Environmental and Social Lead

Job Title: Environmental & Social (E&S) Lead

Employment Type: Fixed-Term Contract (6–9 Months) 

Location: Onsite – Southwest Ontario, Canada 

Overview: Our client, a company operating in the renewable energy sector, is seeking a highly experienced professional to lead all Environmental & Social (E&S) due diligence workstreams across its project portfolio. The initial focus will be on a major North American development currently in progress.

This is a pivotal role in ensuring alignment with the E&S standards required by equity and debt financiers, including frameworks such as the IFC Performance Standards and Equator Principles (EP4). The successful candidate will act as the internal lead for E&S due diligence, coordinating across internal teams, consultants, and external stakeholders to produce high-quality, finance-ready documentation and assessments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the full E&S due diligence process in support of debt and equity financing activities, ensuring compliance with IFC PS, EP4, and other applicable international standards.
  
  
• Oversee and coordinate external consultants, including scope development, timeline management, and review of deliverables used in financial processes.
  
  
• Collaborate closely with internal project, commercial, and operations teams to ensure integration of E&S work with broader development efforts.
  
  
• Develop and maintain a clear E&S due diligence roadmap, aligned with funding milestones and project phases.
  
  
• Conduct early-stage internal E&S assessments for new development sites, including:
  
  
• Collection and analysis of baseline environmental and social data.
  
  
• Preliminary risk and impact assessment.
  
  
• Project categorization per the IFC Environmental and Social Categorization framework.
  
  
• Contribution to mitigation and monitoring plans.
  
  
• Support E&S compliance for operational sites by:
  
  
• Monitoring ongoing environmental and social performance.
  
  
• Participating in audits and inspections.
  
  
• Coordinating corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
  
  
• Represent the organization in E&S discussions with investors, lenders, and independent engineers, including support for site visits and Q&A engagements.
  
  Required Qualifications:
  • Minimum 5 years of experience in environmental and social due diligence for large-scale, capital-intensive projects (brownfield and greenfield).
    
    
  • Proven expertise with IFC Performance Standards and the Equator Principles (EP4).
    
    
  • Experience preparing and/or reviewing Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) reports for industrial or infrastructure projects.
    
    
  • Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder workstreams under tight deadlines.
    
    
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical material for executive and investor-level audiences.
    
    
  • Fluency in English is required; proficiency in additional languages such as French or Norwegian is considered an asset.
    
    
  Preferred Qualifications:
  • Background in sectors such as battery materials, chemicals, or industrial manufacturing.
    
    
  • Prior experience with projects in Canada or the Nordic region is advantageous.
    
    

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.