Senior Environmental Engineer

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

The UNOPS South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) supports sustainable development in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based in Belgrade with strong field teams, SEEMCO delivers project management, procurement, infrastructure, HR, and technical assistance to governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Partnering with national institutions, local authorities, civil society, and media, it contributes to sectors such as infrastructure, socio-economic development, social cohesion, rule of law, environment, healthcare, education, digitalisation, energy transition, and governance. Since 2000, SEEMCO has advanced the EU integration agenda, national priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides emergency response, recovery support, and capacity building for institutions. Funders include the EU, European Investment Bank, governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as UN agencies such as UNHCR and UNEP.

The UNOPS Skopje Project Office operates under the South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO), based in Belgrade, and supports the implementation of projects in North Macedonia focused on a variety of thematic areas. Its work focuses on addressing some of the country’s key environmental challenges, including air and soil pollution, while also supporting progress on the EU accession path vis-a-vis the environment. 

The project “National Environmental Fund - Clean-up of OHIS Site” aims to contribute to improvement  of the  environmental standards in North Macedonia through the remediation of a major industrial pollution hotspot and the reduction of pollution-related risks to the environment and public health. The  Fund is a blended financing mechanism supported by the Government of North Macedonia, Kingdom of Norway and EU established to support the clean-up of the small δ-HCH dump site. 

In December 2025, UNOPS and the Government of North Macedonia signed a new 36-month Agreement to complete the remediation of the δ-HCH dump site, with implementation launched in  January 2026. 

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, and with guidance and close coordination from the Project Manager, the Senior Environmental Engineer will provide strategic and technical leadership related to remediation activities. The role will guide the planning, implementation and technical oversight of environmental remediation efforts, ensuring alignment with the project objectives, international standards and best practices for environmental protection and human health. 

The Senior Environmental Engineer will provide technical expertise and guidance across environmental remediation projects, play a key role in ensuring the effective implementation and monitoring of clean up activities, contributing to the achievement of project goals and the protection of human health and the environment.

1. Technical Expertise and Guidance

• Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance on environmental remediation, including site assessment methodologies, risk modeling, and long-term remediation planning.
• Advise on international best practices, advanced remediation technologies and innovative approaches suitable for contaminated sites. 
• Review and validate technical documentation, feasibility studies, remediation design and monitoring plans to ensure alignment with international standards. 
• Provide comparative analyses of remediation options.
• Support quality assurance and technical oversight of remediation works.
• Mentor and provide capacity-building support to national experts and project stakeholders, as required.

2. Project Planning and Implementation

• Contribute to the development of overall project work plans, budgets, and implementation schedules.
• Lead the preparation of technical specifications and Terms of Reference (ToRs) for remediation activities, including methodologies for waste characterisation, volume estimation, and risk categorisation , ensuring compliance with national and respective country’s national standards.
• Provide high-level technical assessments and support for historical environmental hot spots across the globe and as per the UNOPS operational needs. 
• Provide technical oversight of environmental cleanup activities, including excavation, treatment, and disposal of contaminated materials, ensuring alignment with international standards.
• Monitor overall technical performance and progress of remediation works, identifying and addressing any technical risks or issues, and propose corrective strategies/actions where necessary.

3. Monitoring and Reporting

• Design and oversee the implementation of environmental monitoring programs to evaluate the effectiveness and long-term performance of remediation activities. 
• Review and interpret environmental monitoring data and prepare technical reports, summaries and presentations. 
• Provide strategic input to the development and implementation of Environmental Management Programmes, including closure strategies, rehabilitation plans, and post-remediation monitoring framework. 
• Advice on permitting requirements, regulatory compliance strategies, environmental assessment methodologies, and technically complex remediation processes. 
• Provide interpretation and guidance on relevant international environmental legislation, directives and regulatory frameworks relevant to hazardous waste treatment; 
• Identify environmental risks and emerging technical issues, recommend mitigation measures, and provide oversight on the implementation of corrective actions.

4. Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building

• Facilitate knowledge transfer to project team members, national experts and relevant institutional counterparts. 
• Contribute to the development of training materials and workshop content on remediation methodologies, monitoring frameworks and hazardous waste management.
• Deliver or support targeted workshops, technical sessions, or presentations on remediation technologies.

Required

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field with 7 years of relevant experience is required

Desired

• PhD in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field is desired

Required

• A minimum of seven years of relevant experience in environmental remediation, including site assessment, and risk management.

Desired

• Experience working on international environmental projects in the field of hazardous waste management.

• Experience with multi-partner environmental funds.

• Knowledge of international and/or national contaminated site standards and best practices in remediation and environmental risk management.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here [link removed]. 
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• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.