Environmental & Social Manager (m/w/d)

Job Description

At Voltalia we are passionate about renewable energies! We are an electricity producer from wind, solar, hydro, biomass and storage and also a service provider to 3rd party clients such as Development, EPC, O&M and Distribution. Today we are in 20 countries, split among 4 continents, and offering a global operating capacity to our clients. We are listed on the regulated Euronext market in Paris since July 2014.

Voltalia is recruiting a highly experienced and self-motivated individual to lead the local Environmental and Social team delivering renewable energy projects in Albania. The Environmental and Social Manager will be the reference for the quality and regulatory compliance of projects on all environmental and social topics during the development, financing, construction and operational phase of all projects, ensuring coordination with all the relevant internal departments of Voltalia, its stakeholders and subcontractors.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development, implementation and maintenance of the HSES Management System (ESMS) for Voltalia’s projects in line with company and international performance standard requirements, including the implementation of the Voltalia Environment and Social Risk Assessment Procedure;
• Coordinate the implementation of the E&S management plans during the development, construction and operation phases of projects in coordination with the relevant internal departments of Voltalia and its sub-contractors;
• Coordinate with all stakeholders and governmental authorities for reviewing the ESIA report and approving the Project’s Environmental Application (EA’s permit);
• Support the existing environmental and social team in executing respective activities (including oversight of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Critical Habitat Assessments (CHA’s) and related biodiversity studies;
• Be invested in the management of environmental studies, and play a concerted role in giving direct support and guidance to the current environmental team and delivering on the monitoring of the expected environmental components (biodiversity, waste, air, noise, etc) of all studies as aligned to international performance standards and local legislation;
• Assist (where needed) on oversight of the Project’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Resettlement Action Plans (RAP), Livelihood Restoration Plans (LRP), Human Rights Assessments, and Human Resources;
• Lead the local E&S team by providing guidance and mentorship, and ensuring the company complies with current local environmental and social regulations and legislation;
• Collaborate with project managers to help identify opportunities and reputational risks, as well as creating and delivering a strategy for handling risks to positively influence stakeholders to achieve sustainable business outcomes;
• Train workers, from Voltalia or Subcontractors in the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) including other Voltalia tools and systems;
• Supervise and maintain the legal and contractual environment, social documentation such as permits, licenses, authorizations and other relevant documentation, according to the legal requirements, as well as lenders / banks during Development, Construction and Operation & Maintenance;
• Guide the local offices in Voltalia’s standards, including lenders' standards as applicable;
• Monitor and support the internal environmental, social and HR audits of each project by issuing relevant risk reports, and follow-up and management of the environmental and social performance of all projects in country;
• Review and approve the relevant documentation produced by subcontractors;
• Report Environment KPI´s on a monthly basis, prepare the necessary monthly reports;
• Search for continuous improvement through audits and monitoring of internal processes, ensuring the implementation and effectiveness of the action plans;
• Contribute to the development of the skills of all the teams on environmental, social issues through the sharing of experience and specific internal training, supporting team collaboration;
• Contribute to and manage the timely preparation of necessary reports for the project’s environmental, social reporting to internal Management, local authorities, lenders Clients, and Government agencies, when applicable;
• Be an active participant in Albanian work groups related to the renewable energy industry.

Requirements

• Bachelor or Masters degree in Environmental Engineering or similar;
• Experience in international energy or infrastructure projects;
• Demonstrable experience in team management, project management, monitoring of external service providers and relations with Government administrative departments;
• In depth practical experience of environmental topics, with a working knowledge of social topics, thus allowing you to critically review study protocols and provide support or advice to the teams;
• Knowledge of local legislation linked to the authorizations and permits for renewable energy projects;
• Previous experience collaborating with key project stakeholders (including Development Financing Institutions (DFI’s);
• Demonstrate familiarity with the local regulatory context applicable to renewable energy projects through the application of your expertise in the E&S field;
• Strong people management experience;
• Drivers Licence.

Key Skills

• Good knowledge of the energy sector, passionate about renewable energy;
• Ability to analyse environmental, social, administrative and regulatory risks;
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a structured and disciplined way;
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate in a dynamic team-oriented environment;
• Pro-active, pragmatic approach to problem solving and with a track record of delivering strong outcomes with minimal guidance;
• Pays strong attention to detail, ensuring completeness and quality in all tasks and reports;
• Autonomous;
• Fluency in Albanian and English Language;
• Good writing and presenting skills in English is essential;
• Commitment to Voltalia’s Values, Principles, Policies and Procedures.