Environmental Compliance Officer at Abt Associates

Duty Station / Location: Kisumu, Kenya

Under the supervision of the Chief of Party, the Environmental Compliance Officer is responsible for overseeing program compliance with United States Government (USG) and Government of Kenya environmental regulations, and program adherence to requirements as laid out in USAID Initial and Supplemental Environmental Assessments and Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) and its amendments.

Specific duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Tracking the status of pesticide and geographic spray area decisions with PMI and NMCP, and determining the 22 CFR 216 documentation needs for the upcoming campaign.
• Timely preparation of a country-specific Supplemental Environmental Assessment, amendment, or Letter Report, as appropriate.
• Development of waste management plans prior to the initiation of spray activities describing the disposition plan for each waste stream generated during the spray season.
• Determining the registration status of proposed pesticides in the country of use prior to shipment, and ensuring that registration needs are satisfied before the arrival of pesticide.
• Ensuring that quality assurance testing on pesticide samples is performed and demonstrates that the pesticide meets specifications prior to shipment.
• Performance of smart-phone Pre-Season Environmental Compliance Assessments for each operational site (soak pit and/or storeroom) two months prior to spray.
• Performing vehicle inspections prior to AIRS signing lease agreements to be sure that all proposed vehicles meet Best Management Practice (BMP) requirements.
• Tracking and supervision of work required on operational sites prior to commencement of spray. Confirming soak pit construction according to BMPs.
• Providing or overseeing the annual environmental compliance training of spray teams and storekeepers, as well as Abt staff as necessary.
• Performing a Pre-Season Environmental Compliance Green Light Inspection for each operational site 1-2 weeks prior to spray.
• Continual supervision of spray operations and completion of BMP checklists throughout the spray season.
• Oversight of the closure of seasonal operational sites at the end of the spray season, and documenting proper storage of equipment and leftover pesticides.
• Oversight of waste management activities (incineration of sachets and masks, recycling of other wastes where possible, thorough washing of disposable items) to be sure that wastes are managed responsibly.
• Preparation of the EC portion of the End of Spray report, including a description of the important points noted throughout the campaign, and a consolidation of the information gathered from supervisory inspections. .
• Identifying needs for next year’s spray campaign.
• Using data from the smart phone data collection system to optimize operational site selection and optimization.
• Developing a database or system of spreadsheets to consolidate all necessary and useful information pertaining to environmental compliance in the ECO’s country, and US requirements under US 22 CFR 216.
• Lead and coordinate environmental compliance efforts for all program spray activities, inlcuding the implementation and oversight of procedures for:
• Quality and safety of insecticide procurements;
• Procedures for distribution, storage, and handling of insecticides; and
• Procedures for disposal of insecticide, waste products, and package material in accordance with national and international standards.
• Training and technical assistance to IRS implementation teams and counterparts.
• Liaison with project counterparts from the Ministry of Health, and other regulatory and governmental authorities.
• Position is based in Kisumu, with frequent travel to field sites to monitor IRS operations and implementation.

Qualification requirements include the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Sciences or other relevant field.
• At least two (2) years of relevant professional work experience, including significant experience in environmental health and inseciticide use and management.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a minimum of direction and supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to work both as a member of a team and as a team leader, with the ability to accept the inputs of other team members.
• Strong management and planning skills of project tasks and budgets.
• Demonstrates leadership and team work and produces high quality work in a timely, cost effective manner and has excellent writing skills.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal communication and computer skills.
• Experience with USAID and donor projects is highly desirable.
• English language proficiency.