General Information
Position Title
Health, Safety, Social and Environmental Associate - Social Development
Job Category
Health, Safety, Social and Environmental
Duty Station(s)
Bridgetown
Seniority Level
Associate
ICS Level
ICS 06
Contract Type
ICA - LICA - Support - Regular
Contract Level
LICA 6
Posting Start Date
24-Jun-2026
Posting End Date
08-Jul-2026
Duration
Ongoing, subject to good performance and budget availability.
Job Highlight
This role combines stakeholder engagement, risk management, and strategic communication to anchor global project activities within the communities they affect. You'll build vital human connections across diverse groups, proactively mitigate conflicts through data-driven field insights, and ensure project execution aligns strictly with social inclusion and human rights guidelines. It’s ideal for someone who is empathetic, highly structured, and wants to see their diplomacy directly shape how large-scale initiatives succeed on the ground.
About the Region
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In Latin America and the Caribbean, UNOPS operates across 23 countries, delivering high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure—including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing—to enhance quality of life and foster inclusive growth. UNOPS also supports public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development stakeholders, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.
About the Country/Multi-Country Office
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The Barbados Country Office (CO) functions as a strategic hub to support Caribbean nations in implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), helping regional leaders advance a global agenda on climate justice and financing. The primary mandate of the Barbados Country Office is to Speed Up and Scale Up engagements across 17 Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), ensuring that partner expectations are met with agility and precision. Through dedicated operational presence, UNOPS Barbados Country Office streamlines complex regional logistics and fosters stronger collaboration with sovereign governments and financial institutions in the Caribbean. The office focuses on delivering high-value solutions aligned with the region’s priorities, including the economy, nature and climate, human capital, infrastructure and capacity development.
Job Specific Context
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UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations.
This project will support the strengthening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) of Barbados by offering UNOPS turn-key services for the construction of new facilities. In November 2022, the Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados (MoHW) engaged UNOPS for technical assistance in implementing a capital expenditure loan facilitated by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support improvements at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). Following preliminary assessments, field missions, and stakeholder consultations, a project proposal was initiated to address the hospital’s urgent infrastructure and operational needs. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is Barbados’ main acute care facility and a regional teaching hospital affiliated with the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus). Operational since 1964, QEH currently maintains 519 beds and plays a central role in delivering universal health coverage to the population of Barbados. Ongoing plans for its strategic development align with the national Health Sector 10-Year Plan and the QEH Care Excellence Programme (CEP).
After this technical assistance, the following infrastructure priorities will need to be implemented :
Design and Construction of a new medical waste management building
Refurbishment of hospital maintenance workshops
Upgrade of the morgue extraction system
These components are essential to ensure quality healthcare delivery and environmental safety on the hospital premises
Role Purpose
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The primary objective of this role is to serve as a critical technical and human link between project activities and the communities they affect. The incumbent facilitates effective interaction with stakeholders, mitigates conflict, and ensures project activities align with social inclusion, human rights, and gender-specific policies.
Functions / Key Results Expected
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Community Engagement
Support the ongoing community stakeholders identification and mapping of their needs, engagement, direct and indirect project impact.
Support the implement the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), ensuring full integration of gender-specific stakeholder protocols and mainstreaming guidelines provided by the project manager.
Conduct regular field visits to meet with community stakeholders, maintaining an open line of communication. Proactively respond to enquiries, mediate concerns, and, in consultation to the project management, apply solutions to minimize potential community disruptions.
Arrange, facilitate, and attend community stakeholder meetings and ensure consultation, providing timely collection and recording of feedback for project improvement.
In cooperation with the project team, organise public hearings and town hall meetings according to the project and community needs.
In cooperation with the project team, promote inclusive engagement by identifying and establishing tailored communication channels for vulnerable, marginalized, and hard-to-reach groups within the community
Risk management
Conduct field-based perception surveys and assessments to gather community feedback, as needed, providing data-driven insights to the team, overall helping refine project communication strategies and enhance risk management.
Given the key metrics, assess risks associated with community liaison and contribute to co-create response actions, to ensure project continuity and community relations.
Report to the project manager community-related grievances or emerging issues to the project team in a timely manner, collect inputs from the project team and integrate them into communication to mitigate negative impacts on project implementation.
Monitor local community dynamics and media/social media chatter to counter misinformation or rumors regarding project activities before they escalate.
Communication & reporting
Support the project team to prepare, and disseminate communication materials that clearly articulate project scope, benefits, and temporary impacts to relevant community members.
Respond to stakeholder inquiries, ensuring timely, accurate, and transparent communication, and maintaining a log of interactions to track trends and inform project management decision-making.
Support the preparation of detailed monthly reports to the Project Manager, capturing key engagement metrics, emerging social issues, and the status of community relationships.
In liaison with the Project Manager, document significant project milestones and community impacts through photography, stories, and testimonials, ensuring this material is utilized for project visibility and reporting.
Skills
Community Engagement, Project Management
Competencies
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Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.
Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.
Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.
Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.
Education Requirements
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Completion of secondary school is required.
A university degree (Bachelor or Master’s), or equivalent in Sociology, Development Studies, or a related field is desired, and may substitute for some years of experience.
Experience Requirements
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A minimum of six (6) years of experience in communication/liaison, community mobilization, or a relevant field is required.
Prior experience working with national and international organizations is a significant advantage.
Language Requirements
Language Proficiency Level Requirement
English Fluent Required
Additional Information
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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.
Terms and Conditions
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.
For more details about the contract types, please click here.
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.
.justified-content { text-align: justify !important; } Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation. Terms and Conditions 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. 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.
