Environmental Health Safety Engineer

Sterling Engineering Ltd - Ireland & Europe; Sligo; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Engineering Ltd - Ireland & Europe is seeking a Senior EHS Engineer to join our Sligo team on a 12-month contract. The role focuses on supporting site construction upgrades, capital projects and plant modifications with a practical, proactive safety approach.

The candidate will challenge engineering teams and contractors to ensure risk is properly managed, with strong technical EHS expertise and hands-on experience in design, construction and commissioning environments.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or Environmental Health & Safety.
• Minimum 8 years' experience in EHS.
• Experience with construction projects, upgrades, shutdowns or turnarounds.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on EHS support for construction upgrades, capital projects, plant modifications and other site engineering activities.
• Identify, assess and manage EHS and process safety risks throughout design, construction, commissioning and project execution.
• Review engineering documentation (P&IDs, PFDs, layouts, drawings).
• Support HAZOPs, PHAs, design safety reviews and risk assessments.
• Review RAMS to ensure hazard identification and controls.
• Oversee contractor safety management and ensure compliance with site EHS procedures and legislation.
• Collaborate with engineers, construction management, vendors to challenge unsafe practices and validate controls.
• Assist in investigations of incidents, near misses and losses, identifying root causes and corrective actions.
• Apply structured investigation methods (5-Why, fault-tree, barrier, root-cause).
• Promote proactive safety culture and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

EHS leadership

Construction safety

Risk assessment

HAZOPs

RAMS reviews

Regulatory knowledge

Incident investigation

Education

Engineering degree

Environmental Health & Safety degree

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior EHS Engineer to join our client’s team in Sligo on a 12-month contract. This is an excellent opportunity for an EHS professional with a strong engineering and construction background to support site construction upgrades, capital projects and plant modifications.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical knowledge with a proactive, practical approach to site safety, alongside the confidence to challenge engineering teams and contractors to ensure risks are effectively managed.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on EHS support for construction upgrades, capital projects, plant modifications and other site engineering activities.
• Identify, assess and manage EHS and process safety risks throughout design, construction, commissioning and project execution.
• Review and interpret engineering documentation, including P&IDs, PFDs, equipment layouts, general arrangement drawings, electrical single-line diagrams and mechanical drawings.
• Participate in and support HAZOPs, Process Hazard Assessments (PHAs), design safety reviews and technical risk assessments.
• Review Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) to ensure appropriate hazard identification and effective control measures are in place.
• Oversee and support contractor safety management, ensuring compliance with site EHS procedures, applicable legislation and project requirements.
• Work closely with engineering, construction management, vendors and contractors to challenge unsafe practices and ensure the technical adequacy of proposed controls.
• Support the investigation of incidents, near misses, equipment failures and loss-of-containment events, identifying root causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Apply structured investigation methodologies, including 5-Why analysis, fault-tree analysis, barrier analysis and root-cause analysis.
• Promote a proactive safety culture by building strong working relationships with site stakeholders and providing practical, solutions-focused EHS advice.

Key Requirements

• Degree in Engineering, Environmental Health and Safety, Occupational Health and Safety or a relevant technical discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in EHS, ideally within construction, engineering projects, manufacturing or a process industry environment.
• Demonstrable experience supporting capital projects, construction upgrades, plant modifications, shutdowns or turnaround activities.
• Strong technical ability to interpret engineering drawings, including P&IDs, PFDs, equipment layouts and mechanical and electrical drawings.
• Experience in process safety, technical risk assessment, HAZOPs, PHAs and design safety reviews.
• Proven experience in contractor management and the review of RAMS for complex, high-risk activities.
• Sound knowledge of Permit-to-Work systems, LOTO, line breaking and other critical safety controls.
• Knowledge of applicable EHS legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Experience investigating incidents and applying structured root-cause analysis techniques.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge contractors and engineering teams when required.
• A proactive, hands-on approach, with the ability to work effectively in a busy construction and project environment.