WHAT DOES AN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISOR DO?

Published: Feb 10, 2025 - The Environmental Advisor ensures compliance with environmental regulations, develops EMS documentation, and implements monitoring systems to meet Environmental Minimum Requirements. This position manages environmental risks and opportunities, oversees site inspections, and ensures effective stakeholder collaboration. This role promotes environmental awareness, reports site performance, and addresses community concerns regarding noise, dust, and other environmental issues.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Environmental Advisor

1. Environmental Advisor Duties

  • Environmental Management: Prepare necessary environment studies, safety, and health studies for commission/reserve activities.
  • Environmental Review: Review all environmental activities and express opinions related thereto.
  • Reporting: Prepare necessary reports for activities of authority/reserve.
  • Task Execution: Complete any entrusted tasks by authority in the field of discipline.
  • CEMP Administration: Deal with the administration of the CEMP submittal and review process for the Contractors.
  • Compliance Verification: Verify compliance with the OCEMP, review and approve method statements, and conduct field verification, either directly or through supervisory oversight.
  • Environmental Metrics: Compile environmental metrics for the environmental portion of the Logistics monthly report and publish bi-weekly environmental reports for the Client.
  • Meeting Documentation: Document discussions in meetings and issue them expeditiously.
  • Client Coordination: Coordinate directly with the Client’s Environmental Manager and handle miscellaneous environmental assignments as requested.
  • Environmental Guidance: Provide environmental guidance, diligence, and consistency to internal stakeholders.
  • Regulatory Monitoring: Monitor and communicate changes to relevant legislation, regulations, and codes of practice.
  • Report Development: Develop and review required environmental and sustainability reports and project documentation.
  • Strategic Advisory: Integrate with Project Teams and provide timely, fit-for-purpose strategic advice.
  • Mentorship: Assist in mentoring more junior staff.
  • Performance Improvement: Undertake investigations to improve environmental performance.

2. Environmental Advisor Details

  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance of works with the Construction Code of Practice and other environmental requirements.
  • EMS Development: Develop EMS documentation and systems.
  • Environmental Solutions: Develop environmental work solutions, mitigation, and monitoring regimes.
  • System Implementation: Roll out systems to ensure construction methodologies and programs meet Environmental Minimum Requirements.
  • Risk Management: Manage environmental opportunities and risks, update the register, and progress selected opportunity actions.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and client representatives to ensure collaboration.
  • Financial Awareness: Understand the financial implications of environmental decisions (e.g., waste costs, delays) and seek the best financial outcome for the business.
  • Environmental Awareness: Promote environmental awareness on the project through training, briefings, poster campaigns, and other communication methods.
  • Performance Reporting: Report on site environmental performance against project objectives and targets.
  • Data Management: Manage and oversee monitoring equipment, collect, process, and interpret data (e.g., water, dust, noise, waste).
  • Site Inspections: Manage onsite environmental inspections, highlighting both bad and good practices to relevant teams and Senior Management.
  • Incident Management: Record and report all incidents to relevant parties and instigate corrective actions.
  • Community Liaison: Liaise with the community liaison officer regarding complaints from third parties on noise, dust, and other environmental issues.

3. Environmental Advisor Responsibilities

  • Technical Advisory: Provide sound and timely environmental technical advice, training, and assistance to the Project.
  • Environmental Compliance: Perform and supervise tasks in accordance with environmental protocols, identifying, assessing, and managing environmental hazards.
  • Approvals & Permits: Obtain environmental approvals, permits, licenses, and consents required by the Project.
  • CEMP Management: Amend, implement, and audit the Construction Environmental Management Plan, and review Contractor Environmental Management Plans for compliance.
  • Training & Awareness: Develop, implement, and deliver project environmental inductions, toolboxes, training, and awareness programs.
  • Registers Management: Establish and maintain project environmental registers, including permitting, approvals, risk, obligations, soil tracking, waste management, fauna interaction, water management, and inspections.
  • Monitoring Programs: Develop, implement, and report on project environmental monitoring programs.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Maintain a positive and outcome-driven relationship with key project team members, client representatives, and project management teams.
  • Field Audits & Inspections: Conduct field inspections and audits on environmental performance, compliance, and defects, and respond to incidents.
  • Site Coordination: Liaise regularly with site personnel, working closely with Area Managers, Senior Project Engineers, and Project Engineers.
  • Budget & Reporting: Manage and document budget and status for reporting requirements.
  • Subject Matter Expertise: Act as an environmental subject matter expert, addressing technical and policy-related inquiries.
  • Regulatory Consultation: Provide consultation with other SCE organization managers regarding environmental compliance and long-term goals.
  • Regulatory Advisory: Provide recommendations and highlight risks regarding environmental laws and regulations to support projects.

4. Environmental Advisor Job Summary

  • Environmental Compliance: Coordinate, monitor, audit, and report on compliance with Environmental Licenses.
  • Incident Management: Coordinate and monitor incident investigations.
  • Inspections & Audits: Coordinate environmental inspections and audits across the business.
  • Training & Awareness: Develop and deliver environmental training and awareness to employees, contractors, and third-party operators.
  • Environmental Advisory: Research and provide advice, liaison, and support on environmental management issues.
  • Strategic Development: Contribute to the ongoing strategic development and management of the business in accordance with the organization's Business Plan.
  • Policy Development: Maintain, review, and develop environmental policies, practices, and procedures.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Establish and maintain effective intra-divisional, cross-divisional, and external working relationships to achieve strategic and operational objectives.
  • EH&S Administration: Coordinate all EH&S paperwork, reporting, and compliance administration.
  • Process Compliance: Apply established procedures within Company timelines.
  • Regulatory Knowledge: Maintain current knowledge of all relevant legal and regulatory EH&S requirements, as well as Company policies and guidelines, ensuring EH&S plans and work procedures align with industry best practices and legal regulations.
  • Road Safety Compliance: Own and act on the principles of the Roads Safety Charter.
  • Safety Leadership: Provide leadership to ensure the highest standard of safety is maintained for all individuals at all times.
  • Safety Compliance: Ensure all safety processes and procedures are adhered to.

5. Environmental Advisor Accountabilities

  • EHS Implementation: Ensure implementation of the EHS Management System relevant to Telent Highways business operations as detailed within the Telent Management System.
  • System Maintenance: Provide support in the ongoing maintenance of the talent Management System and Hazard Logs.
  • Safety Culture: Promote a positive health and safety culture throughout the organization.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Support the adoption of all relevant EHS legislation, customer, and stakeholder EHS requirements (including contractors and suppliers).
  • Best Practice Adoption: Support the adoption of industry best practices in all policies, safe working procedures, and practices.
  • Risk Management: Help plan, implement, monitor, and review protective and preventative measures identified through hazard analysis and risk assessments.
  • Safe Work Practices: Work with the EHS Manager to ensure that working practices are safe and comply with legislation.
  • Operating Procedures: Outline safe operating procedures, identifying and accounting for all relevant hazards.
  • Risk Assessment: Conduct suitable and sufficient risk assessments, ensuring control measures are effective.
  • Work Systems Development: Produce and review Safe Systems of Work, Work Package Plans, and Task Briefing Sheets.
  • Safety Advisory: Advise project teams on safe systems of work and industry best practices to promote a culture of safety.
  • Training Support: Assist the EHS Manager in ensuring that health and safety training for managers and employees is appropriate and that external training is adequate.
  • NHSS8 Training: Support the EHS Manager in ensuring that NHSS8 internal health and safety training for registered operatives is appropriate and that external training meets activity scope.
  • Site Inspections & Audits: Conduct regular site inspections and audits to ensure policies and procedures are properly implemented.
  • Inspection Monitoring: Record findings from inspections and monitor them through to closeout.
Relevant Information
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