Environmental Advisor in Leeds

VolkerRail Major Projects is an expert in collaborative working through joint ventures and alliance schemes. Collaborative working agreements are a proven strategy for delivering large, complex railway projects, and through its strong relationships with other major contractors, VolkerRail Major Projects has helped to deliver several of the biggest rail projects over the last decade.

The mission of the TRU East Alliance is to transform the East of Leeds route allowing people to travel faster, more reliably and in greater comfort between the North's great cities. Providing passengers with more choice, more seats and better facilities on a safer, cleaner, more environmentally friendly railway.

The TRU East project is broken down into multiple overlapping projects. Project E1 which is currently in build and planned to complete in December 2024. With the remaining projects E2,3,4 and Shipley planned to complete in 2028. The project works include full new electrification between Leeds and York and include significant and complex renewals works at Neville Hill and Church Fenton. The works also include a new depot at Shipley, and line speed enhancement and Journey time improvement works along the route between Leeds and York.

An opportunity has arisen for an Environmental Advisor to join the VolkerRail HSQES team. The position is open to candidates with different levels of experience, including graduates and experienced professionals. The role will join VolkerRail Major Projects Division assigned to the TRU East Alliance, one of the most significant rail projects in the North of England and will give the successful candidate ample opportunity to put their own mark on the role and the project by developing and implementing bespoke systems and processes.

The project hub is located in Cross Green, Leeds (LS9 0SG) with travel across multiple sites and offices between Leeds, York, Ossett and Shipley.

Reporting to the Environment & Sustainability Manager for the Alliance the role's key duties will include:

• Identifying site specific environmental risks and controls measures associated with major construction works, and integrating environmental management into design, planning, construction, commissioning and hand back arrangements.
• Developing and maintaining environmental and social management plans, and other supporting documentation, and ensuring their effective briefing and cascade of controls through project documentation.
• Support the delivery of targets and objectives set out in the TRU Sustainability Delivery Plan including those linked to: Biodiversity Net Gain, Carbon Reduction, Weather Resilience, Social Value and BREEAM.
• Responsible for collating periodic sustainability performance reporting through environmental performance metrics (EPIs), sustainability dashboards and presenting to the client.
• Provide support and guidance to project and delivery teams with regards to environmental management, in particular waste, pollution control, noise & nuisance, ecology, carbon & energy.
• Liaison and communication with internal and external stakeholders (particularly project delivery teams and supporting functional roles, subcontractors and suppliers) to ensure the requirements of environmental management arrangements are effectively discharged.
• Responsible for ensuring project delivery teams comply with internal management systems, legislation, and client requirements, including the collection, analysis and reporting of data to measure performance against objectives and targets - driving the Alliance to continuously improve.
• Conduct environmental inspections, audits and other assurance activities, identifying trends and recommending preventative measures to address non-conformances and opportunities for improvement.
• Support the identification and development of environmental training packages for delivery to TRU East staff and subcontractors.
• To investigate environmental incidents, nuisance complaints and high potential environmental close calls as directed by the Designated Competent Person (excluding local and formal - unless the role holder is qualified through the IOSH Rail Incident Investigation Training) and reporting the findings internally and externally to the required timescales.
• Engage in social value activities such as schools' engagement and volunteering events
• Drive sustainability values and behaviours to prevent the likelihood of environmental incidents.

If you need support with your application, please contact us at careers@volkerwessels.co.uk

You will be self-motivated with a pro-active approach and have experience of working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines. Integrity, problem solving, communication and good interpersonal skills are a key requirement for this role.

The candidate must have an environment or science-related degree or equivalent and be a Practitioner of the Institute of Sustainability & Environmental Professionals (PISEP) or capable of working towards it. The candidate will ideally have demonstrable post qualification experience in a similar role, with experience in the construction / rail sector beneficial.

The candidate shall ideally have the following experience/skill set: