Job description

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

Iraq is recognized as one of the most affected countries by the harmful effects of climate change. Iraq ratified the Paris Agreement on January 14, 2021. In October 2021, the Government of Iraq (GoI) signed their first National Determined Contribution (NDC), which has been presented at the COP26. The Government of Iraq has requested UNDP support in implementation of the NDC, including through capacity development, advisory for sectoral planning and formulation of related strategies, frameworks, and instruments. 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP's Strategic Plan.

UNDP is an accredited Implementing Agency for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund and the family of funds such as the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBBF). As an Implementing Agency, UNDP offers countries highly specialized services for eligibility assessment, project formulation and due diligence, co-financing mobilization, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, and knowledge management.

Iraq faces significant environmental and public health risks associated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), hazardous chemicals, obsolete pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), unintentional POPs (UPOPs), industrial POPs (IPOPs), and chemically contaminated sites. Previous assessments identified substantial quantities of obsolete pesticides and potentially PCB-contaminated electrical equipment and highlighted significant technical and institutional capacity gaps in chemicals and contaminated-sites management.

The Government of Iraq is a Party to major international chemicals and waste conventions, including the Stockholm, Basel, Rotterdam and Minamata Conventions. Iraq has previously developed a National Implementation Plan (NIP) under the Stockholm Convention; however, the existing NIP requires updating to reflect newly listed POPs, improved inventories, updated risk information, institutional developments and current national priorities.

The Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Chemical Hotspots Management Project, therefore adopts an integrated approach combining:

• strengthening the national framework for POPs and hazardous chemicals management;
• updating the national POPs inventories and National Implementation Plan;
• strengthening laboratory, inspection, monitoring and institutional capacities;
• environmentally sound management and disposal of obsolete pesticides;
• management and disposal/phase-out of PCB-contaminated equipment, oils and waste; and
• assessment and remediation planning for priority chemical pollution hotspots

The project comprises three components. Component 1 focuses on improved management of POPs and hazardous chemicals; Component 2 focuses on high-risk POPs in the agriculture and power sectors; and Component 3 addresses chemical pollution hotspots and contaminated sites.

Implementation will require extensive technical assistance, consultancy services, procurement of laboratory and field equipment, hazardous waste management services, capacity building, site assessments, remediation planning and policy/regulatory development.

Scope of Work 

LEAD ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS COMPLIANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT 

• Lead and coordinate implementation of the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), the project Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), applicable Environmental and Social Standards, UNDP Social and Environmental Standards, and relevant national environmental, occupational health and safety, labour and stakeholder-engagement requirements.
• Establish and maintain a project-level environmental and social safeguards compliance and assurance system covering technical studies, field investigations, sampling, laboratory activities, procurement, transport, temporary storage, treatment, disposal, contaminated-site work and contractor operations.
• Review project activities and procurement packages for environmental and social risks and advise the Project Manager and UNDP on the safeguards instruments, mitigation measures, monitoring requirements and contractual provisions required before implementation.
• Review and provide technical clearance/advice on Environmental and Social Management Plans, site-specific management plans, occupational health and safety plans, waste-management plans, emergency preparedness and response arrangements, stakeholder-engagement measures, labour-management measures and other safeguards instruments required under the ESCP/ESF.
• Ensure that safeguards requirements are adequately incorporated into Terms of Reference, technical specifications, bidding documents, contracts, contractor method statements and implementation plans.
• Undertake or coordinate safeguards monitoring of consultants, contractors, laboratories, hazardous-waste operators and field activities; identify non-compliance and recommend corrective and preventive actions, including escalation of material risks to UNDP management.
• Provide safeguards oversight for handling, packaging, temporary storage, transport, treatment and disposal of obsolete pesticides, PCB-contaminated equipment/oils and other hazardous wastes, including worker and community health and safety and emergency-response considerations.
• Ensure appropriate environmental and social due diligence for chemical hotspot investigations and remediation planning, including community exposure pathways, vulnerable groups, land/access implications, occupational risks and stakeholder consultation.
• Support incident and accident reporting, root-cause review, corrective-action tracking and safeguards reporting to UNDP, the Ministry of Environment and the World Bank, as applicable.
• Maintain safeguards records and prepare periodic safeguards compliance notes/reports, including status of ESCP commitments, material risks, corrective actions and outstanding issues.
• Provide technical guidance and capacity development to the PMU, government counterparts, consultants and contractors on ESF/ESCP, UNDP safeguards, hazardous-chemicals risk management and good international industry practice.

ESTABLISH AND LEAD THE PROJECT TECHNICAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM.

• Establish and maintain a systematic, risk-based technical quality assurance framework covering all project components, with defined review gates, technical acceptance criteria, peer-review requirements, corrective-action tracking and documentation of technical clearances.
• Review and advise on the technical adequacy of major Terms of Reference, scopes of work, technical specifications, sampling and analytical protocols, technical designs, bidding documents and evaluation criteria before procurement or implementation.
• Review consultants’ and contractors’ inception reports, methodologies, work plans, sampling plans, QA/QC plans, draft and final technical reports, feasibility studies, remediation designs, disposal/treatment proposals, laboratory methodologies, monitoring plans and technical training materials.
• Validate the scientific and technical soundness, internal consistency, traceability and fitness-for-purpose of technical data, assumptions, findings, conclusions and recommendations against project requirements, international standards and relevant convention guidance.
• Verify achievement of key technical milestones and advise the Project Manager on acceptance, conditional acceptance, revision or rejection of technical deliverables, without replacing the formal procurement/contract approval authorities.
• Provide written technical review notes and recommendations for corrective action where technical gaps, methodological weaknesses, data-quality concerns, safeguards risks or implementation deficiencies are identified.
• Support technical evaluation of specialized environmental procurement when requested, including assessment of technical methodologies, equipment specifications, laboratory capability, contractor qualifications and proposed treatment/disposal technologies.
• Promote harmonized methodologies, sampling protocols, laboratory procedures, QA/QC systems and environmental assessment approaches so that Component 3 technical systems can support subsequent implementation of Components 1 and 2.

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF POPS, HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS,  PCBs AND OBSOLETE PESTICIDES 

• Provide senior technical review of national inventories and assessments of industrial POPs (iPOPs), unintentionally produced POPs (uPOPs), POPs pesticides, obsolete pesticides, newly listed POPs and other priority hazardous chemicals.
• Assess whether inventory methodologies, data sources, sampling strategies, analytical methods, laboratory QA/QC and data-management systems are consistent with Stockholm Convention guidance and internationally accepted practice.
• Review characterization, classification and prioritization of POPs stocks, waste streams, contaminated materials and exposure pathways, and ensure that inventory findings are appropriately reflected in risk-reduction measures, management plans and the updated National Implementation Plan (NIP).
• Provide technical quality assurance for the updated NIP, including validation of inventory findings, prioritization, action plans, resource requirements, risk-reduction measures and consistency with Iraq’s obligations under the Stockholm Convention.
• Review uPOPs assessments and application of the UNEP Toolkit, including source identification, emission estimation, prioritization and proposed Best Available Techniques/Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP).
• Provide technical oversight and independent review of the PCB inventory, including sampling and testing strategies for transformers, capacitors, oils and associated contaminated materials; classification and risk categorization; and prioritization for phase-out, treatment and disposal.
• Review and validate PCB management and phase-out plans and provide technical advice on decontamination, treatment, destruction and disposal options, including proposed mobile or fixed treatment technologies where applicable.
• Review technical arrangements for PCB collection, draining, packaging, labelling, temporary storage, transport, treatment and final disposal, ensuring cradle-to-grave tracking and adequate documentation.
• Provide technical review of obsolete pesticide stockpile assessments, site characterization, sampling and analytical results, risk assessments and proposed management/disposal strategies.
• Assess the technical and environmental suitability of packaging, containment, temporary storage, transportation, treatment and disposal options, including in-country and transboundary disposal arrangements.
• Review qualifications, methodologies and performance of specialized hazardous-waste contractors from a technical and safeguards perspective and verify disposal/destruction documentation and certificates.
• Ensure technical consistency with Stockholm Convention and Basel Convention requirements, applicable national requirements, the World Bank ESF and recognized international hazardous-waste management practices.

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF CHEMICAL HOTSPOTS AND CONTAMINATED SITES 

• Provide senior technical oversight and independent review of national hotspot identification and prioritization and detailed assessment of priority chemical contamination sites.
• Review conceptual site models, investigation designs, sampling plans, laboratory analytical programmes, data-quality objectives, hydrogeological assessments and contaminant fate-and-transport analyses.
• Review human health and ecological risk assessments, including exposure pathways, receptors, uncertainty analysis and risk-based prioritization.
• Assess remediation feasibility studies and site-specific remediation plans for technical feasibility, environmental and social soundness, proportionality to risk, implementability and long-term monitoring requirements.
• Advise on remediation objectives, cleanup criteria/standards, verification requirements, institutional controls and post-remediation monitoring.
• Provide technical guidance for the National Programme on Contaminated Sites Management, including site screening, risk classification, investigation, remediation decision-making, technical standards, GIS/database requirements and long-term monitoring.
• Ensure that contaminated-site assessments and remediation plans adequately address POPs and other hazardous chemical contamination and are consistent with the national information-management system being developed under Component 3.

LABORATORY, SAMPLING AND DATA QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Review laboratory modernization plans, analytical equipment specifications, installation/commissioning arrangements, calibration requirements, certified reference materials, QA/QC procedures and operation and maintenance provisions.
• Review and promote fit-for-purpose sampling, chain-of-custody, sample preservation, laboratory analytical and data-validation procedures for POPs, PCBs and chemical hotspot investigations.
• Assess laboratory and field-monitoring performance, including detection limits, calibration, proficiency, blanks/duplicates, data validation and documentation, and recommend corrective measures where data quality is insufficient.
• Ensure traceability of technical evidence from field sampling and laboratory analysis through risk assessment, inventory development, remediation/disposal decisions and reporting.

TECHNICAL MONITORING, VERIFICATION AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND STRATEGIC TECHNICAL ADVICE

• Conduct periodic technical and safeguards implementation reviews across the project portfolio and provide concise assurance reports to UNDP management and the Project Manager on technical quality, compliance, emerging risks and required corrective actions.
• Support verification of contractor and consultant performance against approved methodologies, technical specifications, safeguards obligations, deliverables and key milestones.
• Contribute to technical review of project progress reports, Steering Committee documentation, World Bank missions and implementation-support reviews, focusing on technical quality and environmental/social compliance.
• Maintain technical issues and corrective-actions register and follow up on closure of significant findings.
• Apply adaptive management by identifying emerging technical, safeguards and implementation risks and recommending proportionate adjustments that preserve the approved project scope and contractual requirements.
• Provide targeted technical mentoring and on-the-job support to the PMU, Ministry of Environment and relevant national institutions on safeguards, POPs/PCB management, contaminated-site assessment, remediation planning, hazardous-waste management, laboratory QA/QC and technical review.
• Review technical manuals, standard operating procedures, guidance notes and training materials to ensure scientific accuracy, safeguards integration and consistency across project components.
• Support technical consultations, validation workshops and coordination with the Ministry of Environment, relevant ministries, laboratories, academia, technical institutions, the World Bank, GEF and specialized service providers.
• Document lessons learned and technical recommendations that strengthen sustainable national systems for POPs, hazardous chemicals and contaminated-site management beyond the project period.
• Provide substantive advice and technical support to the development and implementation of a capacity development/ learning plan on thematic area of the project for Country Office and participate in global/regional learning initiatives.
• Keep abreast of the developments in the thematic area of the project and provide guidance on how to incorporate them into UNDP’s current and future programming in the relevant sector. Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to content development for knowledge products.

BUILD STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND ACHIEVEMENT OF STRATEGIC RESULTS. 

• Maintain strategic relationships with UNDP partners, Government institutions, donors, development partners, civil society, a