Environmental Major Projects Lead

Are you an experienced environmental professional looking for a pivotal role in major infrastructure?

Do you have a passion for environmental stewardship and major infrastructure projects?

This is a key opportunity for an experienced Environmental professional to oversee and drive the environmental strategy for South East Water's Major Infrastructure Projects, notably the Broad Oak Reservoir. You'll be instrumental in developing and delivering the environmental vision for this large-scale project, requiring exceptional communication skills to coordinate multi-disciplinary teams. Your expertise will guide us through planning, regulatory agreements, and long-term considerations including hydrology, ecology, biodiversity net gain, and recreational activities, ensuring the best possible outcome for the wider catchment.

Job Description

Main responsibilities:

• Shape and deliver the SEW vision for the scheme incorporating environmental catchment benefits, sustainability goals and regulatory requirements. 
• Key environmental contact between Framework consultant, Regulators and SEW Exec team, project team, and technical teams (catchment / hydrology / abstractions).
• Overseeing of management of the various work streams, including assessment, ecological / aquatic surveys where required including the use of external specialists, making appropriate recommendations, overseeing mitigation and monitoring.
• Review of consultant technical documents / and engaging external specialists where required for further review.
• Attend and review stakeholder meetings to ensure Regulator input and agreement from early design phases.
• Environmental assessment review for contract documents required for early design phase works ie ground investigations 
• Identifying and overseeing environmental risks on the project and ensuring that these are managed throughout the project.
• Identify, build and maintain relationships with stakeholders including local communities, environmental groups, local authority, County archaeologist and Regulators.

You'll need:
Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Substantial environmental experience, with extensive experience in managing aspects of large scale infrastructure projects within the water sector. Ensuring schemes are designed to enable compliance with the requirements of Local Planning Authorities and environmental regulators whilst ensuring they are deliverable.
• Experience and understanding of catchment management work, climate resilience and nature based solutions. 
• Experience with the Environmental Impact Assessment process as well as relevant planning processes and complex regulatory frameworks. 
• Environmental Assessment works and advising on legislation and best practice. 
• Experience and understanding of the Water Framework Directive
• Hydrology and wider catchment requirements including abstraction licences. 
• Mitigation for terrestrial and aquatic ecology, and biodiversity net gain.
• Experience of managing the environmental aspects of construction works, including site inspections.
• Experience of designing and managing post works reinstatement and improvements.
• Experience chartered environmental professional with a degree or equivalent Chartered Full member of an Environmental Institute.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders. 
• Excellent communication skills to a wide range of audiences. 
• The ability to expertly build and maintain strong relationships with both internal teams (including colleagues, framework consultants, and contractors) and critical external stakeholders, such as Local Authorities, Natural England, the Environment Agency, and County Archaeologists.

It will be a bonus if you have:

Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Hold one protected species licence, but not essential if there are other areas of expertise.
• GIS experience.
• Previous experience in managing recreational operational sites.