Associate, Health and Safety - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Cotonou)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Support implementation of the Bank's Health & Safety policy, procedures and guidance
• Support and coordinate close-out of audit non-conformances and action plans
• Assess office, remote travel and project site risks and support mitigations
• Support travel risk information and guidance delivery
• Coordinate incident reporting and support investigations
• Support data gathering, monitoring and reporting of health & safety KPIs
• Deliver or facilitate health & safety training and awareness activity
• Independently manage allocated health & safety projects and programmes

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Relevant health & safety qualification and/or demonstrable competence in occupational health & safety practice (level commensurate with the post's scope)
• Experience: Experience supporting health & safety risk assessment and mitigation; experience supporting incident reporting and investigation; experience delivering H&S programmes and/or projects in facilities management, construction, civil engineering or similar operational environment; experience supporting contractor safety management and/or H&S auditing; experience supporting real estate project coordina…
• Languages: English (fluent), French (desirab…)
• Key skills: Strong organisational skills; ability to manage competing priorities, Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, Strong report-writing skills; ability to use data to support monitoring and reporting, Ability to interpret guidance and escalate appropriately, Ability to propose practical improvements and root cause analysis, Confidence to work independently and make value-added decisions, Ability to coordinate stakeholders, schedules and actions, Understanding of building operations and facility management, Ability to work flexibly, including outside normal hours

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Regular.

Hiring unit: Corporate Services.

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Associate, Health and Safety at EBRD based in Cotonou.

Requisition ID 36867 Office Country Benin Office City Cotonou Division Corporate Services Contract Type Regular Contract Length Posting End Date 27/07/2026

As this role involves collaboration with international teams, we kindly ask that you submit your resume in English.

Purpose of Job

The Associate, Corporate Services supports the delivery of the Bank’s health and safety programmes, services and compliance obligations, providing competent advice and practical support to reduce risk so far as is reasonably practicable (SFAIRP). The role contributes to health and safety governance, training, incident management, risk assessment and reporting, and supports business continuity and emergency response arrangements as required. The role holder is also responsible for overseeing SSA real estate projects from inception through to completion.

Background

The role holder works with relevant stakeholders across the Bank (e.g., Corporate Services, regional management, office managers, and central teams) to coordinate planned health and safety programmes in line with Bank procedures, and to support risk mitigation for offices, travel and activities. The role may require travel depending on the role.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

A. Core Health and Safety Responsibilities

Policy, procedures, guidance and compliance

- Support implementation of the Bank’s Health & Safety policy, procedures and guidance; contribute to keeping guidance current and relevant. - Support and coordinate the close-out of audit non-conformances and action plans, tracking progress and escalating overdue items. - Provide advice to ensure health and safety risks are reduced to acceptable levels and best practice procedures are adopted.

Risk assessment, travel and operational support

- Help assess office, remote travel and project site risks, supporting proportionate mitigations (SFAIRP) and escalating higher-risk issues as required. - Support the operation and/or local delivery of travel risk information and guidance, including medical, health and safety information.

Incidents, investigations and continuous improvement

- Coordinate incident reporting and support investigations (near misses and accidents), proposing improvements to prevent recurrence; seek guidance on complex or sensitive cases. - Support data gathering, monitoring and reporting of health & safety KPIs and trends, contributing to continual improvement.

Training and communications

- Deliver or facilitate health & safety training and awareness activity aligned to the Bank’s training programmes; support staff understanding of procedures and individual responsibilities.

Programmes & Services

- Independently manage allocated health & safety projects, programmes and operational tasks; provide competent advice across departments. - Support strategic health & safety improvements and reporting (including analysis of trends to inform continual improvement). - Support crisis response and business continuity arrangements as required, including participation in crisis response activity and out-of-hours response where appropriate. - Support contractor management systems and controls relevant to headquarters operations (e.g., permit-to-work, contractor safety controls, audit schedules, lifecycle H&S input to building and maintenance work). - Provide H&S advice for Bank events (including planning support for Annual Meetings, as applicable). - Act as a local or regional focal point for health & safety, supporting regional management and office managers to implement Bank procedures and programmes. - Coordinate and support risk assessment and mitigation for offices, remote travel, road/aviation and project site risks (as relevant to the region), including medical emergency response planning and escalation to the Health & Safety Unit.

B. Core Resident Offices Delivery & Real Estate Projects Responsibilties

- Support the planning and delivery of real estate projects by coordinating project information and activity (briefs, plans, reporting, risks, actions) and supporting design/delivery partners to help ensure safe, timely and compliant outcomes. - Maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., regional management, office managers, landlords/building owners, architects, engineers, contractors). - Implement workplace procedures locally; monitor and manage real estate project risks; support compliance with applicable regulations/standards. - Establish/coordinate after-care and defects management processes and closure of defects within agreed periods. - Ensure maintenance records for life-safety systems are gathered for compliance monitoring in relevant offices.

Business Continuity / Fire Safety / Auditing / Specialist Workplace Programmes

May include responsibility for one or more of the following:

- Disaster recovery support (e.g., managing crisis response management contracts and related reporting, where assigned). - Fire safety management processes (e.g., fire risk assessment coordination, fire safety communications, fire warden training support, evacuation planning and PEEPs where applicable). - Internal auditing activities related to building H&S management (e.g., audits covering fire safety, legionella, asbestos, statutory inspections, COSHH and general H&S; action plans and escalation). - Food safety standards support (e.g., supporting external audit programme reviews, advice, inspections and complaint investigations where applicable). - Disability adviser / reasonable adjustments process support (where assigned), in liaison with HR partners.

Road & Aviation Safety / Medical Services / Data & Reporting

- Road safety provision and monitoring activities (including IVMS data interpretation and improvement actions, where assigned). - Aviation safety support (including advice on airlines/charter operations and management of aviation safety consultancy support where assigned). - Medical services coordination (including medical response arrangements for travellers/assignees; first aid provision; preventative health programme support; vaccination programme coordination; medical risk assessment inputs, where assigned). - Data management and reporting (including presenting complex H&S data to colleagues and supporting dashboards/BI outputs where applicable).

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

Essential

- Relevant health & safety qualification and/or demonstrable competence in occupational health & safety practice (level commensurate with the post’s scope). - Experience supporting health & safety risk assessment and mitigation; ability to interpret guidance and escalate appropriately. - Experience supporting incident reporting and investigation; ability to propose practical improvements (root cause analysis desirable). - Strong organisational skills; ability to manage competing priorities and deliver operational tasks. - Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to work with maturity and diplomacy. - Strong report-writing skills; ability to use data to support monitoring and reporting. - Fluent English (written and spoken), French language desirable - Experience delivering H&S programmes and/or projects in a facilities management, construction, civil engineering or similar operational environment. - Experience supporting contractor safety management and/or H&S auditing. - Confidence to work independently and make value-added decisions, drawing on experience and judgement. - Experience supporting real estate project coordination and understanding of relevant requirements associated with construction and fit-out projects (e.g., planning/building regulations), with ability to coordinate stakeholders, schedules and actions. - Understanding of building operations and facility management (WELL Building Standard awareness is an advantage). - Ability to work flexibly, including outside normal hours when required by incidents/projects.

Desirable

- Membership of IOSH and/or progression under a CPD programme (or equivalent). - Qualifications relevant to assigned specialisms (e.g., fire safety risk assessor; asbestos/legionella awareness; internal auditor; medical/healthcare qualification where medical services responsibilities apply; BI tools such as Tableau). - International environment experience.

What is it like to work at the EBRD? / About EBRD

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in.

At EBRD, our Values – Inclusiveness, Innovation, Trust, and Responsibility – are at the heart of how we work. We bring these to life through our Workplace Behaviours: listening well and speaking up, collaborating smartly, acting decisively with full commitment, and simplifying to amplify our impact. These principles shape our culture and define our success. We seek individuals who not only share these values but are also committed to embedding them in their daily work, fostering a positive and high-performing environment.

The EBRD environment provides you with:

- Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in. - A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity. Our workforce reflects a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, bringing fresh ideas, energy, and innovation and enhancing our ability to serve our clients, shareholders, and counterparties effectively.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 6 July 2026, 92 days ago.

No closing date is published in the source feed for this position. EU vacancies typically remain open for four to eight weeks; check the official vacancy notice for the cut-off date and time.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 6 October 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at EBRD see the EBRD institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Cotonou see our Cotonou location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.