Environmental & Sustainability Compliance Lead

KBR Technical Services; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions seeks an Environmental & Sustainability Compliance Lead to develop and oversee the environmental program for a major greenfield pharmaceutical project. You will guide regulatory compliance, sustainability integration, and stakeholder engagement across design, construction, and operations.

Lead teams across EHS, permitting, and engineering to minimize impacts, improve resource efficiency, and advance ESG commitments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in environmental management, sustainability, EHS, or environmental compliance on large industrial or pharmaceutical projects.
• Experience supporting large capital projects exceeding $500M TIC.
• Strong knowledge of environmental regulations and permitting processes.
• Experience developing and implementing sustainability strategies and environmental performance programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and project coordination skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the project's environmental and sustainability strategy.
• Lead environmental compliance activities across site development, construction, commissioning, and startup.
• Coordinate environmental permitting activities with engineering and regulatory teams.
• Establish and monitor sustainability metrics (energy, water, waste, GHG, materials).
• Collaborate with design teams on sustainable design solutions and low‑carbon construction practices.
• Develop and oversee environmental management plans (stormwater, erosion, waste, pollution prevention).
• Provide environmental and sustainability reporting to project leadership.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science / Environmental Engineering / Sustainability / Chemical Engineering / Natural Resources or related discipline

Job description

Title: Environmental & Sustainability Compliance Lead

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

KBR is seeking an Environmental & Sustainability Compliance Lead to develop, implement, and oversee the environmental compliance and sustainability strategy for a multi-billion-dollar greenfield pharmaceutical manufacturing project. This role provides leadership throughout the project lifecycle, from site development and design through construction, commissioning, startup, and operational readiness, ensuring environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and sustainability objectives are successfully integrated into project execution. The Environmental & Sustainability Lead will collaborate closely with engineering, construction, permitting, EHS, operations, procurement, and corporate sustainability teams to minimize environmental impacts, reduce resource consumption, support corporate ESG commitments, and promote sustainable design and construction practices. The position requires a strong understanding of environmental regulations, sustainability frameworks, pharmaceutical industry requirements, and large capital project delivery.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Develop and implement the project's environmental and sustainability strategy, aligning project objectives with corporate ESG goals, sustainability commitments, and environmental compliance requirements.
• Lead environmental compliance activities related to site development, construction, commissioning, and startup, ensuring adherence to all applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
• Coordinate environmental permitting support activities, working closely with permitting, engineering, and regulatory teams to ensure environmental commitments and permit conditions are incorporated into project execution.
• Establish and monitor sustainability performance metrics, including energy consumption, water stewardship, waste reduction, greenhouse gas emissions, material utilization, and resource efficiency initiatives.
• Collaborate with engineering and design teams to identify and implement sustainable design solutions, including energy-efficient systems, renewable energy opportunities, water conservation measures, and low-carbon construction practices.
• Develop and oversee environmental management plans covering stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, waste management, pollution prevention, habitat protection, and environmental risk mitigation.
• Conduct environmental and sustainability assessments, identifying potential impacts, improvement opportunities, and corrective actions to support project goals and regulatory compliance.
• Provide environmental and sustainability reporting to project leadership, including performance metrics, compliance status, ESG initiatives, regulatory developments, risks, and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Promote a culture of environmental stewardship and sustainability, supporting training programs, contractor engagement, stakeholder communications, and sustainability awareness initiatives across the project organization.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, Chemical Engineering, Natural Resources, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in environmental management, sustainability, EHS, or environmental compliance on large industrial, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or advanced manufacturing projects.
• Demonstrated experience supporting large capital projects exceeding $500 million in total installed cost.
• Strong knowledge of environmental regulations, permitting processes, environmental management systems, and sustainability frameworks.
• Experience developing and implementing sustainability strategies and environmental performance programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and project coordination skills.
• Ability to analyze environmental performance data and develop practical improvement strategies.
• Familiarity with EPC/EPCM project delivery models and large construction programs.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Experience supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or other GMP-regulated facilities.
• Prior experience in an Owner's Representative or PMC role for major capital projects in excess of $1B TIC.
• LEED, Envision, ISO 14001, or similar environmental and sustainability certification programs.
• FDA-regulated, GMP-compliant manufacturing facilities.
• Water stewardship, waste minimization, circular economy, and renewable energy projects.
• Experience supporting corporate ESG re