Senior EHS & Fire Leader: Risk, Incident & Compliance

MECS Africa; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

MECS Africa is seeking an experienced EHS leader to develop and execute the annual safety plan, set site performance targets, and report KPIs to senior leadership. You will govern contractor EHS performance, drive audits, and enforce corrective actions to sustain compliance and excellence.

You’ll lead incident management, validate root causes, manage risk assessments for high-risk work, and coordinate emergency drills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety or Environmental Engineering or related discipline.
• 10–15 years EHS experience in industrial operations.
• 5+ years in supervisory/managerial role with accountability for site EHS performance.
• NEBOSH Diploma or NEBOSH IGC; ISO 45001 internal/lead auditor qualification.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the annual EHS plan, emergency readiness plan, and site EHS targets; monitor KPIs and report to leadership.
• Provide leadership and governance over contractor EHS performance, including SOW requirements, audits, and corrective actions.
• Lead incident management for high-potential events; ensure investigations, root cause validation, and action closure with audit defensibility.
• Approve risk assessments for high-risk work; verify critical controls and conduct field leadership engagements.
• Oversee emergency drills and response capability in line with standards.
• Interface with regulators and external stakeholders; support inspections and close findings with evidence.
• Lead governance meetings, prepare executive reports, and engage regulators/clients.
• Coach and develop the site EHS team; foster a proactive safety culture.

Skills

Leadership

EHS Management

Risk Management

Incident Management

Regulatory Liaison

KPIs & Reporting

Stakeholder Engagement

Emergency Response

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Safety or Environmental Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

NEBOSH Diploma

NEBOSH IGC

ISO 45001 Internal/Lead Auditor

Job description

MECS Africa is seeking an experienced EHS leader to develop and execute the annual safety plan, set site performance targets, and report KPIs to senior leadership. You will govern contractor EHS performance, drive audits, and enforce corrective actions to sustain compliance and excellence.

You’ll lead incident management, validate root causes, manage risk assessments for high-risk work, and coordinate emergency drills.