Senior Social Consultant – Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Vacancy

An opportunity has arisen for a senior social consultant to join our office in Abu Dhabi to work alongside highly experienced colleagues on a wide range of social performance services for high profile projects in the oil and gas, industrial and planning sectors.

The successful candidate’s duties and responsibilities will include:

• Delivery of environmental and social consulting services, focusing on stakeholder engagement, social impact assessment, land acquisition and resettlement planning, archaeology and cultural heritage protection, as well as implementation of social-related management plans, for development projects.
• Prepare environmental, social and health impact assessments (ESHIAs), resettlement action plans, stakeholder engagement plans, gender action plans, social management plans, and environmental and social due diligence reports.
• Co-ordinate site visits and socio-economic surveys for baseline data collection, analysis and assessment.
• Provide advice to clients regarding application of local regulations as well as and International best practice standards (such as International Finance Corporation Performance Standards, World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines and Equator Principles) related to social risk management, including impact assessment and management planning.
• Guide clients to develop indicators and monitoring tools to measure the social impacts of projects of regional, national and international significance.
• Financial and technical management of projects and tenders
• Client and project team liaison
• Business development, including client relationships, contribution to papers and conferences and thought leadership articles to promote the business
• Technical development and growth of the social team and mentoring of team members.
  
  
  

Desired experience:

• Degree or Masters in relevant discipline (social science, social studies, anthropology, environmental policy)
• 10 years of work experience, including experience of social consulting working gained in an international consultancy
• Thorough knowledge of current legislation, standards and guidelines relating to social and sustainability issues
• Thorough understanding of social standards of international financing institutions
• Thorough understanding of human rights and gender issues
• Experience in major oil and gas and infrastructure development projects.
• Excellent English skills, both verbal and written
• Additional language skills, especially Arabic and/or Kurdish, a distinct advantage
• Ability to interrogate, analyse and present data
• Willingness to travel within the region, including travel to Iraq and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for short missions
• Full driving license
  
  
  

Salary and benefits:

• This is a full-time post with an employment package commensurate with experience
• Regular training and development will be provided
  
  
  

About Us

RSK Middle East offers leading consultancy and contracting services in engineering, environmental management and sustainability planning that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the region. Since the company’s establishment in Abu Dhabi in 2007, it has been providing consultancy and contracting services to wide-ranging clients undertaking small- and large-scale projects in the Middle East and North Africa. We engage with clients in the oil and gas, energy, infrastructure and construction sectors. All projects adhere to international safety, health, environmental and quality standards. We are supported by our partners and RSK’s global centre of excellence.

All RSK Middle East regional branches work to a common standard of care for employee safety, technical quality and environmental protection following RSK’s ISO-certified system and with country-specific regulations and accreditations. The SHEQ management team maintains the system and records SHEQ performance to meet company and client expectations. Our Middle East teams access state-of-the-art global expertise through RSK’s centre of excellence. This includes social sciences, human health, groundwater risk assessments, sustainable remedial alternatives analyses, remedial solution implementation, environmental and social impact assessments, contractual matters, stakeholder communications and advocacy.

RSK is a global leader in sustainable solutions focusing on environmental, engineering, and technical services. Working together, we address societal challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, offering integrated solutions across sectors such as water, energy, food, infrastructure, cities, mining, and waste management.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We firmly believe that embracing and celebrating the diversity in our workforce makes us a stronger and more innovative company.

Since the beginning, our philosophy has remained the same: employ, develop and reward talented individuals. People are crucial to our company, and we recognise that our success hinges on our colleagues' growth. We're committed to preserving RSK's people-first culture, promoting innovation, and fostering a supportive and caring environment for collaboration. At RSK, we want you to be part of our successes and help you reach your career aspirations. We take pride in offering employees fulfilling and challenging careers by promoting ongoing growth and empowering individuals to excel.

If you're passionate about making a difference, join us as we work together to build a brighter, more equitable, and sustainable future for all. Do you have what it takes?