The Senior Environmental and Social (E&S) Specialist plays a leading role in supporting the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects across Red Rocket’s portfolio, ensuring compliance with environmental and social legislation, internal policies, lender requirements, and international good practice standards.
This role is responsible for leading and managing complex environmental and social permitting activities across renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, hydro, and battery energy storage systems, to ensure projects are legally compliant, environmentally sound, financeable, and buildable.
The Senior E&S Specialist ensures adherence to applicable legislation, including NEMA and associated specific environmental management acts, and leads compliance with international standards such as the IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles, and broader ESG frameworks. The role provides technical leadership and strategic input across all project phases, supports decision-making on environmental and social risk, and drives alignment with Red Rocket’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and corporate objectives.
Responsibilities:
- Lead environmental and social GIS-based screening, fatal flaw identification, and risk assessment during early-stage project development.
- Provide strategic oversight and technical leadership on environmental and social permitting requirements across the project pipeline.
- Lead the management of deliverables required to obtain key environmental consents in line with NEMA, associated SEMAs, and other relevant legislation applicable to renewable energy projects.
- Direct and coordinate additional permitting processes required for Financial Close, including civil aviation, land claims, mining rights, astronomy arrays, agriculture, roads, waste, biodiversity and conservation, municipal by-laws, electromagnetic interference, telecommunications, and heritage requirements.
- Lead the review and quality assurance of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Basic Assessments (BAs), and Scoping Reports in line with provincial, national, and applicable international lender standards.
- Provide direction on specialist studies and ensure that environmental and social opportunities and constraints are appropriately integrated into project design and delivery strategy.
- Oversee environmental licence renewals, amendments, and updates required to support project implementation, compliance, and buildability.
- Lead consultant management and provide senior input into water use licence application processes and other specialist regulatory approvals.
- Lead the preparation and review of environmental and social inputs into REIPPPP and private PPA bid submissions, including legal opinions and lender due diligence documentation.
- Monitor, interpret, and communicate developments in environmental legislation, lender requirements, and ESG expectations relevant to Red Rocket’s portfolio and strategic direction.
- Lead the compilation, review, and quality assurance of environmental and social risk assessments, due diligence reports, audit reports, and mitigation plans.
- Support lender and shareholder reporting requirements and provide senior oversight on contractual, legal, and ESG-related reporting obligations.
- Lead engagement with Lenders’ Technical Advisors (LTAs) and drive the close-out of Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) requirements.
- Provide senior environmental and social project management support during pre-construction, construction, and operations in line with corporate policies, applicable legislation, and international good practice standards.
- Oversee the implementation of consultant and contractor scopes of work related to permitting, compliance, monitoring, and corrective action during construction and operations.
- Undertake site visits to development, construction, and operational projects for inspections, audits, stakeholder engagement, and issue resolution.
- Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and oversight to Environmental and Social Compliance Officers and junior team members.
- Promote project buildability and risk reduction through the practical and strategic implementation of environmental authorisations and other relevant permits.
- Support the implementation, strengthening, and continuous improvement of Red Rocket’s ESG and Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) framework.
- Lead engagement and coordination with competent authorities, lenders, consultants, contractors, and other key stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
- Be willing and available to travel across South Africa and, where required, elsewhere in Africa.
