Trainee Environmental Specialist at KPMG South Africa

Job title/position:

Trainee Environmental Specialist

Number of positions:

One

Function and Business Unit:

KPMG South Africa – Johannesburg Office, Audit Consumer Industrial Mining (CIM) Group 3

Description of the role and purpose of the job:

• The KPMG Environmental Specialist team have a position available for a trainee environmental specialist to join the team focussing assisting audit teams with rehabilitation provisions. The role is specifically for a graduate specialising in environmental and sustainability management, -governance and -liabilities. The role includes a training contract for a period depending on the individuals experience, where the individual will gain exposure in environmental liability auditing practices and processes while working on a diverse number of audits in industrial, mining and power generation sections globally.
• The trainee will be required to operate within a high-performance culture and will be measured against KPMG values and performance criteria. Performance criteria defined for the trainee environmental specialist includes adequately performing tasks and key responsibilities while maintaining KPMG values and culture.

Key responsibilities:

The trainee environmental specialist be required to perform:

• Environmental specialist audit procedures in accordance with applicable audit standards. The process includes engagement with clients on various management levels, enquiries, site inspections, audit documentation and audit reporting. Candidates would have to be able to travel to various locations to perform specialist audit procedures, when required. Traveling will be dependent on COVID 19 restrictions.
• Trainee Environmental specialist is required to perform mandatory specialist training and development for a period of three years, depending on the existing experience of the candidate. Training requirements and specifications are in line with specialist audit practices as well as international auditing standards. Training requirements also include training specifications defined by relevant Professional Bodies in line with required competence and capability requirements for Environmental Scientists, Sustainability Professionals as well as Environmental Auditors.
• Administrative tasks include completing all mandatory development, training, and other administrative requirements defined through KPMG policies and procedures.
• Engagement administration includes management of time incurred, documentation, agenda and minute keeping as well as addressing review notes and closing of engagements to the professional specified standards. 

Skills and attributes required for the role:

The ideal candidate should be a driven individual with a passion for environmental management and sustainability. The candidate should have a personal drive for self learning, knowledge and development of himself/herself as a professional environmental specialist. Critical skills, attributes and capabilities of a potential candidate include:

• Analytical thinking and applying professional judgement to reach a verifiable conclusion over environmental liabilities and risks of organisations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
• Business writing skills and excellent communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to communicate and adapt to changing environments.
• Ability to work in a team environment, openminded and inquisitive.

Minimum requirements to apply for the role (including qualifications and experience):

• BSc. (Environmental Management (or similar); Environmental and Geographical Science)
• BEng. (Chemical)
• Relevant Honours degree (Environmental Management (or similar); Environmental and Geographical Science)