Environmental Engineering Specialist (Hazardous Waste Management)

The Environmental Engineering Specialist (Hazardous Waste Management) provides authoritative technical advice and expertise to the project, ensuring the effective design, implementation, and oversight of remediation works at contaminated sites. This role involves adapting approaches to meet specific project needs, managing technical aspects of procurement, and ensuring compliance with international guidelines for hazardous waste management, thereby strengthening national and regional capacities.

Responsibilities

• Review and revise the Terms of Reference (ToR) and technical documentation for all project activities, including procurement processes, infrastructure design and construction, remediation activities and UNOPS oversight of contractors
• Review the scope of work and duration of requested activities for remediation
• Oversee project activities related to infrastructure development and remediation of hazardous waste for DDT and other POPs, ensuring compliance with country strategy, programmes, and BAT/BEP standards
• Review and track changes in national legislation and regulations on hazardous waste
• Consult with national and local environmental and sanitary control authorities on HSE requirements for containment design
• Liaise with design and build contractor on feasibility and practical implementation of design vis-à-vis national context
• Review design deliverables for compliance with project needs and national regulations
• Review formal qualification requirements and tender packages, providing recommendations
• Act as technical specialist in evaluation of bids/proposals for tenders, assessing technical proposals
• Perform inspection visits related to project activities and ensure technical presence at site level when required
• Review environmental permits issued by competent authorities
• Support UNOPS procurement officials in quality assurance during delivery of goods, works, and services
• Produce revised/confirmed technical specifications for project activities
• Provide technical guidance for development of market analysis
• Undertake regular narrative reporting of project activities from technical perspective

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required
• Certifications in hazardous waste management or environmental remediation (desired)
• Advanced training in chemical engineering or environmental science (desired)
• At least five years of professional experience in hazardous waste management, site remediation, or industrial HSE supervision
• Demonstrated experience in development, implementation, or oversight of site remediation plans or hazardous waste management plans
• Experience in environmental monitoring or HSE management within the mining, heavy industry, or chemical sectors
• Experience in supervision of hazardous waste packing, loading, containment, or transport operations
• Relevant technical roles within national environmental authorities, specialized testing laboratories, or private sector engineering/environmental consultancies
• Knowledge of international/national contaminated site legislation and management practices (desired)
• Knowledge of packaging and transport of hazardous wastes under ADR regulations (desired)
• Knowledge in classification of different wastes in accordance with European Waste Catalog (EWC) (desired)
• Experience in preparation/review of documentation needed for issuing Notifications and Export Permits for transboundary movement of waste (desired)
• Experience in working with national institutions, CSO and international organisations, donor activities in the sector of environment in Central Asia (desired)
• English language intermediate proficiency required
• Russian language fluent proficiency required
• Tajik language fluent proficiency required

Skills

• Hazardous Waste Management
• Site Remediation
• Industrial HSE Supervision
• Environmental Monitoring
• Hazardous Waste Loading
• Hazardous Waste Containment
• Development of Remediation Plans
• Oversight of Remediation Works
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Sciences
• Environmental Engineering
• Environmental Legislation Analysis
• ADR Regulations
• Preparation of Export Permits
• Hazardous Waste Logistics
• Hazardous Waste Packaging
• European Waste Catalog
• Technical Procurement

Languages

English, Russian, Tajik