Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) and Risk Management Consultant

About the role

The consultancy supports UNICEF’s Afghanistan Country Office in operationalising the Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) framework. You will help embed ESS policies, risk‑management procedures and the Complaints and Feedback Management (CFM) system across programme activities, enhancing accountability and safeguarding children and communities.

Key responsibilities

• Validate, finalise and operationalise the WASH Environmental and Social Risk Management Plan (ESRMP), integrating risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, CFM, monitoring and reporting into programme implementation.
• Establish and operationalise complaint and feedback mechanisms, referral pathways and trend‑analysis tools aligned with UNICEF’s accountability standards.
• Lead the rollout of ESS in two additional programme sections, covering activity screening, risk assessment, ESRMP development, CFM integration and monitoring system set‑up.
• Strengthen country‑office capacity by coordinating with specialised functions, partners and vendors, and supporting continuous improvement of ESS processes.
• Provide environmental and social safeguards support to the EERA‑AF Project, including incident documentation and escalation assistance.

Required profile

• Proven experience in environmental and social risk management, preferably within humanitarian or development programmes.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s ESS and CFM frameworks or similar standards.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to develop and validate risk‑management plans.
• Excellent stakeholder‑engagement and coordination abilities.

Required skills

What we offer

• Competitive consultancy fee and an attractive benefits package.
• Opportunity to contribute to UNICEF’s mission of safeguarding children and promoting sustainable development.