Environmental Assessment Practitioner

Christine Loopstra; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 620,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Fort Hare is seeking an experienced Environmental Assessment Practitioner to manage regulatory processes and deliver high‑quality environmental reports in Cape Town. The role requires EAPASA registration, a strong grounding in SA environmental law, and the ability to steer EIAs and WULA applications from inception to completion.

You will lead multi‑disciplinary teams, coordinate with authorities and stakeholders, and maintain client relationships while ensuring projects stay on

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ proven experience independently managing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Water Use Licence Applications (WULAs) processes.
• Fully registered with EAPASA; Candidate EAPAs may be considered where full registration is imminent.
• Strong knowledge and practical understanding of South African environmental legislation and regulatory processes.
• Proven ability to prepare accurate, high‑quality technical reports including EIAs, BARs, EMPrs, WULAs and related submissions.
• Experience in environmental compliance auditing and risk identification/mitigation.
• Valid South African driver’s license and own reliable vehicle.
• Willingness to travel for site visits, stakeholder engagements and project activities.
• Strong analytical, planning and organisational skills with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Managing environmental application processes, coordinating with specialists, and engaging with authorities and clients.
• Planning and facilitating public participation processes, including stakeholder meetings and community engagement.
• Managing multi-disciplinary project planning and execution to deliver on time and within budget.
• Conducting environmental baseline and constraint assessments.
• Preparing high-quality reports and regulatory submissions (EIAs, BARs, EMPrs, WULAs).
• Managing EIA and WULA processes independently and ensuring compliance with legislation.
• Conducting environmental compliance audits and assisting with risk mitigation.
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships throughout the project lifecycle.
• Providing clear, practical, value-adding environmental guidance to clients and teams.
• Mentoring junior consultants and contributing to the wider team’s development.

Skills

EAPASA registration

EIA

Client engagement

Project management

Public participation

Education

Environmental Science degree

Job description

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONER
Cape Town: My client, an established environmental consultancy with over 28 years of experience delivering environmental services across Southern Africa, seeks an experienced EAPASA Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner to join their Environmental Assessment team.

Purpose of the Position

To manage environmental assessment and regulatory processes from inception through to completion, ensuring projects meet legislative and regulatory requirements while providing clients with professional, practical and value-adding environmental solutions.

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To:

• Managing environmental application processes, including coordination with specialists, engagement with authorities and regular client communication
• Planning and facilitating public participation processes, including stakeholder meetings and community engagement
• Managing project planning and execution across multidisciplinary teams, ensuring projects are delivered accurately, efficiently, on time and within budget
• Conducting environmental baseline and constraints assessments
• Preparing and compiling high-quality environmental reports and regulatory submissions, including Basic Assessment Reports, Scoping Reports, Environmental Impact Assessments, Environmental Management Programmes, Site Sensitivity Verification Reports, Waste, Air Emission and Water Use Licence Applications, and Comments and Responses Reports
• Managing Environmental Impact Assessment and Water Use Licence Application processes independently
• Ensuring environmental assessments and reports comply with applicable South African environmental legislation, regulations and project-specific conditions of approval
• Conducting environmental compliance audits and assisting with environmental risk identification and mitigation
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships throughout the project lifecycle
• Providing clear, practical and value-adding advice to clients while maintaining professional and effective communication
• Supporting and mentoring junior consultants and contributing to the development of the wider team
• Working collaboratively with internal colleagues, external specialists, authorities, stakeholders and communities

Criteria

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Geography or a related field
• Minimum 3 years’ proven experience independently managing Environmental Impact Assessment and Water Use Licence Application processes
• Fully registered with EAPASA; Candidate EAPs may be considered where full registration is imminent
• Strong knowledge and practical understanding of South African environmental legislation and regulatory processes
• Proven ability to prepare accurate, high-quality technical reports, including EIAs, BARs, EMPrs, WULAs and related environmental submissions
• Experience in environmental compliance auditing, environmental risk identification and mitigation
• Valid South African driver's licence and own reliable vehicle
• Willingness to travel for site visits, stakeholder engagements and project-related activities as required
• Strong analytical, planning and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple projects and consistently meet deadlines
• Strong client engagement and relationship-building skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams
• Professional integrity, sound judgement and a commitment to ethical and compliant environmental practice
• A collaborative, client-focused approach with the ability to translate technical environmental requirements into practical solutions