Environmental, Social and Governance Associate

Verdant Energy; San Jose; On-site; PHP 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Verdant Energy seeks an Environmental, Social and Governance Associate to serve as Pollution Control Officer for the San Jose Solar and BESS Project, from development through construction.

You will also act as Safety Officer under relevant Philippine law, coordinating permits, registrations and regulatory compliance across agencies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Occupational Health and Safety, or related field.
• Licensed engineer or chemist preferred and required where Category B establishment under DAO 20-4-02.
• Minimum of three years of combined environmental compliance and OSH experience, with at least two years in OSH.

Responsibilities

• Serve as accredited Pollution Control Officer for the San Jose Solar and BESS Project from development through construction.
• Act as designated Safety Officer for the workplace under RA 11058 and DOLE DO 198-18 at SO3 level.
• Manage permits, registrations and regulatory compliance across multiple agencies.
• Lead incident investigations and root cause analysis, tracking corrective actions to closure.
• Develop and submit OSH and environmental programs to DOLE and EMB as required.

Skills

Pollution Control Officer,”

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science

Licensed engineer or chemist

Job description

Environmental, Social and Governance Associate

Serve as the accredited Pollution Control Officer for the San Jose Solar and BESS Project establishment from development stage through construction, maintaining accreditation with the concerned EMB Regional Office including the three-year renewal training requirement. Additionally serve as the designated Safety Officer for the designated workplace under RA 11058 and DOLE DO 198-18 at SO3 level upon start of construction. Act as the day-to-day point of contact for the project with national and local government offices, managing permits, clearances, and regulatory compliance across multiple agencies.

Key responsibilities

Maintain accreditation as Pollution Control Officer with the concerned EMB Regional Office and initiate re-accreditation for the operating entity before commercial operation date

Ensure compliance with PD 1586, RA 6969, RA 8749, RA 9003, RA 9275, and other pertinent environmental rules and regulations

Identify significant environmental aspects and impacts of operational activities and recommend mitigating measures in the preparation and review of the Environmental Management Plan and Contingency Plan

Attend to all permitting and registration requirements prior to construction, installation, or operation of pollution sources and control facilities

Ensure proper performance, operation, and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities, air pollution control devices, hazardous waste storage areas, solid waste management facilities, and environmental monitoring devices

Monitor compliance with Environmental Compliance Certificate conditions and EMMP or EPRMP commitments, and report in the Compliance Monitoring Report

Monitor emissions, effluents, chemical use, and solid and hazardous waste generation against applicable standards, and report results in the quarterly Self-Monitoring Report

Report in writing to the EMB Regional Office within twenty-four hours any breakdown of a pollution source or control facility, any release of chemicals or hazardous wastes, and any exceedance of effluent or emission standards

Oversee the overall management of the OSH program in coordination with the OSH Committee and frequently monitor and inspect health or safety aspects of operations

Develop, maintain, and submit the company OSH program to the concerned DOLE Regional or Field Office, and prepare the Construction Safety and Health Program for DOLE approval prior to the start of construction works

Determine and document workplace risk classification, and conduct and maintain Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control across all operations

Lead incident and near-miss investigation and root cause analysis, and track corrective and preventive actions to closure

Issue Work Stoppage Orders and implement work stoppage or suspension of operations in cases of imminent danger

Deliver or arrange the mandatory eight-hour Workers' OSH Seminar, toolbox talks, pre-task briefings, and emergency drills at required frequencies

Scope permits, clearances, and endorsements applicable to the San Jose and Saranay projects at each stage, maintain each project's permit matrix, and prepare, lodge, and track applications, renewals, and amendments

Maintain the project permit register and conditions register, recording issuing agency, reference number, coverage, attached conditions, issue date, expiry date, and renewal lead time

Act as day-to-day point of contact for the project with national and local government offices, including DENR-EMB, DOLE, Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, provincial, municipal and barangay offices, and other relevant agencies

Secure local government unit and barangay endorsements, resolutions, and clearances the project requires

Support delivery of the project Stakeholder Engagement Plan by organizing and documenting community consultations, information disclosure sessions, and public scoping and hearing steps required under the Philippine EIS System

Receive, log, and route grievances raised locally into the ESMS grievance mechanism and track them to closure

Upon start of construction, verify that each contractor and subcontractor has deployed its own safety officer at the required level, holds applicable permits and registrations, and has completed ESG and OSH onboarding

Review contractor HIRACs, method statements, job hazard analyses, lift plans, and permits to work before associated works begin

Conduct and document owner-side inspections and audits of contractor and subcontractor works at a frequency proportionate to risk

Issue corrective action requests on contractor non-compliance and verify closure with evidence

Maintain the regulatory reporting calendar for the project and prepare periodic and event-driven regulatory submissions

Report to the ESG Manager for Philippines and collect and submit ESG, safety, and environmental data into corporate reporting systems

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Occupational Health and Safety, or a related technical field

Licensed engineer or chemist preferred, and required where the establishment is classified as Category B under DAO 20-4-02

Minimum of three years of combined experience in environmental compliance and occupational safety and health, of which at least two years must be in OSH to satisfy the SO3 requirement under DO 198-18

Documented OSH work product spanning the claimed period, including HIRACs, inspection reports, incident investigations, and OSH Committee minutes recording participation

Experience in construction compliance within renewable energy, infrastructure, or heavy construction operations preferred

Experience securing project permits and clearances and dealing directly with national agency, local government unit, and barangay counterparts preferred

Clear written and verbal communication in English and Filipino, sufficient for regulator correspondence and worker briefings on site

Experience in construction compliance, including construction permits, contractor documentation, and regulatory inspections during construction works

Ability to run a community consultation or information disclosure session in the local language and produce a defensible record of it

Willing to be accredited as Pollution Control Officer with the DENR-EMB and certified as Safety Officer with the DOLE, and to maintain both accreditations for the duration of the engagement

Working knowledge of DAO 20-4-02 and the statutes it enforces: PD 1586, RA 6969, RA 8749, RA 9003, and RA 9275, together with their implementing rules and regulations

Working knowledge of RA 11058, DOLE DO 198-18, the DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Standards, and DO 13, s. 1998 for construction works

Proficiency in HIRAC, Job Hazard Analysis, Permit to Work, and Lockout/Tagout procedures

Competence in preparing Self-Monitoring Reports, Compliance Monitoring Reports, and the WAIR, AEDR, and AMR submissions

Familiarity with Environmental Compliance Certificate conditions, EMMP and EPRMP commitments, and multipartite monitoring team processes

Knowledge of hazardous waste handling requirements, including generator registration, Permit to Transport, manifest, and Certificate of Treatment

Working knowledge of Philippine project permitting for renewable energy, spanning environmental, labor, energy sector, and local government requirements

Ability to manage concurrent statutory reporting deadlines for two projects and across two regulators without slippage

Attention to detail in reviewing permits, clearances, audit reports, and compliance records, with records discipline sufficient to meet statutory retention requirements

Willingness to exercise stop-work authority under commercial and schedule pressure, and a systematic approach to monitoring, reporting, and corrective action closure

Ability to give technical direction to contractor ESG focal persons and contractor safety officers without direct line authority

Sound judgment on when to elevate versus resolve, particularly on adverse due diligence findings and critical non-compliance

Effective collaboration with Project Managers, site operations, Legal, Procurement, and People and Culture

Capacity to influence safety culture across contractor and subcontractor workforces

Conflict resolution and negotiation skills in grievance handling and contractor performance discussions

Ability to coach site personnel and build capacity through structured training and technical guidance

Willing to be assigned at any site where Verdant Energy has projects, to be site-based for the duration of the assignment, and to be reassigned to another project where the business requires it

Understanding of the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy and of the boundary between legitimately expediting a process and an improper payment

Ability to prepare regulator-facing submissions to the DENR-EMB and the DOLE to a standard that does not require rework

Active listening and impartiality in receiving and handling worker and community grievances

Analytical and problem-solving skills for hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation