Senior Social Performance Manager

APM Terminals

This senior-level role reports primarily to the Laldia Terminal Managing Director for operational delivery, with dual/dotted lined reporting to the Senior QHSE Center of Excellence Manager – Environment & HSE for technical oversight and subject matter assurance. The Social Performance Manager will lead the design, implementation, and governance of the Social Assistance Program (SAP) to address residual displacement impacts from past land clearance at the Laldia concession area. In addition, the role also requires providing subject matter expertise for the ESIA and managing social impacts during construction. The primary focus of the role is strategic oversight of SAP delivery, procurement and contract management of consultants and advisors, recruitment and management of local staff for program execution, and ensuring all SAP milestones are achieved within contractual timelines.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the development of a SAP Strategy and execution of the SAP in alignment with IFC PS5 and project objectives.
• Serve as the SAP primary liaison with the Chittagong Port Authority, Independent External Assessor (IEA), and other stakeholders.

Procurement & Contract Management

• Lead procurement and contracting of SAP Consultant and Independent External Assessor (IEA - as required by the Concession Agreement) within 120 days of Effective Date.
• Manage external consultant performance to ensure timely delivery of milestones and outputs.
• Ensure SAP consultants have multidisciplinary team with expertise in resettlement, livelihoods, land rights, gender, and stakeholder engagement.
• Oversee fiscal management for transparency in fund disbursement and tracking.

Milestone Oversight & Delivery Management

• Ensure SAP Consultant delivers key milestones on time.
• Monitor progress and escalate risks to ensure compliance with timelines.

Local Team Recruitment & Management

• Recruit, onboard, and manage local staff for SAP execution, including community liaison officers.
• Provide mentorship and capacity-building to ensure high-quality delivery.

Stakeholder Engagement & Grievance Management

• Ensure the development and implementation of a SAP Stakeholder Engagement Plan tailored to legacy displacement issues.
• Ensure inclusive consultations and transparent disclosure of SAP objectives, eligibility criteria, and entitlements.
• Establish and oversee a dedicated grievance mechanism for SAP-related issues.

Socio-Economic Baseline & Eligibility Verification

• Manage and oversee the SAP Consultant to ensure timely completion of retrospective socio-economic profiling and vulnerability assessments.
• Validate consultant methodologies and outputs to guarantee accurate eligibility determination and prioritization of vulnerable households.
• Ensure all data collection and analysis meet quality standards and are defensible under external review and legal scrutiny.

Livelihood Restoration & Support

• Direct the SAP Consultant in designing and delivering livelihood restoration strategies, including skills development, vocational training, and financial literacy programs.
• Monitor consultant efforts to establish linkages with government and NGO programs.
• Ensure proposed interventions are practical, culturally appropriate, and aligned with SAP objectives.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Supervise the SAP Consultant in developing and implementing a robust Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework with clear KPIs to track SAP delivery and effectiveness.
• Ensure independent third-party validation of SAP implementation and outcomes is coordinated and completed on schedule.
• Review and approve consultant-prepared quarterly progress reports for submission to the IEA, the Independent Engineer and the CPA, ensuring accuracy and compliance with reporting standards.

Develop and ensure Implementation of Local Content Plan

• Lead the development of a comprehensive project Local Content Plan to maximize participation of local suppliers, contractors, and workforce.
• Ensure alignment with national regulations and project objectives.
• Define measurable targets for local employment, procurement, training, supplier development and capacity-building initiatives.
• Establish monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track progress and demonstrate compliance with local content requirements.
• Collaborate with procurement, HR, and internal stakeholders to integrate local content objectives into project delivery.
• Work closely with the Project Director and Contract Manager to embed local content objectives into all tender documentation for project contractor packages.
• Collaborate with procurement teams to define clear local content requirements, evaluation criteria, and compliance mechanisms for contractors.
• Monitor adherence to local content commitments throughout the procurement and contract execution phases.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal Project Execution functional teams, HR, Legal, Procurement, and Finance teams to ensure SAP compliance and transparency.
• Collaborate with internal Project Execution functional teams to integrate social performance considerations into project planning and execution.
• Coordinate with external consultants, local authorities, and community representatives to ensure inclusive and participatory processes.

Quality Assurance and Defensible Reporting

• Demonstrated ability to produce internal high-quality, accurate reports.
• Provide technical and quality assurance to ensure consultant's reports are of international standard and quality, and that the consultants use robust, transparent, and defensible methodologies based on verifiable data and sound analytical frameworks that can withstand external peer review, public disclosure, and legal scrutiny.
• Apply internationally recognized standards and best practices when overseeing socio-economic assessments, impact evaluations, and monitoring frameworks to ensure credibility and compliance.
• Document all assumptions, limitations, and validation processes clearly in reports and deliverables to ensure transparency, accountability, and defensibility.
• Establish quality assurance protocols for data collection, analysis, and reporting to maintain consistency and reliability across all social studies (for both SAP and ESIA).

Provide Subject Matter Expertise and Assurance for Social Studies

• Deliver expert review for all social-related studies, including Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Social Impact Assessment (SIA), and associated baseline and impact analyses.
• Ensure all studies meet international standards (e.g., IFC Performance Standards.
• Develop and maintain an overarching Project Social Performance Plan that integrates ESIA/SIA findings, SAP commitments, local content, stakeholder engagement strategies, grievance mechanisms, and monitoring frameworks.
• Align the Social Performance Plan with project and contract objectives and regulatory requirements, ensuring consistency across all project phases.

Proactively Manage Social Risks

• Define critical path activities for SAP schedule.
• Identify SAP risks early and develop contingency plans.
• Develop and maintain a SAP compliance matrix.
• Develop a SAP Visual Risk Heat Map (showing): unresolved complaints, activities that are behind schedule, data collection that is pending, and critical documentation required, etc.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate social risks across all project phases, ensuring proactive management of potential impacts on communities and stakeholders.
• Apply IFC Performance Standards and other international frameworks by reviewing project activities and ensuring alignment with global best practices.
• Integrate social risk management strategies into project planning, procurement, and execution, ensuring these are embedded in contractor requirements and operational processes.
• Develop and implement internal monitoring and reporting frameworks to track social risk mitigation measures and verify compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Address key social risk areas by overseeing actions related to local content, legacy resettlement, cultural heritage protection, community health and safety, and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external consultants to ensure social risk controls are documented and tracked.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 20 years of experience in social performance, resettlement planning, or livelihood restoration in large infrastructure projects, preferably in South Asia.
• Proven expertise in IFC Performance Standards, especially PS5, and experience in managing social assistance programs.
• Demonstrated experience in procurement, contract management, and team leadership.
• Strong background in stakeholder engagement, grievance management, and socio-economic assessments.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with cultural sensitivity.
• Fluency in English (reading, writing and speaking).
• Ability to travel to Bangladesh as required.

Proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and prioritize tasks in a dynamic environment. Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.

Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.

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