Associate Director, Grievance Response, Environmental and Social Department

EBRD is seeking an Associate Director (Grievance Response) to join its Environmental and Social Department (ESD). The Associate Director will coordinate EBRD management's response to complaints and concerns from external stakeholders regarding project environmental, social and human rights impacts.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a central registry of environmental, social and human rights concerns and complaints reported to EBRD management.
• Develop and oversee a process for risk-based response to such concerns and complaints.
• Responsible for ensuring that ESD leadership is appropriately briefed on the status of project related concerns and complaints.
• Coordinate regular reporting on the complaint response process.
• Represent ESD in engagements with project affected people and civil society stakeholders who raise concerns or complaints about the environmental, social and human rights impacts of EBRD projects.
• Coordinate ESD responses to specific concerns and complaints regarding the environmental, social and human rights impacts of projects through engagement with the EBRD staff and Clients.
• Contribute to EBRD management's engagement with IPAM regarding complaints, work processes and the IPAM Policy.
• As an ESD subject matter expert for complaint handling and grievance response, provide or coordinate technical inputs to relevant EBRD policies, guidance, strategies and other initiatives as assigned.
• Participate in and represent ESD in engagements with internal and external stakeholders as relevant to complaint handling and grievance response.
• Document and disseminate learning from the complaint's response process.
• Develop and deliver capacity building activities on grievance response for EBRD clients and staff.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal processes and procedures, including the streamlining, collection, management, and automation of data.
• Develop productive relationships within the organisation to able to work effectively in a country/sector matrix structure and in a multi-cultural working environment.
• Champion and role-model the Bank's Behavioural Competencies and Corporate Behaviours, ensuring adherence within the department/teams so that the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct are always exhibited.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant discipline: social or environmental sciences, human rights, dispute resolution, law, etc, or comparable professional experience.
• Proven track record working with international environmental, social and human rights standards, including experience in a role requiring direct engagement with affected communities and workers on complaint handling and grievance response in high risk or complex settings.
• Knowledge of international environmental, social and human rights standards and their application to projects (eg. EBRD E&S Requirements; IFC Performance Standards; UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights), including knowledge of international best practices and approaches to grievance response in development finance, project level grievance mechanisms and International Accountability Mechanisms.
• Knowledge and experience of financing instruments, approaches, and processes as well as IFI, or similar, policies and procedures, including policy development.
• Ability to build trust and work effectively with a range of stakeholders including project affected communities, civil society organizations, technical experts and bankers.
• Ability to generate creative solutions to stakeholder concerns and complaints considering diverse views and interests.
• Familiarity with the countries in which the Bank operates / plans to operate.
• Track record in project management, leading/conducting oversight of multi-disciplinary teams and delivering a solution-orientated and risk-assessment based approach on complex and high-risk projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work independently or lead/oversee a team in a multicultural environment.
• Effective time management and organisational skills and ability to multi-task and delegate tasks.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Proven experience communicating complex policy and technical issues to a wide range of senior level stakeholders and decision makers internal and external to the Bank, verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and coaching junior staff.
• Ability to transfer previous external experience into the EBRD context.
• Proactive in anticipating problems and leading in tackling those to avoid escalation.
• Demonstrable experience in negotiations, persuasion, and influence skills in internal and external engagement activities to deliver the team's and Bank's objectives, based on effective communication skills.
• Ability to operate in a multicultural environment and build effective working relationships with internal/external clients and colleagues.

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in.

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank's core values which are at the heart of everything it does. A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expect our employees to attend the office 50% of their working time.

Please note, that due to the high volume of applications received, we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide detailed feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted.