Safety, Safeguards, Health and Environment (SSHE) Practitioner South Africa

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Safety, Safeguards, Health and Environment Practitioner South Africa V (SSHE Practitioner) develops and implements plans, manages and advances safety and safeguards for people and the environment for conservation programs across TNC South Africa geographic areas. The SSHE Practitioner provides technical leadership and support to South Africa by planning and implementing safety and safeguards for people and the environment across all conservation activities. They address critical risks and threats to human and natural systems, integrate a culture of safety within the conservation operations, and develop systems and tools for compliance monitoring, both internally, and externally for service providers and visitors.

They execute their role within the conservation strategies and contribute towards the TNC conservation priorities. The SSHE Practitioner will coordinate SSHE systems across land, freshwater and ocean strategies, and be able to think adaptively to integrate practical solutions to meet safety and safeguards objectives. May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

The SSHE Practitioner will be based in Cape Town, South Africa and report to the Government Relations, Policy Manager, TNC SA.

We’re Looking for You:

Want to help save the planet? Since establishing the Africa Program in 2007, The Nature Conservancy’s vision in Africa is to work towards fostering a sustainable future for people and nature, partnering with indigenous communities across 55 million acres on the continent. Our efforts are firmly rooted in people, leveraging scientific and technical expertise as we collaborate with governments and organizations to conserve and enhance Africa’s shared resources in the 9 countries we operate.

In South Africa Business Unit (BU) TNC works with government, private sector, NGOs, and community stakeholders to restore priority catchments and conserve important landscapes, freshwater ecosystems, and oceans.

Key Responsibilities:
• Environmental and Social Safeguards Compliance: Ensure that all program activities comply with the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and relevant international standards (including IFC Performance Standards), as well as national legislation. Support the screening, assessment, and management of environmental and social risks associated with field operations, contractors, and project partners.
• Safeguards Risk Identification and Mitigation: Lead the identification, assessment, and monitoring of environmental and social risks related to project implementation, including labor conditions, community health and safety, land use impacts, and stakeholder engagement. Develop and oversee implementation of mitigation measures and corrective action plans.

Grievance and Stakeholder Safeguards Management: Establish and maintain mechanisms for receiving, documenting, and addressing grievances from workers, contractors, and affected communities. Ensure that stakeholder engagement, incident reporting, and social risk management processes are implemented in accordance with ESMS requirements
• Appointed as the Health and Safey Representative for the South Africa program and perform duties in accordance with the South Africa Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993).
• Identify and address workplace hazards and risks to promote a safer and healthier work environment across the South Africa program.
• Implement existing Incident and Emergency Response Plans and develop and align Incident and Emergency Response Plans for all South Africa conservation programs with TNC Africa BU safety guidelines.
• Coordinate the execution of Heath and Safety meetings, draft minutes and provide monthly reports on the status of Safety, Health and Environment for the South Africa programs.
• Implement the existing Leave No Trace guidelines and expand the guidelines to all activities that may cause harm to the environment.
• Conduct in field inspections, risk assessments, incident investigations and verification of compliance for both internal TNC activities and those of appointed service providers and visitors to ensure all SHE compliances are adhered to.
• Manage all hazardous materials and chemicals according to legislation and regulations.
• Provide SHE capacity building and training plans and lead the execution of capacity building and training for the South Africa BU as part of building a safer working environment.
• Provide mentorship and awareness to communities in the South Africa conservation programs on SHE and why it is important to promote safety for people and the environment.

What You’ll Bring:
• BA/BS degree and 5 years’ experience in Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Safety, or equivalent or related field or a combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations pertaining to Occupational Health and Safety.
• Knowledge and experience in ESMS and human safeguards
• Experience in training and ability to explain SHE to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience using applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Web Browsers.
• Excellent communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
• Completing tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
• Must have a valid code 8 driver’s license and over one year’s driving experience.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Pest Control Operations Qualification for the use of hazardous chemicals.
• Leave No Trace and Remote Wilderness Camping.
• Knowledge of land management conservation practice and conservation science.
• Experience working in remote locations and difficult, hazardous terrain.

This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit the Auto Safety information page. Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We Bring:

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.