Position Details

Location: Mwinilunga, with frequent field trips within and beyond North-Western Province and regular trips to our head office in Lusaka

Reports to CEO and COO with a direct reporting line to the Board's E&S Committee

Employment type Full-time, subject to probation in accordance with applicable employment law

Position Overview

We operate to the IFC Performance Standards, the environmental and social standards set by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

We already have a number of E&S policies. A key part of your role is to bring them together into a single Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS): the policies, procedures and records we use to manage E&S risk.

You will also manage our Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP), a list of planned E&S improvements, each with an owner and a deadline.

You will have direct access to the CEO, COO and the Board, and the authority and resources you need to do the job well.

About Wuchi Wami

Wuchi Wami brings together forestry, public- and private-sector actors, smallholder farmers, community leaders and other stakeholders around a shared commitment to climate and environmental investment as a pathway to sustainable development. The company works with the Board and Kwasha Indimi Cooperative.

Wuchi Wami was established to promote sustainable beekeeping through a cooperative model, supporting environmentally responsible beekeeping practices and the livelihoods of smallholder bee farmers.

Strategic Priorities

Over the next five years, Wuchi Wami will focus on the following priorities:

• Clarifying the community’s purpose, values and vision.
• Strengthening the company’s profitability and commercial sustainability.
• Improving efficiency across the Wuchi Wami value chain.
• Identifying opportunities to attract investment in sustainable, environmentally responsible beekeeping.
• Strengthening advocacy and awareness of sustainable beekeeping through effective storytelling and outreach.
• Advancing research and development on practical approaches to environmentally sustainable development.
• Supporting leadership development through the cooperative and satellite structures.
• Strengthening rural livelihoods and environmental sustainability by integrating smallholder farmers into the value chain through coordinated production, extension support and fair market engagement.

Would you like to contribute to a growing movement that places environmental sustainability and smallholder livelihoods at the centre of development? Wuchi Wami works with a community of more than 3,600 members committed to responsible beekeeping, research and development, and collective approaches to sustainable development.

Key Responsibilities

Management system and reports

• Develop the ESMS, get it approved by the Board, and keep it up to date as E&S risks change.
• Draft an E&S Policy for Board approval.
• Build and maintain an E&S risk register covering environmental, labor, biodiversity, climate, community and supplier risks.
• Keep a register of the environmental laws that apply to us and carry out an annual compliance review.
• Track progress on each ESAP action against its deadline and report to the Board every quarter.
• Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for E&S performance and collect the data monthly.
• Prepare the annual E&S Performance Report for the Board and shareholders.
• Report any serious incident or accident to the Managing Director and the E&S Committee within three days.
• Support external E&S auditors, including providing the documents and site access they need.

Workers, health and safety

• Set up an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system covering the processing plant, the workshop and field work.
• Carry out task risk assessments and write safe work procedures for all high-risk tasks.
• Make sure all workers and contractors use the right personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Induct every contractor and audit contractors regularly.
• Write a Labor Management Procedure in line with the Employment Code Act No. 3 of 2019.
• Set up a grievance procedure for workers and keep a record of every grievance and how it was resolved.
• Assess the risk of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) and put in place a confidential procedure for reporting and responding to it.
• Prepare an emergency plan for each site and run an emergency drill at every site once a year.
• Assess the risks of road transport, journey management and expansion into new areas.

Suppliers and communities

• Write a Supplier Code of Conduct and screen all new suppliers against E&S criteria.
• Assess the risk of child labor across our beekeeper network.
• Train beekeepers and field staff on preventing child labor, and monitor suppliers regularly.
• Write a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and build relationships with beekeeper groups, traditional leaders and district officials.
• Set up a grievance procedure for communities and keep a record of every grievance and how it was resolved.
• Make sure all transport contractors follow our traffic management plan.

Environment and biodiversity

• Work with a specialist consultant to develop a Biodiversity Action Plan and monitor forest condition and bee health.
• Before we start buying honey in a new area, screen it for sensitive habitat using maps and geographic information system (GIS) data.
• Develop procedures for managing waste, wastewater and hazardous materials.
• Carry out a climate risk assessment and prepare a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory.
• Carry out E&S due diligence on any new site before we buy or lease it.
• Make sure every new plant is designed to meet the IFC Performance Standards and the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.

Gender and inclusion

• Develop a Gender Equality and Inclusion Policy.
• Collect gender-disaggregated data on employees, managers and suppliers, and report on it annually.
• Set targets to increase the number of women in our workforce, in management and in our supplier network.

Candidate Profile, Education and Experience

Essential

• A degree in environmental science, natural resources, forestry, OHS, social science or a related subject.
• At least three years' experience in E&S or OHS management.
• Hands-on experience applying the IFC Performance Standards.
• Good knowledge of Zambian environmental, labor, OHS and forestry law, including the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011, the Employment Code Act No. 3 of 2019, the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 36 of 2010 and the Forests Act No. 4 of 2015.
• Fluent English, written and spoken.
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to produce clear procedures and reports.
• Confidence in training groups of workers and beekeepers.
• A valid driver's license.
• Willingness to travel to remote rural areas for several days at a time.

Desirable

• Ability to speak Lunda, Kaonde or Luvale.
• Experience in agriculture, food processing or a supply chain with small-scale producers.
• Experience on a project funded by a development finance institution (DFI).
• A qualification in OHS, for example the NEBOSH International General Certificate.
• GIS software skills.
• Experience with organic certification or food safety audits.

What Wuchi Wami Offers

• A workplace culture that values inclusion, belonging and the contributions of each team member.
• Opportunities for professional development and to contribute to work with positive environmental and livelihood outcomes.
• Training in the IFC Performance Standards and in the company ESMS.
• The chance to make a real difference at a Zambian company that works with thousands of rural beekeepers.

Work Authorisation

This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the required permanent local work authorisation or permit to be considered.

Travel and Working Hours

Some international travel may be required to meet with and build relationships with global partners. As Wuchi Wami works across time zones, occasional early-morning or evening calls may be required.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Wuchi Wami is committed to building an inclusive organisation where people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, languages, ages, genders, abilities, nationalities, beliefs and socioeconomic circumstances are respected and can contribute fully. The organisation values geographic diversity and seeks to strengthen representation of people whose lived experiences reflect the inequities affecting the communities its work aims to support. Wuchi Wami is an equal opportunity employer, and we particularly encourage women to apply.

• Develop the ESMS, get it approved by the Board, and keep it up to date as E&S risks change.
• Draft an E&S Policy for Board approval.
• Build and maintain an E&S risk register covering environmental, labor, biodiversity, climate, community and supplier risks.
• Keep a register of the environmental laws that apply to us and carry out an annual compliance review.
• Track progress on each ESAP action against its deadline and report to the Board every quarter.
• Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for E&S performance and collect the data monthly.
• Prepare the annual E&S Performance Report for the Board and shareholders.
• Report any serious incident or accident to the Managing Director and the E&S Committee within three days.
• Support external E&S auditors, including providing the documents and site access they need.
• Set up an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system covering the processing plant, the workshop and field work.
• Carry out task risk assessments and write safe work procedures for all high-risk tasks.
• Make sure all workers and contractors use the right personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Induct every contractor and audit contractors regularly.
• Write a Labor Management Procedure in line with the Employment Code Act No. 3 of 2019.
• Set up a grievance procedure for workers and keep a record of every grievance and how it was resolved.
• Assess the risk of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) and put in place a confidential procedure for reporting and responding to it.
• Prepare an emergency plan for each site and run an emergency drill at every site once a year.
• Assess the risks of road transport, journey management and expansion into new areas.
• Write a Supplier Code of Conduct and screen all new suppliers against E&S criteria.
• Assess the risk of child labor across our beekeeper network.
• Train beekeepers and field staff on preventing child labor, and monitor suppliers regularly.
• Write a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and build relationships with beekeeper groups, traditional leaders and district officials.
• Set up a grievance procedure for communities and keep a record of every grievance and how it was resolved.
• Make sure all transport contractors follow our traffic management plan.
• Work with a specialist consultant to develop a Biodiversity Action Plan and monitor forest condition and bee health.
• Before we start buying honey in a new area, screen it for sensitive habitat using maps and geographic information system (GIS) data.
• Develop procedures for managing waste, wastewater and hazardous materials.
• Carry out a climate risk assessment and prepare a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory.
• Carry out E&S due diligence on any new site before we buy or lease it.
• Make sure every new plant is designed to meet the IFC Performance Standards and the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.
• Develop a Gender Equality and Inclusion Policy.
• Collect gender-disaggregated data on employees, managers and suppliers, and report on it annually.
• Set targets to increase the number of women in our workforce, in management and in our supplier network.

• Hands-on application of the IFC Performance Standards
• Knowledge of Zambian environmental, labor, OHS and forestry law
• Fluent written and spoken English
• Strong writing skills and ability to produce clear procedures and reports
• Confidence training groups of workers and beekeepers
• GIS software skills (desirable)
• Ability to speak Lunda, Kaonde or Luvale (desirable)

• A degree in environmental science, natural resources, forestry, OHS, social science or a related subject
• At least three years' experience in E&S or OHS management
• A valid driver's license
• A qualification in OHS, for example the NEBOSH International General Certificate (desirable)
• Experience in agriculture, food processing or a supply chain with small-scale producers (desirable)
• Experience on a project funded by a development finance institution (DFI) (desirable)
• Experience with organic certification or food safety audits (desirable)