The posting
ERM is hiring an Environmental Compliance Manager (Owner Advisor) in Richmond, VA to serve as a trusted partner to our key pharmaceutical client’s project leadership and delivery teams, supporting environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance across a large, fast‑paced capital project. Acting on behalf of the client, this role provides owner‑side environmental leadership across Construction Management (CM), design‑build teams, and contractors, ensuring environmental risks are anticipated, controls are implemented effectively, and compliance obligations are consistently met through a combination of visible field presence and strong leadership influence. This is a Full‑Time (40+ hours per week) limited‑term role with a duration of one (1) year, with potential to extend.
Responsibilities
- Provide owner‑side environmental compliance leadership across the project, ensuring alignment with applicable local, state, and federal requirements and client expectations.
- Establish and maintain a clear, project‑specific environmental compliance framework that defines requirements, roles, and interfaces to guide CM and contractor execution.
- Maintain strong field presence to validate that environmental controls, practices, and behaviors align with approved plans and permit obligations.
- Perform quality checks of contractor and CM environmental inspections and documentation, confirming inspections are occurring at the appropriate cadence and are effective.
- Coach CM and contractor teams on environmental findings, gaps, and emerging risks, driving timely and sustainable corrective actions without direct authority.
- Identify, assess, and prioritize environmental risks through regulatory aspect and gap reviews, recommending risk‑based mitigation strategies.
- Support development, review, and continuous improvement of project environmental plans and procedures to ensure they are executable and field‑ready.
- Partner with client environmental SMEs and permitting resources to ensure construction activities remain aligned with permit conditions and reporting expectations.
- Develop, track, and communicate environmental performance metrics, trends, and key risks to project and executive leadership.
- Participate in environmental incident and spill investigations, ensuring appropriate containment, root cause identification, and preventive actions.
- Coordinate with waste vendors and site teams to support compliant waste handling, profiling, storage, and disposal practices.
- Support chemical inventory management and applicable regulatory reporting by ensuring data accuracy and clear ownership for updates.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for environmental questions requiring practical judgment related to changing scope, sequencing, or site conditions.
- Support environmental readiness for startup and commissioning by verifying environmental requirements are integrated into transition plans.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, or equivalent experience.
- Minimum of 8 years of environmental experience, including significant experience supporting large construction or capital projects.
- Demonstrated ability to operate as an owner‑side environmental leader, balancing field verification with programmatic oversight.
- Strong working knowledge of construction‑phase environmental compliance domains such as stormwater, spill prevention, waste management, air and dust controls.
- Proven ability to translate environmental requirements into practical execution through others.
- Experience influencing CM and contractor performance and driving accountability without direct line authority.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to deliver concise, executive‑level updates using metrics and risk‑based insights.
- Experience conducting environmental audits or assessments and verifying effective corrective action closure.
- High standards for documentation quality, data integrity, and compliance reporting.
- Experience in life sciences, pharmaceutical, or similarly regulated industries preferred.
- Familiarity with environmental management system concepts and continuous improvement practices preferred.
Who We Are:
As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.
At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world-class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom” approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.
Please submit your resume and brief cover letter. Based on review of these responses, shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews.
ERM does not accept recruiting agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ERM employees or any other company location. ERM is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
Thank you for your interest in ERM!
