Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Specialist - Principal/Associate Director

at  Wardell Armstrong

Wardell Armstrong is a successful multi-disciplinary consultancy with 13 offices throughout the UK employing approximately 500 staff. We have a great opportunity for a SIA specialist to work within our small but growing Social Performance team within a larger Sustainability and ESG department. This is a full-time position based in our Truro office or in London. Part time applicants will also be considered.
The Principal or Associate Director SIA Specialist role will focus on social impact and risk management work, designing, implementing and reviewing social-related assessments for environmental, social and health impact assessments (ESHIA), environmental and social due diligence (ESDD) and Human Rights due diligence (HRDD) reports, as well as specialist studies such as stakeholder engagement plans. As part of the role, social-related assessments for the added contribution of social value from projects is expected, including monitoring and reporting on the ‘S’ in ESG. Our Social Performance team works across the UK and internationally in regions such as West and Southern Africa, Central and West Asia, East Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) within the mining, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors, among other growing areas.

CORE REQUIREMENTS:

• A relevant undergraduate or MSc degree specialising in social sciences, or related studies in environment, economics or sustainability with strong qualifications in a social-related discipline Applications may be considered where work experience can be demonstrated on equivalent work within the social practice;
• Robust experience with designing, implementing and monitoring SIA work across multiple sectors;
• Solid knowledge and practice with social research methods and ethics;
• Relevant on-site work experience conducting interviews, focus groups and surveys with a diverse range of people and project stakeholders;
• Empathy-based interpersonal and engagement skills to develop respectful and trustful relations with people, active listening and culturally appropriate engagement; and
• A deep understanding of and interest in social equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I or DEI).

OPTIONAL ASPECTS:

o Multi-language skills in addition to English (e.g., proficiency in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese Mandarin, Russian and/or Arabic) would be advantageous;
o Experience working on Health Impact Assessments (HIA), gender equality impact assessments, and / or Human Rights due diligences;
o Knowledgeable in international sustainability standards (IFC PS, Equator Principles, EBRD PR, EU Taxonomy);
o Understanding of SIA in relation to UK Planning requirements and EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requirements;
o Experience in developing and implementing Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEP) with good international practice;
o Experience working with GIS software;
o Knowledge or experience with ESG reporting, materiality assessments, and understanding of social value.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Based on our Equal Opportunities & Diversity Policy, we intentionally encourage diversity amongst our teams and our team specifically incentivises applications with intersectional ethnic, gender, class, age, belief, physical, emotional and neurological inclusivity. The success of our national and international work depends on the diversity of approaches, understandings, skills, and values of our team members. We are an interdisciplinary and intersectoral team that aims to foster and maintain a safe space where we can share our experiences and collaborate together. We encourage you to apply if you are interested in the role and feel passionate about its objectives.
In WA we place emphasis on staff development and encourage self-directed study and career progression. We offer support to staff working towards Chartered Status and we also pay a chartership reward on successful attainment of professional registration with an approved chartered organisation.
Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications, please see our careers website for full details on benefits.
A fuller job description is available upon request.

Please refer the Job description for details