Environmental Manager

Cox focuses its activities on the engineering, construction, and maintenance of power generation plants, as well as electrical, mechanical, and instrumentation infrastructure for the energy, industrial, transportation, and service sectors.

To ensure compliance with all environmental requirements applicable to the project, including those arising from environmental permits and licences, contractual commitments undertaken with the Client, South African legal requirements, and the Cox Integrated Management System. The role is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of an Environmental Management System aligned with ISO 14001 throughout the construction and commissioning phases of a photovoltaic power plant.

Location: Eland Mine Solar Project and Dwaalboom Solar 1 Photovoltaic Solar Energy Facility (South Africa).

Main Responsibilities

Environmental Requirements Management:

• Analyse and interpret environmental authorisations, permits, licences, Environmental Management Programmes (EMPrs), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and other regulatory documentation applicable to the project.
• Identify, assess, and extract all environmental requirements applicable to the project.
• Develop, maintain, and regularly update a legal, contractual, and environmental compliance requirements matrix.
• Ensure the effective implementation, monitoring, and verification of all environmental commitments undertaken with regulatory authorities and the Client.

Environmental Management System Implementation:

• Implement, maintain, and continuously improve the Cox Environmental Management System throughout the project.
• Develop, review, and implement environmental procedures, environmental management plans, work methodologies, and supporting documentation.
• Manage environmental aspects and impacts and ensure that appropriate mitigation, monitoring, and operational control measures are effectively implemented.
• Monitor environmental performance indicators and prepare periodic environmental reports.

Contract Management and Subcontractor Compliance:

• Review environmental requirements included in EPC contracts and Client contractual documentation.
• Ensure that all environmental obligations and requirements are effectively flowed down into subcontract agreements, purchase orders, and supplier contracts.
• Monitor and verify subcontractor environmental compliance throughout project execution.

Inspections, Audits, and Operational Control:

• Conduct regular environmental inspections and compliance monitoring activities on site.
• Identify non-compliances, deviations, environmental risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Issue, monitor, and follow up on observations, incidents, corrective actions, and non-conformities as required.
• Coordinate environmental incident investigations and participate in root cause analyses and corrective action processes.

Client and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Represent Cox in environmental meetings with the Client, regulatory authorities, environmental consultants, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare environmental compliance reports, presentations, and submissions for the Client.
• Respond to findings, observations, requests, and actions arising from external audits, inspections, and compliance assessments.

Audits and Certification:

• Prepare, coordinate, and support internal and external environmental audits.
• Act as the primary focal point during ISO 14001 audits and Client contractual compliance audits.
• Manage action plans arising from audits, inspections, and compliance verification activities, ensuring their effective implementation and close-out.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Environmental Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in environmental management of EPC renewable energy projects, including Solar PV and BESS.
• Demonstrable experience in the implementation and monitoring of Environmental Authorisations (EA), EMPr requirements, contractual environmental obligations and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.
• Registered with SACNASP. EAPASA registration will be considered an advantage.
• Accredited training in ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems. ISO 14001 Internal Auditor certification as a minimum requirement. ISO 14001 Lead Auditor certification preferred.
• Proven experience dealing with clients, external auditors, regulatory authorities and environmental compliance monitoring on construction projects.
• Technical Knowledge of South African environmental legislation (including NEMA, EIA Regulations, the Waste Act and Water Act), as well as waste management, hazardous substances, biodiversity protection and erosion control.
• Advanced professional English proficiency.