Principal Consultant - Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD)

We are WSP - Join us and make your career future ready!

Think bigger scale. Think higher profile. Think ground-breaking. Join WSP, and you’ll be at the heart of a team of international experts all dedicated to growing and sharing their expertise, and working on projects that transform society for all of us.

WSP is one of the most diverse consulting firms in Africa, and the largest environmental consulting firm globally. To further our strategic business execution plan, we are seeking leaders who share our guiding principles – we value our people and our reputation; we are locally dedicated with international scale; we are future-focused and challenge the status quo; we foster collaboration; we have an empowering culture and hold ourselves accountable.

This role can be based in Durban, Cape Town or Midrand.

Key Responsibilities:

• Unique opportunity to deliver international projects with a primary focus on Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA’S) to meet development finance institution requirements and ESG/ESIA due diligences based on IFC and Equator Principles Standards.
• Experience with preparing and implementing Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS) will be advantageous.
• Key client/account relationship management, participation in marketing and business development activities, and development of ESIA and ESDD proposals.
• Contribute to and drive the business strategy for the ESIA and ESDD service sector.
• Where required, provide a support role to the delivery of ESIAs in line with South African and international lender standards, and permit compliance audits in terms South African legal requirements.
• Delivering local and international (Africa) ESDD projects.
• Undertake permit compliance audits in terms of South African legal requirements.

Health and Safety:

• Role model standards for SHEQ performance and behaviour consistent with the company’s health, safety, environmental and quality vision and policies by influencing those around you.
• Contributing to the identification of SHEQ risks and driving processes to achieve Zero Harm.
• Embracing, displaying and promoting the company values and ensuring a safe working environment is maintained at all times.

Qualifications:

• An Honours or higher degree in a relevant environmental and/or social discipline.

Key Competencies and Generic Skills:

• 6 years or more experience as an environmental specialist leading and delivering local and international (Africa) ESDD and ESIA consulting assignments.
• Professionally Qualified in SACNASP and/or EAPASA.
• Extensive experience with delivering local and international (Africa) ESDD projects at project level (typically ESIA due diligence) and in support of corporate mergers and acquisitions against Lender standards.
• In depth knowledge of, and the ability to pragmatically apply the international ESG performance standards (IFC, AfDB, EBRD Performance Standards, ILO Core Conventions, King III / IV, and the World Bank General and sector specific EHS Guidelines etc.)
• Demonstrable project experience in several of the following sectors: conventional and renewable power generation and transmission, road and rail infrastructure, ports and marine infrastructure, mining, oil and gas, and industrial manufacturing facilities.
• Knowledgeable in a wide range of environmental and social sub-disciplines (i.e. air quality, ecological impact, occupational health and safety, resettlement planning, labour practices etc.)
• Strong experience in Sub Sahara Africa (outside of South Africa) and ability to travel.
• Strong technical report writing skills, producing professional reports in fluent English.
• Strong project management skills.
• Comfortable to engage in client-facing business development.

Strong preference will be given to:

• Candidates who are able to read, write and converse in French or Portuguese.
• Candidates with knowledge of Impact Investing, Sustainability reporting and Governance.
• Candidates with strong ESDD experience and/or financial sector client exposure.

The following will also be advantageous:

• Significant experience with mining projects.
• Candidates who have a relevant financial qualification and/or experience in dealing with financial sector clients.
• Experience with international ESIAs and/or EHS compliance auditing.

Additional Information:

What's in it for you?

What if we can have work-life balance? What if we can be rewarded in ways that support our individual needs? What if we can be accepted for who we are? Here at WSP – we can!

WSP recognizes that work is only one part of our lives and making time for the other things in our life is important – be that our families, our friends or ourselves. So, if working from home, working part-time or having flexible start and finish time will help with this let us know as part of your application.