial written reports leading to internal clearance and publication in a timely manner.
• Design research approaches that identify the kind of quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods and supporting data needs most appropriate to examine the specific compliance issues and harm
• Supervise the work of junior staff responsible for research and coordination support to engaged by the CAO on compliance processes.

Staff Supervision/Development and Resource Management

• Define tasks for teams and plan for execution including budget and timelines working on multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Coach and guide compliance employees and consultants in the execution of their roles and responsibilities.
• Promote an environment of shared success and teamwork, connecting staff with peers across different practices and areas.
• Promote and facilitate innovation to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of processes.
Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in a relevant environmental field, for example, environmental sciences or environmental engineering.
• Minimum 10-12 years of relevant experience in environmental policy and compliance analysis, particularly as it relates to the application of environmental and social standards at corporate and operational levels of international financial institutions (IFIs).
• Experience working with private sector clients with exposure to emerging markets in a wide range of sectors (e.g., energy, agribusiness, extractive industries, infrastructure, and financial intermediaries).
• Proven ability to interpret and apply environmental and social policies and standards of IFC, MIGA and/or other IFI, with a track record in developing, managing, and delivering best practices in compliance and audit strategies, methodologies, and techniques.
• Highly developed proficiency in assessing environmental impacts and risks in development projects, and demonstrated advanced level of environmental expertise.
• In-depth knowledge of emerging practices in E&S risk management.
• Basic knowledge of CAO processes particularly as relates to compliance case handling.
• Demonstrated excellent judgment under high levels of scrutiny from both internal and external stakeholders, requiring the ability to present evidence-based findings in an objective, technically sound and constructive manner.
• Ability to work in highly sensitive and politically charged environments and to navigate sensitive situations and manage issues of confidentiality appropriately.
• Highly developed ability to engage and influence effectively and build rapport and trust with a broad spectrum of stakeholders in polarized contexts around complex issues.
• Demonstrated integrity and ability to remain independent, including from Bank Management and the Board, in the exercise of her or his duties.
• Excellent ability to gather, analyze, and synthesize information from multiple sources and present it concisely and clearly.
• Outstanding communication and influence skills, both written and oral, including proven experience in writing for publication and communicating information in a clear and cohesive manner.
• Proficiency in English required, with other languages an asset.