Environmental & Social Lead

Vianode; Toronto; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company focused on sustainable anode graphite solutions is hiring an E&S Due Diligence Lead. This role involves leading environmental and social compliance efforts for large-scale projects, ensuring adherence to rigorous standards and engaging with diverse stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have strong experience in E&S due diligence and effective communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years experience in environmental and social due diligence.
• Expertise in IFC Performance Standards and Equator Principles.
• Proven track record in large-scale industrial projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage E&S due diligence for debt financing.
• Coordinate external advisors and internal stakeholders.
• Conduct preliminary impact and risk assessments.

Skills

Communication

Coordination

Problem-solving

Job description

About Vianode

Vianode is an advanced battery materials company providing sustainable anode graphite solutions for the battery and EV value chains in North America and Europe. Vianode’s breakthrough solution enables tailored high-performance synthetic anode graphite and holistic sustainability offering a 90% reduction in CO2 footprint. Vianode operates the world's most sustainable full-scale anode graphite plant for batteries at Herøya Norway.

The next step involves executing a multi-billion dollar phased investment program dedicated to establishing large-scale plants across North America and Europe.

Vianode’s long-term ambition is to supply advanced battery materials to 3 million EVs per year by 2030. Vianode is owned by the world-leading financial company Altor.

About the Role

Vianode is seeking a highly experienced and proactive professional to lead all Environmental & Social (E&S) due diligence workstreams across its project portfolio, with a primary focus on the project Vianode is developing in North America. This role is critical in ensuring that Vianode’s projects meet the rigorous E&S requirements of debt and equity financiers.

The successful candidate will serve as the internal anchor point and designated lead for all E&S due diligence activities, coordinating across internal teams, external consultants, and external stakeholders to deliver reports, documentation and risk assessments meeting applicable standards for equity- and debt providers. The role also includes leading early-stage internal E&S assessments for new site developments and supporting E&S compliance for operational sites.

Engagement Type: Fixed-Term (6–9 Months) or Consultant Services Agreement

Location: Onsite, South West Ontario (specific location TBC)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the full E&S due diligence process for debt financing, ensuring alignment with IFC Performance Standards (PS), Equator Principles version 4 (EP4) and other applicable international frameworks & standards as required by debt providers
• Coordinate external advisors, including defining scopes of work, reviewing deliverables, and ensuring timely execution of reports used in external funding processes
• Engage and coordinate with internal stakeholders to align responsibilities and avoid duplication of efforts
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive E&S due diligence roadmap for all types of equity- and debt-financing, including managing dependencies with project, operational, commercial, and funding workstreams
• Lead internal E&S assessments for new site developments, including:
  • Sourcing and developing baseline environmental and social data
  • Conducting preliminary impact and risk assessments, incurred by planning for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) reports (if needed)
  • Establishing monitoring frameworks and mitigation planning
  • Initial project categorization according to the IFC Environmental and Social Categorization framework
• Actively contribute to ensuring E&S compliance for Vianode’s sites in operation as per applicable local and internal standards, through
  • Monitoring ongoing environmental and social performance
  • Supporting audits and inspections
  • Coordinating corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives
• Represent Vianode in discussions with lenders, investors, and independent engineers on E&S matters, including site visits and Q&A sessions

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in environmental and social due diligence, with a strong track record in brown- and greenfield-projects reliant on debt financing
• Demonstrated expertise in applying IFC Performance Standards and Equator Principles (EP4)
• Proven experience leading and/or reviewing ESIA reports for large-scale industrial projects.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder workstreams under tight timelines.
• Strong communication and coordination skills, with the ability to synthesize technical content for executive and financial audiences.
• Fluency in English; additional language skills (e.g., Norwegian or French) are a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the battery materials, chemicals, or industrial manufacturing sectors.
• Prior involvement in projects in Canada or the Nordics is advantageous.

At Vianode, we believe in “The power of we.” The Vianode way is collaboration on every level. Together, we unleash a force greater than the sum of each one of us, and we acknowledge every individual effort in our shared accomplishments.

You are a great fit for our team if you:

• Take charge and enjoy being part of a fast-growing, agile, pioneering company that depends on personal initiative, responsibility, and drive.

• Like to challenge the status quo by being courageous and committed.

• Want to keep learning, personally and professionally, and continuously pursue opportunities to develop and improve.

Why Join Vianode?

Join us on our mission to deliver the most efficient solutions to reduce battery industry emissions. Together, we're pioneering anode graphite technology for a carbon-neutral society, paving the way for the green transition and a more sustainable future.

Apply today !

Vianode is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. We look forward to welcoming candidates who share our vision for a sustainable future.