Freelance Environmental Auditor / Verifier

Leadership & Sustainability; Mumbai; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

Leadership & Sustainability seeks freelance Environmental Auditors to conduct on-site audits across India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The role requires 10+ years of industry and audit experience, travel ability, and delivering evidence-based audit reports within agreed timelines.

Responsibilities include planning audits, verifying compliance with ISO 14001, ZDHC, Higg FEM/FDM, and related frameworks, identifying non-conformances, validating CAPAs, and producing structured reports with clear

Qualifications

• 10+ years in environmental management, EHS, sustainability, or related fields.
• 5+ years hands-on environmental audits, assessments, or verifications.
• Experience in leather accessories manufacturing and tannery processes preferred.
• Familiarity with ISO 14001, ZDHC, Higg FEM/FDM, LWG, or comparable frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct on-site environmental audits and verifications at manufacturing facilities.
• Assess compliance with environmental regulations, permits, and international standards.
• Evaluate site-level environmental aspects including effluent treatment, air emissions, hazardous waste and chemical management, water usage, and energy management.
• Identify non-conformances, perform root-cause analysis, and verify CAPA.
• Produce clear audit reports with evidence, risks, and corrective actions within timelines.
• Travel to audit locations across India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Skills

Auditing experience

CAPA verification

English report writing

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Environmental Science/Engineering/Chemistry

Tools

ISO 14001

ZDHC

Higg FEM/FDM

LWG

Job description

We are seeking highly experienced Freelance Environmental Auditors / Verifiers to support audit and verification assignments across India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. This project-based engagement is intended for seasoned environmental compliance professionals with substantial industry and audit experience who can work independently, travel to client and supplier sites, exercise sound professional judgement, and deliver clear, accurate, evidence-based, and defensible audit reports within agreed timelines. Assignments will cover a range of manufacturing sectors, with a strong preference for candidates experienced in the leather accessories manufacturing sector and tannery processes.

Tasks

• Plan and conduct on-site environmental audits and verifications at manufacturing facilities, in line with recognized standards and client-specific protocols.
• Assess compliance with environmental regulations, permits, and international standards (e.g., ISO 14001, ZDHC, Higg FEM, and similar frameworks as applicable).
• Evaluate site-level environmental aspects including effluent treatment (ETP/STP), air emissions, hazardous waste and chemical management, water usage, and energy management.
• Identify non-conformances, conduct root cause analysis, and verify corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Analyse and articulate audit findings, supporting evidence, risks, root causes, and required corrective actions in clear, concise, accurate, and defensible audit/verification reports, submitted in the required format and within agreed timelines.
• Liaise professionally with facility management, client representatives, and internal reviewers throughout the audit lifecycle.
• Maintain audit records and documentation in accordance with confidentiality and data protection requirements.
• Travel to audit locations across India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal as assignments require.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years' relevant industry experience in environmental management, EHS, sustainability, manufacturing operations, environmental compliance, or a related field.
• At least 5 years' hands-on experience conducting environmental audits, assessments, or verification assignments, including site inspections, evidence review, identification of non-conformances, and CAPA verification.
• Experience auditing the leather accessories manufacturing sector and/or tannery processes is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with relevant certification and verification schemes, including ISO 14001, ZDHC, Higg FEM/FDM, LWG, or comparable frameworks, is an advantage.
• Sound technical knowledge of environmental aspects including effluent treatment, air emissions, chemical management, hazardous waste, water use, energy management, and applicable air and water compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse complex information and articulate audit findings, conclusions, risks, and recommendations in clear, structured, evidence-based, and professionally written English reports.
• Strong analytical, interviewing, communication, stakeholder-management, and professional judgement skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel across India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal for on-site assignments; ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and meet agreed reporting deadlines. Relevant lead auditor certification(s) preferred.Professional Independence and Conflict of Interest: The auditor/verifier must remain independent, objective, and impartial in the performance of all assignments and must not have any financial, commercial, employment, advisory, familial, or other relationship that could create an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.
• Any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest must be disclosed in writing before accepting an assignment and promptly if it arises during an assignment.
• The auditor/verifier must not accept or continue any assignment where their independence, objectivity, or professional judgement may reasonably be compromised, unless the conflict has been reviewed and expressly cleared in writing by the engaging organisation.
• All information obtained during an assignment must be treated as confidential and used solely for the authorised audit or verification purpose.

Benefits

• As per industry standard