The Sustainable Growth and Nature team at Oxford Policy Management is seeking a Biodiversity Safeguard Specialist on a fixed-term basis of 6 months initially, contingent on the successful outcome of a bid for an upcoming project.

The position would be located in Jakarta- Indonesia Office

We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet.

Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement, and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change.

The position of Biodiversity Safeguard specialist would be responsible for: 

• Support the delivery of ETAP project activities: They will have dedicated technical roles supporting and delivering Task Activities with specific responsibilities outlined in the Activity TORs with the reference to the ETAP inception report. This is expected to include:

• • Managing the ESMS KPI monitoring and reporting framework (Task 3), including the KPI dashboard and quarterly reporting of ESMS Implementation.
  • Secretarial support to the ESMS Steering Committee or equivalent (Task 2), including logistic support and drafting the ESMS Implementation Update Memo and documenting discussions. This includes synthesizing the Memos within PLN’s planned annual ESMS Implementation Report, published at the end of each year).
  • Supporting the development and piloting of new tools and processes to support implementation of the PLN ESMS.
  • Supporting the design, piloting and review of priority ESMS training curriculum (Task 4B), including logistic support, organizing training material and managing post-training surveys.
  • Carrying out environmental and social due diligence (ESDD) study activities (Task 5) including document review, data collection, site visits, preparing documentation and reporting.
  • Other research support required across all Tasks, including collating data and reports, report writing and outreach.

• Facilitate the ETAP team’s communication and coordination with PLN: They will support the Deputy TL in day-to-day communication with TEK Division and other parts of PLN given their proximity and easy access.
• Develop advanced understanding of the ESMS processes and requirements, as well as specialist skills in social and biodiversity safeguards. The role will have active engagement in ESMS implementation and refinement and working closely with ETAP key experts and PLN counterparts. They will contribute to the strengthening the social and biodiversity safeguards aspects of the ESMS while building technical capacity through practical and on-the-job exposure.

• Additional responsibilities and tasks

  1. Support biodiversity safeguards
  • Support screening and categorization of projects for risks to biodiversity, critical habitats, protected areas, natural habitats, ecosystem services, etc. against national and international standards, using GIS tools and other datasets
  • Support baseline data compilation and simple field data collection relating to biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystem services (e.g., checklists, rapid assessments, consultation with local agencies and communities).
  • Assist in integrating biodiversity and ecosystem considerations into environmental and social management instruments (ESIA/ESMP, biodiversity management plans, chance‑find procedures for natural/cultural resources).
  • ​Contribute to monitoring implementation of social mitigation measures and grievance redress (e.g., tracking cases, follow‑up actions, and reporting trends).

   

  2. GIS and data management
  • Prepare and maintain GIS layers and maps relevant to social and biodiversity safeguards (e.g., land use, protected areas, community settlements, Indigenous territories where available, sensitive receptors, existing/planned infrastructure).
  • Support spatial analysis to identify and visualise risk areas, alternative alignments, buffer zones, and cumulative impacts for planning and decision‑making.
  • Assist in maintaining spatial databases and ensuring consistency between GIS data and narrative safeguards documents (screening forms, ESMPs, resettlement plans, etc.).

   

  3. Coordination, reporting, and capacity building (for both roles)
  • Work closely with PLN’s TEK team members at corporate and project levels, as well as with technical, procurement, and engineering teams, to ensure safeguard requirements are integrated into project documents and tender packages.
  • Contribute inputs to periodic E&S performance reports to PLN management and development partners.
  • Participate in internal training and learning activities on social safeguards, biodiversity, and GIS; share lessons from field implementation with colleagues to support continuous improvement of PLN’s ESMS.

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, geography, or related field;
• Understanding of key concepts in biodiversity safeguards (e.g., critical habitats, natural habitats, mitigation hierarchy).
• Basic to intermediate proficiency in GIS software (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS), including data management, spatial analysis, and map production is mandatory.
• Familiarity with biodiversity assessment tool such as IUCN IBAT is preferable
• More than 7 years of relevant experience in environmental management, biodiversity, or related fields in infrastructure/energy or natural resources projects.
• Exposure to projects involving international development partners (e.g., World Bank, ADB, other MDBs) and familiarity with their social and/or environmental safeguards is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with government agencies, utilities, or state-owned enterprises in Indonesia is an advantage, particularly in the energy or infrastructure sector.
• Ability to work with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and simple databases for monitoring and reporting.
• Native in Bahasa Indonesia, and good working English (reading and writing) to engage with international safeguards documents and development partner requirements.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills; attention to detail in documentation and data management.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team (environment, social, engineering, legal, procurement) within PLN and partner institutions.

Whether you join us in a corporate position, as a project delivery colleague, or as an independent contractor driving Programme management - at OPM you will find a company that places equal value on excellence and integrity. As a leading international development consulting firm, we strive to enable and empower everyone who works with us to do their best work in an environment that welcomes ambition, creativity and passion for positive change.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We strongly believe in a fairer distribution of power between all stakeholders, and we commit to reflecting this in our organizational structures and in the design and delivery of our projects. We proactively work to evolve ourselves and our stakeholders to shape inclusive and fair programming, implementation, and policies. Our recruitment and procurement processes reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more diverse and inclusive.

If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application through our careers’ site by the closing date .  We review and interview applicants on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply by way of CV via our careers site at the earliest.