Environmental Assessment Practitioner at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Environmental Assessment Practitioner in the Environmental Management Services research group, within Smart Places Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible for application of a range of environmental assessment and management skills, including environmental impact assessment, environmental management plans, strategic environmental assessment, as well as related skills such as environmental audits, risk assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability frameworks and systems thinking. This position is based at the CSIR offices in Stellenbosch, Cape Town or Durban.

Key responsibilities:

• Conduct independent investigations as well as integrate information from across disciplines;
• Work together with colleagues to develop our environmental assessment and management capabilities, through developing networks, growing the business and building new competencies;
• Co-ordinate and manage environmental assessment studies, from the proposal and negotiation phases through to public consultation, information collation, report writing; managing specialist teams; project management and communication of findings;
• Travel regularly within South Africa and to other African countries as required.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• An Honours degree in environmental science or in a field related to sustainable development, environmental engineering, conservation ecology or planning with at least three years’ of experience in environmental assessment;
• A Master’s degree in environmental science or in a field related to sustainable development, environmental engineering, conservation ecology or planning would be advantageous; 
• Short courses and further qualifications that include environmental legislation, geospatial analysis, systems thinking and stakeholder engagement would be advantageous;
• Experience in other countries in Africa (e.g., Francophone Africa and SADC) and proficiency in another national language used in Africa would be an added advantage;
• Experience in application of scientific analytical research methodology;
• Must have a relevant professional registration such as a Professional Natural Scientist (Pr. Sci.Nat) and/or EAPASA, or such registration to be imminent;
• Problem solving skills and solutions-oriented approach;
• Critical grasp of national and international developments regarding sustainability issues;
• Valid South African Code B or EB driver’s licence.

Closing date: 15 August 2023