Head of Environmental Compliance & Quality

This organisation, a large utilities firm, supplies over 500 million litres of drinking water every day to more than two million customers across the south east of England. Together with their customers and communities, the business aims to provide sustainable, high-quality water and wastewater service that helps to create a resilient future for water in the region.

​

Over the past 5 years, this organisation has fundamentally transformed the way it operates and has redefined its purpose and culture, with the relationship between sustainability and business being a central pillar of the organisation's agenda. In 2019, it launched a refreshed environmental policy which committed to providing greater transparency on environmental performance.

​

The firm is now looking to appoint a Head of Environmental Compliance & Quality, a pivotal role within the business. Bringing extensive environmental leadership experience, the Head of Environmental Compliance & Quality will develop and embed a culture of quality and performance, ensuring effective long-term monitoring and reporting for wastewater services.

​

You will also:

• Ensure that environmental and wastewater regulatory requirements and best practice are understood and effectively implemented across the business

• Lead on the development and implementation of core policies for providing effective monitoring of efficient wastewater services and regulatory reporting of environmental performance

• Lead a team of circa 20 environmental specialists focused on permitting & licensing, monitoring & reporting and environmental management systems

• Act as the organistaion's point of contact in its relationship with the Environment Agency, ensuring a positive working relationship

• Own responsibility for internal environmental management systems, auditing and relevant external accreditation's (e.g. ISO14001, MCERTS)

​

You will bring substantial environmental and regulatory experience in a business environment, as well as the ability to horizon scan for key changes and developments in the sustainability space to ensure that the environmental strategy and framework remain innovative, effective and fit for purpose.

​

To achieve success in this role, you will:

• Be an excellent communicator, able to succinctly articulate complex issues to senior internal and external decision makers, including regulators, and influence and enact change outside of direct areas of control

• Be technically proficient - you'll have experience developing and delivering environmental frameworks and processes, particularly management systems, in a related industry

• Be knowledgeable - an understanding of environmental, wastewater and waste management policies, combined with practical experience of their operational implications, is vital

• Possess a demonstrable track record in delivering effective strategy through excellent management of cross functional teams

​

To enable the business to deliver against an ambitious environmental strategy, you will be a natural influencer, able to deliver change through others and to affect and drive a culture synonymous with best practice.

​

This position is accountable to Executive Leadership and is integral to the organisation delivering on their ambition. You will be part of a highly valued and dynamic team, focused on driving environmental and quality compliance across the organisation and will be provided the autonomy and trust to deliver a purposeful and ambitious strategy. For more information, contact Sapna Gill at Sapna.Gill@acre.com.