Specialist, Environmental

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Job description:

Porpuse:

The Environmental Specialist serves as a technical leader and project manager responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing the mine's environmental permitting, technical studies, and closure-related activities. This role ensures regulatory adherence, supports Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes, manages external consultants and contractors, and provides critical technical and analytical support to operations. The Environmental Specialist acts as coordinator between different internal and external stakeholders such as site operations and corporate departments,  specialized technical service providers and government authorities, helping that environmental commitments, permit conditions, legal obligations, and corporate standards are consistently met throughout the mine lifecycle, including progressive and final closure planning.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Geology, Hydrology, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Preferred: Master’s degree or postgraduate specialization in Environmental Management, Mine Closure, Hydrogeology, Geochemistry, or Environmental Impact Assessment.

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) to seven (7) years of experience in environmental management within mining or heavy industrial operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing environmental permitting processes and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA/EsIA) in Panama.
• Proven track record in managing environmental projects, including scope definition, budget control, schedule management, and oversight of deliverables.
• Experience coordinating and supervising external consultants, contractors, and specialized technical service providers.
• Strong background in environmental compliance reporting, data analysis, and QA/QC processes.
• Desirable experience in mine closure planning, geochemistry, hydrogeology, water quality modeling, or air quality assessment.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced knowledge of environmental regulatory frameworks in Panama.
• Proficiency in project management, environmental data management, statistical analysis, and trend evaluation.
• Competence in reviewing environmental data QA/QC processes and validating technical reports.
• Familiarity with geochemical characterization, acid rock drainage (ARD), water quality modeling, and hydrogeological assessments.
• Understanding of ESG reporting requirements and corporate environmental standards.
• Strong capability in reviewing and ensuring quality of technical reports prepared by external consultants.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, budgets, and timelines simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Spanish, with English proficiency considered an advantage.
• Ability to prepare, review, and present technical documentation to internal and external stakeholders, including senior management.
• Proven ability to coordinate with multiple internal stakeholders, including Compliance, Legal, Public Relations, Government Relations, and Operations.
• Strong analytical mindset, with attention to detail and commitment to data quality.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to manage contractor relationships and support participatory monitoring programs with watershed committees.

Key Accountabilities

Environmental Compliance and Regulatory Reporting

• Plan, coordinate, and ensure timely submission of all recurring environmental compliance reports to government authorities
• Maintain comprehensive tracking systems and ensure adherence to all environmental permit conditions, legal obligations, and corporate commitments
• Lead preparation and submission of environmental reports, and other regulatory filings
• Coordinate responses to government inspections, audits, and ad-hoc information requests
• Ensure ESG reporting requirements are met, including annual water balance updates and environmental risk matrix updates
• Support internal and external audits with data, documentation, and technical clarifications

Technical Studies, Field Testing, and Consultant Management

• Serve as internal Project Coordinator for all environmental technical studies, including scope definition, budget development, schedule control, and deliverable quality assurance
• Supervise and coordinate external consultants and contractors for specialized studies, including Geochemistry Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Air quality and emissions, site-specific water quality criteria and related environmental studies, Mine closure, etc
• Review, validate, and provide quality assurance (QA/QC) for all technical deliverables prepared by third parties
• Ensure technical studies align with operational needs, regulatory requirements, and corporate standards
• Coordinate field testing programs (e.g., barrel tests, volatilization pad management, ecological flow monitoring)
• Manage study budgets, contractor performance, and hourly effort tracking

Environmental Data Management, Analysis, and Operational Support

• Lead daily, weekly, and monthly analysis of environmental monitoring data (water, air, noise, soil, emissions) and identify trends, exceedances, and corrective actions
• Perform rigorous QA review of field data and laboratory analytical results to ensure data integrity and regulatory compliance
• Prepare and distribute internal environmental performance reports (daily, weekly, monthly) to operations and management
• Conduct environmental risk and vulnerability assessments; maintain and update the environmental risk matrix
• Support Management of Change (MOC) processes by evaluating environmental implications of operational or engineering changes
• Coordinate watershed committee engagement and participatory monitoring programs with local communities
• Conduct routine environmental inspections of operational areas (mine, port, tailings management facility) and visual risk assessments
• Provide environmental training and capacity-building support to operational personnel
• Hold coordination meetings with operational areas

Environmental Permitting and Impact Assessment Coordination

• Lead the preparation, review, coordination, and follow-up of Environmental Impact Studies and permit modifications
• Prepare and present technical documentation to the Ministry of Environment and other government authorities
• Manage permitting timelines, ensure completeness of submissions, and track approval processes
• Ensure that all permitting activities are aligned with mine closure objectives and long-term environmental stewardship commitments

Cross-Functional Leadership and Communication

• Act as the primary environmental technical resource for site operations, providing expert guidance on compliance, best practices, and risk mitigation
• Coordinate environmental incident investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action tracking
• Support corporate ESG reporting and respond to information requests from headquarters
• Represent the team in other cross-functional teams, including closure planning, water management, and operational improvement initiatives
• Foster a culture of environmental accountability and continuous improvement across all operational areas

First Quantum Minerals ha iniciado un proceso de reclutamiento específico en Panamá para apoyar actividades relacionadas con el programa de Preservación y Gestión Segura (PSM), así como el procesamiento de material previamente extraído y almacenado en stockpiles.

Deseamos aclarar que este proceso de contratación no representa la reactivación de operaciones mineras.

Las posiciones publicadas tienen como objetivo garantizar la gestión segura del sitio, la protección ambiental, el cumplimiento regulatorio y el manejo responsable de los materiales existentes durante esta etapa.

Reconocemos la importancia de una comunicación clara y transparente. Todas las vacantes oficiales se publican exclusivamente a través de nuestra página oficial de Carreras.

Reafirmamos nuestro compromiso con la transparencia y el cumplimiento de la legislación panameña y las autoridades regulatorias correspondientes.

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