Senior Environmental Specialist

Job Description:

                                        SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST

Institution: Rwanda AI Agency Ltd (RAIA)

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Type: Part-Time Individual Consultancy

Duration: 13 Months (1 December 2026 – 31 December 2027)

1. About Rwanda AI Agency (RAIA)

Rwanda AI Agency (RAIA) advances the responsible and inclusive use of Artificial Intelligence and

emerging technologies to assist Rwanda's national development priorities. RAIA implements the

World Bank-financed preparation program for AI for Economic Transformation in Rwanda.

2. The Opportunity

guide environmental, health and safety risk management for AI, cloud, compute and digital infrastructure

activities; produce World Bank environmental and social instruments for the follow-on operation.

3. Scope of the Role – Key Responsibilities

• produce the environmental sections of ESMF and ESCP, including screening, e-waste and occupational safety requirements.
• Assess environmental risks from cloud, compute, hosting and digital infrastructure, including energy and resource efficiency.
• evaluate technical specifications, procurement packages and contracts for environmental and safety compliance.
• track environmental commitments, perform field visits and assist incident reporting and corrective actions.
• produce environmental monitoring reports, advise the PIU and build institutional capacity.

4. Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements

• Master's degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, natural resource management or related field.
• At least 8 years of environmental risk management, including 4 years applying the World Bank ESF and preparing ESMF, ESIA/ESMP and ESCP.
• Experience in pollution prevention, e-waste management and occupational health and safety 
• proficiency in English.

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of Rwandan environmental, waste and OHS laws and institutions.
• Environmental risks of data centers and electronic waste management.
• Occupational safety for equipment installation and data center operations.
• Working Kinyarwanda (scored, not mandatory); French is an advantage

5. Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Criteria / Deliverable     Points / Timeline

1. Education:    10
2. General environmental risk management experience  :   15
3. World Bank ESF: ESMF, ESIA/ESMP and ESCP : 30
4. Pollution prevention, e-waste, energy/resource efficiency and OHS :20
5. Rwandan environmental, OHS and waste management law 10
6. English proficiency (written and oral) :   10
7. Kinyarwanda working fluency (interview; not pass/fail) - 5

TOTAL                                                                          100

• Minimum qualifying score for interview: 70 points. The three highest-scoring eligible candidates will be shortlisted; if fewer than three qualify, all qualifying candidates may be shortlisted.
• Kinyarwanda (5 points) is assessed at interview and is not a pass/fail requirement. 
• The 70-point shortlisting threshold applies to the other criteria (95 points).

6. Deliverables and Reporting Schedule

Criteria / Deliverable Points / Timeline

1. D1. Inception report, environmental work plan and screening tool - Dec 2026
2. D2. Environmental reviews of compute, hosting and IT procurement -Before package issue
3. D3. Draft ESMF environmental sections incl.e-waste and OHS -Apr 2027
4. D4. Draft ESCP environmental inputs and other instruments -May 2027
5. D5. Environmental inputs to consultation and disclosure - Jun 2027
6. D6. Environmental, health and safety monitoring inputs -Quarterly
7. D7. Final disclosed instruments package for appraisal -Nov 2027
8. D8. Handover report and residual monitoring plan -Dec 2027

All deliverables require written acceptance by RAIA.

Dates are indicative and may be adjusted by written agreement, without extending the contract beyond 31 December 2027 or increasing its approved ceiling.

7. Consultancy Engagement and Remuneration

• Time-based, part-time consultancy (indicatively 8–10 days/month, not guaranteed), 1 December 2026–31 December 2027.
• Daily gross fee inclusive of taxes; paid for approved days actually worked within agreed monthly and contract ceilings.
• No relocation reimbursement; Kigali presence required for key meetings, missions and field visits.
• Reports to the PIU Project Director and coordinates with the counterpart E&S specialist and technical teams.
• Possible extension or new contract subject to performance, continued need, financing and required approvals.

8. How to Apply

Submit a cover letter, detailed CV, copies of academic degrees and professional certificates, and contact details for three professional referees.

Application title: REOI — Senior Environmental Specialist, Project Implementation Unit

Deadline: 2 November 2026 at 5:00 PM (Kigali Time).

9. Detailed Terms of Reference (ToR)
 

For the full scope, deliverables, selection rules and contract conditions, refer to :REOI_Package9A_PIU_Senior_Environmental_Specialist_PartTime_FINAL_19Oct.pdf

Inquiries: procurement@raia.rw| RAIA, Block 5, Norrsken House, 1 KN 78 St, Kigali, Rwanda

NB:

1. Open to eligible individual consultants of all nationalities; firms are not eligible

2. Selection follows the World Bank Open Competitive Selection of Individual Consultants procedure.