Location
Snodland, Kent / Farnborough, Hampshire / Arlington, East Sussex / Central London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£40,000 per annum

About the Role
Do you have a proven track record in ensuring environmental compliance and promoting sustainable practices in engineering projects? Are you skilled at navigating complex environmental regulations and engaging with specialists and stakeholders? Do you enjoy conducting environmental assessments, writing contract documents, and auditing construction works for compliance? As an Environmental Performance Officer, you will be key support to the Environmental Performance Team, ensuring all environmental aspects of projects are managed from initial design through construction across the capital works programme for engineering. Your role will focus on reducing the overall environmental impact of development, ensuring compliance, and promoting good and sustainable practices.

You will work directly with the engineering delivery team, consultants, and contractors to assess engineering works, conduct desktop assessments, and write contract documents. SEW sites and infrastructure span diverse landscapes including protected Sites of Scientific Interest, habitats for protected species, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This requires experience in mitigating works in these sensitive areas and engaging with specialists, stakeholders, and consultants for further input.

The role also includes auditing construction works for compliance, with monthly reporting. There is an opportunity to specialise in Invasive Non Native Species and Strategy.

Main Responsibilities
- Conduct environmental desktop appraisals and sign off elements of the Investment Delivery Process on behalf of the business ‘client’ (Assets)
- Provide environmental advice on project progression and identify environmental sensitivities
- Liaise with environmental regulators to obtain consents and advice, reporting back to the business
- Engage with technical specialists and provide practical solutions to project teams
- Work with Engineering Project teams to minimise environmental impact, providing forecast costs and timings
- Perform auditing and site inspections to ensure compliance with regulations and internal standards
- Report on KPIs aligned with the 25 Year Environment Plan commitments
- Assist in rolling out training programmes and competencies for Project teams
- Report to regulators and stakeholders including water industry bodies and neighbouring water companies
- Promote sustainability, circular economy, and environmental goals across the business
- Manage and mentor apprentices and graduates within the team and wider environment team

Experience
- Degree in an environmental-based subject or equivalent experience in a similar role
- Proven management of environmental aspects and risks across diverse settings
- Demonstrable experience within a relevant environmental field
- Experience working within a process environment, particularly related to incident response
- People management skills including direct management of a small team and wider management of regulator, stakeholder, and contractor relationships

About you
- Passionate about the environment with the ability to work closely with colleagues, contractors, stakeholders, regulators, and the public
- Ability to determine pragmatic outcomes that minimise environmental harm and communicate these effectively to the business
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage with a variety of stakeholders
- Motivated to promote sustainability and environmental best practices across projects

Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent in an environmental subject
- It is advantageous to have chartership or be working towards chartership with a professional body such as CIWEM, CIEEM, CIWM, or Institute of Water
- Specialist subject knowledge in areas such as Archaeology, Arboriculture, EIA, or protected species licence holder or experience with protected species mitigation
- Experience in habitat restoration and management techniques, especially in woodland, chalk grassland, and heathland habitats
- Experience with biodiversity net gain and protected species mitigation is preferable
- Strong report writing and data presentation skills
- Ability to mentor and inspire team members