Core Purpose of the Role
The Environmental Development Specialist will be responsible for managing environmental and social requirements across the full project lifecycle, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, internal governance frameworks, and lender or investor requirements. The role will lead environmental permitting and approval processes across a diverse portfolio, including utility-scale, C&I, and aggregation projects, while providing technical oversight to identify, assess, and manage environmental and social risks from early development through pre-construction. The Environmental Development Specialist will also oversee the monitoring and reporting of environmental and social performance, conduct site audits and inspections, and support ESG data tracking to meet internal, regulatory, and stakeholder requirements.
The role contributes to maintaining compliance, supporting project bankability, and enabling timely project delivery by advancing key milestones such as permitting, EIA, grid access, and financial close, while coordinating land and legal due diligence, stakeholder engagement, municipal processes, and infrastructure access, and developing scalable processes to support future land acquisition.
Position of the job in the organisation:
The Environmental Development Specialist will report directly to the Environmental and Land Manager
Principal responsibilities:
- Lead and manage environmental and social development activities across utility-scale, C&I and aggregation projects
- Conduct high-level environmental and social screenings for prospective solar PV projects to identify applicable legal, regulatory and permitting requirements
- Develop and issue request for proposal (RFP) documentation for Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) and other environmental and social specialists
- Manage and coordinate EAPs and specialist consultants to obtain environmental permits, licences and authorisations, including Environmental Authorisations, WUL/GA approvals and other regulatory approvals, where applicable
- Provide technical oversight of environmental studies, reports and submissions to ensure regulatory compliance, quality and alignment with internal standards
- Assist in the development, implementation and ongoing review of environmental and social management frameworks, including associated policies, procedures and tools
- Support the development and implementation of environmental and social performance trackers, monitoring tools and ESG data systems
- Monitor, collect and review environmental and social performance data for development projects and compile monitoring and compliance reports for internal stakeholders, investors and other key role players
- Conduct site-based environmental inspections and audits during development phases to assess compliance with company policies and procedures and, where applicable, Environmental Authorisations and Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs)
- Manage environmental contractors and consultants, including review of policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, compliance with legal requirements and performance reporting
- Work closely with internal project teams to guide meaningful engagement with EPCs, installers, contractors and other stakeholders on environmental and social requirements
- Obtain environmental and social performance information from contractors and project teams and support reporting against regulatory, internal and stakeholder requirements
- Deliver environmental awareness and compliance training to internal and external stakeholders, as required
- Provide specialist input into environmental and social risk identification, mitigation and project decision-making during development
- Perform any other duties reasonably associated with the role, in support of departmental and organisational objectives
Experience & Skills
- Minimum 6–8 years’ experience in environmental management, with a strong focus on project development
- Demonstrated experience managing complex environmental permitting processes for infrastructure or renewable energy projects
- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Natural Sciences or a related field (postgraduate qualification advantageous)
- Strong working knowledge of:
- South African environmental legislation and permitting processes
- IFC Performance Standards
- Lender environmental and social due diligence requirements
- Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS)
- Experience working with regulators, authorities, consultants and project teams
- Strong project management and coordination skills
- Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel to project sites as required
Specific attributes:
- Experience in ESIAs and EMPR development
- Experience in implementing environmental law
- Environmental management system experience
- Strong attention to detail and high standards of regulatory compliance
- Ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously
- Confident decision-maker with sound professional judgement
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Calm and structured approach in high-pressure or time-sensitive environments
Desirable attributes:
- Experience and exposure to Extended Producer Responsibility legislation.
- Experience in renewable energy project development
- Experience supporting lender technical due diligence and investor processes
- Exposure to ESG reporting frameworks and sustainability metrics
- Experience mentoring or guiding junior environmental professionals
What Does Success Look Like?
By month 3:
- I am familiar with company systems and tools, including but not limited to Slack, MS Office, SharePoint and Monday.com.
- I have a clear understanding of the Projects Team structure, interfaces and my role within the broader project delivery framework.
- I have reviewed and understand the environmental and social processes, procedures and governance requirements associated with solar PV projects across C&I and utility-scale developments.
- I have reviewed applicable regulatory requirements, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme obligations, and have initiated engagement with key internal and external role players.
- Environmental screening criteria and tools have been understood and are being applied to new and prospective projects.
- I have commenced a review of environmental contractor management requirements, including policies, procedures and compliance expectations.
- I have participated in monthly one-on-one meetings and my initial performance review.
- I have visited at least two C&I project sites and engaged with key project stakeholders.
By month 6:
- I can independently manage environmental and social requirements across C&I and selected utility-scale projects, with minimal escalation support.
- I can apply environmental and social screenings to new projects, identifying regulatory requirements, permitting pathways, and key risks.
- I can drive environmental permitting in line with regulations, project timelines, and internal governance.
- I can appoint and manage EAPs and consultants, ensuring delivery against scope, timelines, and quality standards.
- I can implement standardised inspection, audit, and monitoring templates across projects and offices.
- I can conduct site inspections/audits, with findings logged, risk-rated, and corrective actions tracked.
- I can collect and report environmental and social performance data to support ESG monitoring and stakeholder reporting.
- I can advance the EPR project, with service providers identified, contracts progressed, and implementation plans defined.
- I can support project teams, EPCs, and contractors to embed environmental compliance early through guidance and engagement.
By month 12:
- I can embed and maintain environmental and social screening, permitting, monitoring, and reporting processes that are consistent and auditable.
- I can manage environmental permitting effectively, proactively identifying and mitigating risks, delays, and regulatory constraints.
- I can lead risk-based environmental inspections and audits, ensuring non-compliances are addressed and closed within agreed timeframes.
- I can manage contractors and consultants with clear performance standards, compliance monitoring, and structured reporting.
- I can implement and maintain the EPR scheme, ensuring full regulatory compliance with performance monitoring and reporting in place.
- I can ensure environmental and social data is accurate, traceable, and integrated into ESG, lender, and governance reporting.
- I can proactively manage environmental risks to reduce regulatory exposure, project delays, and reputational impact.
- I can drive continuous improvement of environmental and social governance, tools, and frameworks to support scalable growth.
Core Values:
We hire, reward, and recognise our team against these values. It is imperative that you believe in these values and demonstrate them consistently.
- We are passionate and proud of what we do.
- We communicate candidly, especially when it is difficult
- We take the initiative, share our mistakes, and grow together
- We are dependable and take accountability
- No one person is bigger than the solution - no egos.
