PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPERT – LESOTHO
Company: CDM Smith
Location: Maseru, Lesotho
Job ID: 4828
Employment Type: Intermittent
Sector: Developmental Assistance
Work Arrangement: The successful candidate will be required to work in office and field locations as needed.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Join Us! CDM Smith – where amazing career journeys unfold.
Imagine a place committed to offering an unmatched employee experience. Where you work on projects that are meaningful to you. Where you play an active part in shaping your career journey. Where your co-workers are invested in you and your success. Where you are encouraged and supported to do your very best and given the tools and resources to do so. Where it’s a priority that the company takes good care of you and your family.
Our employees are the heart of our company. As an employer of choice, our goal is to provide a challenging, progressive and inclusive work environment which fosters personal leadership, career growth and development for every employee. We value passionate individuals who challenge the norm, deliver world-class solutions and bring diverse perspectives. Join our team, and together we will make a difference and change the world.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) is procuring consulting services for the feasibility-stage Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the proposed dam on the Makhaleng River under the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer Project.
The assignment will assess environmental and social risks and impacts, prepare an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), support required authorizations, and align the work with applicable national requirements and international environmental, health, safety, and social safeguards.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
CDM Smith is seeking a Public Health and Safety Expert to serve as Key Expert on the proposed assignment. The expert will lead and support assessment of occupational health and safety, community health and safety, public health, dam-related emergency preparedness, and associated mitigation and monitoring measures across the ESIA.
The role will work closely with the ESIA Team Leader and multidisciplinary specialists to ensure that health and safety risks are systematically identified, assessed, and addressed in the ESIA, ESMP, specialist studies, and related plans.
Anticipated Project Duration: 12 months
Anticipated Expert Level-of-Effort: 6 months
Professional engagement is contingent on project award and client approval.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead the public health and safety components of the ESIA for the proposed Makhaleng River dam and associated infrastructure.
- Assess occupational health and safety risks associated with construction, operation, maintenance, worker accommodation, construction camps, hazardous materials, emergency events, and decommissioning considerations.
- Assess community health, safety, and security risks, including traffic and road safety, labor influx, communicable and water-related diseases, emergency preparedness, and risks to downstream communities.
- Contribute to the Public Health Impact Assessment and establish relevant baseline conditions, data gaps, risk pathways, vulnerable receptors, and monitoring indicators.
- Apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods to identify hazards, evaluate likelihood and consequence, determine significance, and recommend controls consistent with the mitigation hierarchy.
- Develop practical, costed mitigation and management measures for inclusion in the ESMP and Environmental and Social Commitment Plan, with defined responsibilities, implementation schedules, indicators, reporting requirements, and corrective-action triggers.
- Contribute health and safety requirements for contractor ESMPs, occupational health and safety systems, worker training, incident reporting, emergency response, and compliance monitoring.
- Support preparation and review of dam safety and emergency preparedness measures, including contingency planning, community notification, emergency communication, and coordination with relevant institutions.
- Coordinate with environmental, social, ecological, water resources, stakeholder engagement, and resettlement specialists so that public health and safety measures are integrated across project components and deliverables.
- Review applicable health and safety legislation, regulatory requirements, lender safeguards, and international good practice relevant to large water infrastructure.
- Participate in field investigations, consultations, technical workshops, client meetings, and report presentations as required.
- Prepare clear technical inputs and specialist sections for the inception report, baseline report, screening and scoping reports, draft and final ESIA, ESMP, RAP interfaces, and supporting specialist reports.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Advanced capability in occupational health and safety, community health and safety, and environmental health risk assessment for complex infrastructure.
- Strong knowledge of hazard identification, risk assessment, risk registers, control selection, emergency preparedness, incident prevention, and monitoring frameworks.
- Ability to translate technical health and safety findings into practical design, construction, operational, and contractor-management requirements.
- Working knowledge of African Development Bank environmental and social safeguards and Environmental, Health, and Safety guidance, together with relevant IFC and World Bank standards.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary ESIA team and coordinate inputs across engineering, environmental, social, water resources, ecology, resettlement, and stakeholder engagement workstreams.
- Strong technical writing, analytical, presentation, and stakeholder communication skills.
- Ability to work in culturally diverse and transboundary project settings and communicate complex risk information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Availability for field work and project meetings in Lesotho and, as required, South Africa and Botswana.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) and qualifications in Occupational Health and Safety, Engineering, or a related field.
- Advanced certification(s) in Environmental Health and Safety.
- Minimum 15 years of experience managing health and safety aspects of large water infrastructure.
- Demonstrated proficiency in risk assessment and risk management, particularly in the water sector.
- Knowledge of the Bank Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines and applicable local and international health and safety regulatory requirements.
- Ability to commit the required level of effort of approximately 6 person-months during the 12-month assignment, subject to the final work plan.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Prior experience preparing public health, occupational health and safety, or community health and safety inputs for ESIAs, ESMPs, dam projects, hydropower projects, reservoirs, or bulk water-transfer infrastructure.
- Experience applying the African Development Bank Integrated Safeguards System, IFC Performance Standards, World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, and IFC/World Bank Group EHS Guidelines on major infrastructure assignments.
- Experience with dam safety interfaces, emergency preparedness and response planning, labor-influx risk management, traffic safety, worker accommodation, and contractor health and safety requirements.
- Experience working on multidisciplinary or transboundary water infrastructure projects in Africa; Southern Africa experience is highly desirable.
- Familiarity with relevant regulatory and institutional requirements in Lesotho and, where applicable, South Africa and Botswana.
- Professional certification or registration in occupational safety, industrial hygiene, environmental health, engineering, or a related discipline, where applicable.
- Experience participating in stakeholder consultations and communicating public health and safety risks to affected communities, authorities, and project decision-makers.
AMOUNT OF TRAVEL REQUIRED
20%–40%
BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG TESTING INFORMATION
CDM Smith Inc. and its divisions and subsidiaries (hereafter collectively referred to as “CDM Smith”) reserves the right to require background checks including criminal, employment, education, licensure, etc. as well as credit and motor vehicle when applicable for certain positions. In addition, CDM Smith may conduct drug testing for designated positions.
Background checks are conducted after an offer of employment has been made in the United States. The timing of when background checks will be conducted on candidates for positions outside the United States will vary based on country statutory law but in no case, will the background check precede an interview.
CDM Smith will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant’s criminal history. If this position is subject to a background check for any convictions related to its responsibilities and requirements, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. Criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate.
In addition, during employment individuals may be required by CDM Smith or a CDM Smith client to successfully complete additional background checks, including motor vehicle record as well as drug testing.