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.