Site EHS Manager - BESS Project (H/F)

Description

Summary: Lead all safety operations for a utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, focusing on both heavy civil works and high-voltage electrical installation. Highlights: 1. Dual expertise in heavy civil works and high-voltage electrical safety 2. Ensure a zero-incident environment for complex BESS project 3. Manage critical safety across diverse phases and subcontractors **Site EHS Manager – BESS Project (Dual Civil \& High\-Voltage Focus)** **Location:** Ako, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan (100% Site\-Based) **Position Type:** Full\-time, Project\-Based **Reports To:** Project Director **Language Requirement:** Native or Fluent Japanese \& Business\-level English **Job Purpose** The Site EHS Manager will lead all safety operations for the utility\-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Ako. This complex infrastructure project demands a rare dual\-expertise: managing high\-risk **heavy civil works and deep foundation engineering** during the initial phases, and seamlessly transitioning to supervise **high\-voltage (HV)** **electrical installation, substation integration, and energization** phases. The candidate ensures a zero\-incident environment across both engineering disciplines. **Key Responsibilities:** **Civil Works \& Structural Infrastructure Safety** * **Oversight of Earthworks \& Excavation:** Monitor heavy excavation, slope stability, retaining wall construction, and deep trenching. Enforce strict shoring requirements to prevent soil collapse. * **Heavy Equipment \& Traffic Segregation:** Manage a high volume of heavy machinery (excavators, piling rigs, concrete trucks) and establish foolproof traffic plans to separate heavy plant machinery from ground workers. * **Foundation \& Structural Civil Works:** Supervise the structural integrity of deep piling and the pouring of massive reinforced concrete pads engineered to support heavy battery enclosures. * **Heavy Lifting Operations:** Review and approve critical rigging and heavy\-crane lift plans for placing high\-tonnage battery containers, transformers, and electrical skids. **High\-Voltage Electrical \& Commissioning Safety** **• Lock\-Out/Tag\-Out (LOTO) Governance:** Establish, audit, and strictly enforce the site’s LOTO and Permit\-to\-Work (PTW) systems during electrical fit\-out and testing. * **Arc Flash \& High\-Voltage Hazards:** Enforce personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance, safe approach distances, and boundary controls for high\-voltage substation areas and grid\-connection points. \[1] **• Battery Specific Hazards:** Manage specialized risks associated with DC battery strings, including stranded energy hazards, chemical exposure, and thermal runaway prevention during cell installation and testing. **• Utility Integration Liaison:** Collaborate closely with the appointed Chief Electrical Engineer (Denki Shunin Gijutsusha) to ensure all safety steps align with the Electricity Business Act (Denki Jigyou\-hou) and Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) grid requirements. **Site Governance \& Contractor Management** **• EPC Oversight Across Phases:** Manage the high\-risk transition window where civil subcontractors hand over work areas to electrical and commissioning teams. **• Lead Joint Safety Initiatives:** Conduct daily TKY (Teiki Kyouniku / Tool Box Talks) addressing both civil hazards (e.g., open trenches, blind spots) and electrical hazards (e.g., live circuits, cable pull tracking). **• Emergency Response Execution:** Design and test an agile Site Emergency Response Plan (ERP) capable of handling both civil emergencies (landslips, machinery entrapment) and electrical disasters (arc flash, lithium battery fires). \[1] **Corporate HSE Governance:** * Act as the primary interface between project site, local management, and Group HSE leadership team (Equans Solar \& Storage). Ensure the timely and accurate reporting of HSE performance indicators, significant incidents, near misses, and ESG\-related metrics in accordance with project requirements, client expectations, Japan regulatory obligations, and company corporate governance standards. * Support the implementation of site\-specific safety initiatives, compliance monitoring, and continuous improvement programs to maintain the highest standards of health, safety, environmental, and operational performance. **Required Qualifications \& Skills** **Technical, Civil \& Electrical Certifications** **• Mandatory Certification:** Licensed Health Officer (Eisei Kanrisha, Type 1\). **• Highly Desirable Civil/Electrical Credentials:** Operations Chief for Excavation Work (Kurubori Sagyokaichou) / Shoring (Shibakou). Valid Japanese Electrical License (e.g., Electrician Denki Kojishi or working knowledge of Denki Shunin Gijutsusha requirements). **• Standards Proficiency:** Deep familiarity with both Japanese Civil Construction safety laws (Kensetsu Gyouhou) and Electrical Installation standard practices. **Experience** **• Minimum 7 years** of dedicated site\-based EHS experience leading large infrastructure projects. * **Proven track record** executing projects that combine heavy civil foundations with complex electrical substations (e.g., utility\-scale Solar/Wind, Thermal Power Plants, or large\-scale BESS facilities). * Proven experience managing diverse civil and electrical EPC subcontractors in Japan. **Language \& Location** **• Native or Bilingual Japanese:** Mandatory to manage communication with local equipment operators, electrical technicians, KEPCO representatives, and the Ako Fire Department. **• Business English:** Required to deliver comprehensive incident reports and progress metrics to the global executive team.