UNOPS Safeguards, Risk, and Inclusion Specialist: Home-Based Opportunity | 12-Month Contract | Apply by 5 October 2026
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is inviting applications for a Safeguards, Risk, and Inclusion Specialist to support climate-resilient infrastructure implementation across the Eastern Caribbean. This is a home-based, mid-level opportunity offered under a retainer contract, with assignments supporting the Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE) Facility.
The position is suitable for professionals with experience in environmental and social safeguards, risk management, gender equality and social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, occupational health and safety, sustainability, climate adaptation, or related areas.
Safeguards, Risk, and Inclusion Specialist Role
The successful candidate will provide technical advice and quality assurance to help ensure that safeguards, risk management and inclusion requirements are properly integrated into RIISE assignments.
The RIISE Facility is a regional mechanism designed to help governments in the Eastern Caribbean implement climate-resilient infrastructure while strengthening institutional capacity and facilitating knowledge and skills exchange. The initial focus includes Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The specialist will work under the guidance of the RIISE Secretariat and designated supervisor. Assignments may range from short-term remote advisory support through the Rapid Helpdesk to medium-term Surge Deployments.
Although the role follows a remote-first approach, the consultant must be willing and available to travel to participating Caribbean countries when on-site technical support is required.
Key Responsibilities
The specialist will screen RIISE requests and assignments for environmental and social safeguards, risk, GBA+/GESI, stakeholder engagement, grievance, occupational health and safety, and other relevant requirements.
Key responsibilities include reviewing assignment documentation, identifying potential risks and gaps, recommending appropriate mitigation measures, and helping incorporate safeguards requirements into Terms of Reference and delivery arrangements.
The specialist will also assess relevant policies and systems used by government entities, ministries, agencies, project implementation units, utilities, contractors and other stakeholders involved in supported infrastructure projects.
Another important part of the role will be strengthening safeguards and inclusion throughout the programme management cycle. This includes reviewing work plans, governance documents, progress reports, risk registers and donor reporting inputs to ensure that applicable requirements are reflected.
The specialist will support Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) screening by identifying barriers to participation, accessibility concerns, differential impacts and opportunities to improve equitable access to programme benefits.
Grievance Mechanisms and Stakeholder Engagement
The successful candidate will also support RIISE grievance and referral procedures. This may involve helping develop systems for grievance intake, acknowledgement, registration, assessment, referral, escalation, response, monitoring, closure and reporting.
Where relevant, the specialist will assess whether project-level grievance mechanisms are accessible, legitimate, predictable, equitable, transparent and responsive to affected communities.
The role will also involve advising on stakeholder engagement and consultation approaches, particularly where certain groups may experience barriers to participation.
Technical Support and Capacity Building
The specialist will provide on-demand technical advice to RIISE staff, government focal points, assignment teams and other stakeholders.
They may prepare advisory notes, checklists, templates, review comments and other practical tools. The specialist will also contribute to programme reporting, governance updates and donor reporting.
Capacity-building activities will be an important component of the role, with the successful candidate expected to help transfer knowledge, skills and practical approaches to government counterparts and other relevant stakeholders.
Assignment deliverables may include Rapid Helpdesk Reports, Assignment Closure Reports and Final Technical Reports. These reports will document knowledge transfer, GBA+/GESI integration, safeguards and risk issues, recommendations, limitations and required follow-up actions.
Depending on the assignment, the specialist may also support or quality-assure climate change adaptation integration checklists, occupational health and safety assessments and Environmental and Social Management Plan reviews.
Education and Experience Requirements
Applicants must have either a Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field with at least five years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with at least seven years of relevant experience.
Relevant fields include environmental management, environmental science, social sciences, international development, gender studies, human rights, Indigenous Peoples studies, environmental law, natural resource management, marine or coastal management, sustainable development, development finance and related disciplines.
Relevant professional experience may include environmental and social safeguards, social and environmental risk management, GBA+/GESI, grievance mechanisms, stakeholder engagement, OHS/ESMP oversight, human rights, sustainability, climate adaptation or infrastructure.
Experience applying safeguards or environmental and social risk requirements within infrastructure or development programmes financed or implemented by UN agencies, international organisations, development finance institutions, climate funds or comparable institutions is required.
A recognised project management certification such as PRINCE2 or PMP is desirable.
Location, Contract and Deadline
Position: Safeguards, Risk, and Inclusion Specialist
Organisation: UNOPS
Job Category: Health, Safety, Social and Environmental
Location: Home-based
Seniority: Mid Level
ICS Level: ICS 10
Contract: ICA – LICA – Specialist – Retainer
Contract Level: LICA 10
Duration: 12 months, subject to budget, project needs and satisfactory performance
Posting Date: 14 September 2026
Application Deadline: 5 October 2026
English fluency is required, while intermediate Spanish is desirable.
Applicants should also be aware that the retainer arrangement may involve mandatory training courses that must be completed in the candidate’s own time before services are provided. UNOPS may also offer full-time employment for a specified period of up to one year, depending on operational requirements and the candidate’s acceptance.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply through the official UNOPS careers platform before the closing date. Applications must be submitted before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on 5 October 2026.
UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes and does not request payment at any stage of its recruitment process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the selection process.
This opportunity offers an opportunity for an experienced safeguards, risk, environmental, social or inclusion professional to contribute to climate-resilient infrastructure and institutional strengthening across the Caribbean while working primarily from a home-based location.
Apply through the official UNOPS careers platform: https://careers.unops.org/careersmarketplace/JobDetail/Safeguards-Risk-and-Inclusion-Specialist-Health-Safety-Social-and-Environmental/4514
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