EMS Specialist

Southern Water; England; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company in the UK seeks an EMS Specialist to drive environmental compliance and performance improvements. This full-time role offers a salary of up to £45,000 per annum and a hybrid working model. Candidates should have experience in environmental management systems and compliance. The role includes training, collaboration with stakeholders, and a focus on sustainability initiatives.

Benefits

Generous pension up to 11% company contribution

25 days annual leave

Life assurance equal to 4x salary

Salary sacrifice electric car scheme

Health Cash Plan

Full funded eye tests

Two paid volunteering days a year

Occupational health service

Discounts with over 800 popular retailers

Digital GP service

Study support for job-related qualifications

Competitive maternity leave and flexible return options

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Proven track record of influencing or implementing environmental performance improvements.
• Experience in environmental management systems, audits, and compliance.
• Knowledgeable about environmental legislation and regulation.

Responsibilities

• Drive environmental compliance by providing expert advice and training.
• Design, implement, and assure controls for monitoring environmental compliance risks.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve performance.

Skills

Communication

Influence

Environmental management systems

Risk assessment

Problem-solving

Education

Degree in science, engineering, or environmental discipline

Job description

Closing Date

2025-12-05

Job Title : EMS (Environmental Management Systems) Specialist

Location : Kent, Sussex or Hampshire

Contract Type : Permanent

Hours : 37 / week

Salary : up to £45,000

There has never been a better time to join our organisation as we build towards a greener future, tackling climate change, minimising our environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint!

(Please note: we are unable to offer sponsorship on this role)

What you’ll be doing

In this role, you’ll :

• Drive environmental compliance by providing expert advice and training to operational teams.
• Design, implement and assure controls for monitoring and reporting environmental compliance risks, including waste management and Environmental Management Systems (EMS).
• Influence and develop a compliance culture by building strong relationships, leading working groups, and supporting environmental champions.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to prevent environmental incidents and improve performance.
• Deliver training and guidance to ensure teams understand and meet environmental obligations.
• Support audits and assurance activities to maintain ISO14001 : 2015 EMS compliance and certification.
• Promote sustainability initiatives including biodiversity, carbon reduction, and climate change objectives.

What we’re looking for

We’re seeking someone who is :

• A strong communicator and influencer, able to build relationships and manage challenging situations.
• Experienced in environmental management systems, audits, and compliance.
• Knowledgeable about environmental legislation and regulation.
• Skilled in risk assessment, problem-solving, and prioritisation.

Essential experience

• Proven track record of influencing or implementing environmental performance improvements.

Desirable

• Degree in science, engineering, or environmental discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Experience in the utilities sector, ideally water and wastewater.

Additional skills

• Ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation and training skills.
• Good IT and data management understanding.

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our office locations (Worthing / Falmer), our operational sites across the Southern Water Region (Hampshire, Sussex and Kent) and home.

We are offering a salary of up to £45,000 per annum depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including :

• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Full funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme

Join our EMS team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here : Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com)

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24 / 7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.

Privacy Statement

If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.