Function / Department: Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S)
Reports To: President
Direct Reports: Site Environmental Managers and specialists at Gramercy and St. Ann; environmental engineers, compliance analysts, monitoring technicians
Sites of Responsibility: Gramercy Alumina Refinery (Gramercy, Louisiana, USA) and St. Ann Bauxite Operations (Discovery Bay / St. Ann Parish, Jamaica)
Location / Base: Gramercy, Louisiana (primary), with recurring on-site presence in St. Ann, Jamaica
Travel: Approximately 20–35%, including regular international travel to Jamaica
Jurisdictions United States (Federal / State of Louisiana) and Jamaica, with the ability to extend to other jurisdictions for potential M&A or other reasons
Position Summary
The Director of Environmental provides strategic and operational leadership for all environmental compliance, stewardship, and sustainability activities across Atalco's integrated bauxite-to-alumina value chain. The role holds single-point accountability for environmental performance at two geographically and jurisdictionally distinct operations: the Gramercy alumina refinery in Louisiana, United States, and the St. Ann bauxite mining operation in Jamaica.
Reporting to senior leadership, the Director sets environmental policy and standards, ensures full compliance with all applicable United States federal and Louisiana state regulations as well as Jamaican national environmental and mining law, and drives a proactive culture of environmental risk management, continuous improvement, and responsible resource stewardship. The role is central to protecting Atalco's license to operate, managing all permitting, exploration, alumina processing, bauxite residue and mined-land liabilities, safeguarding air, water, and land resources, and maintaining constructive relationships with regulators, communities, and other stakeholders in both countries.
Scope of Operations
Gramercy Alumina Refinery — Gramercy, Louisiana, USA
A Bayer-process alumina refinery on the Mississippi River that converts imported bauxite into smelter- and chemical-grade aluminas. Key environmental features and risk areas include Title V air emissions sources (calcination, digestion, power/steam generation), process and stormwater discharges to the Mississippi River under a Louisiana water discharge permit, bauxite residue (red mud) storage and management areas, caustic and chemical handling, spill prevention, and hazardous and industrial waste management within a densely regulated US industrial corridor. This scope is expanding to cover gallium extraction from the Gramercy Bayer process, as well as potentially the beneficiation of critical minerals and other elements from the bauxite residue.
St. Ann Bauxite Operation — St. Ann Parish, Jamaica
An open-pit bauxite mining, drying, and export operation set in Jamaica's karst limestone terrain. Key environmental features and risk areas include permitting, exploration, sensitive specie preservation and relocation, land clearing and progressive mine development, mined-land reclamation and restoration, dust and air quality management from mining, trucking, railing, and drying, material handling/conveying, ship loading, protection of groundwater and surface water resources, biodiversity and reforestation obligations, haul-road and shipping-terminal impacts, and management of overburden and red-earth materials—all governed by Jamaican environmental permits, licenses, and mining lease conditions.
Key Responsibilities
Environmental Strategy & Leadership
• Define and own the environmental strategy, policy, standards, permits, and related management systems that apply consistently across both operations while respecting each jurisdiction's legal requirements.
• Establish a single, harmonized environmental management framework (aligned to ISO 14001 principles) that sets a common standard of performance while accommodating US and Jamaican regulatory differences.
• Serve as the company's principal environmental authority, advising the executive team and Board on environmental risk, liabilities, obligations, capital requirements, and emerging regulatory developments.
• Embed environmental accountability into operational decision-making, capital planning, and site leadership performance objectives.
Regulatory Compliance — Gramercy (United States)
• Ensure full and continuous compliance with all applicable US federal and Louisiana state environmental requirements, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
• Own the site's Title V air operating permit, Louisiana water discharge (LPDES) permit, and all related permits, ensuring conditions, monitoring, and reporting obligations are met.
• Maintain compliant relationships and correspondence with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and applicable local agencies.
• Oversee Toxic Release Inventory (TRI / Form R), Tier II, greenhouse gas, and other mandated federal and state reporting.
• Direct Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC), stormwater, and hazardous/industrial waste programs.
• Optimize management of environmental liabilities and closure related plans.
Regulatory Compliance — St. Ann (Jamaica)
• Ensure full compliance with Jamaican environmental and mining legislation, including the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act, environmental permits and licenses, and conditions of the Mining Act and applicable Special Mining Leases.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Mines and Geology Division / Commissioner of Mines, and applicable local agencies.
• Manage environmental permit and license applications, renewals, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), environmental permit conditions, and related matters for mine exploration, development and expansion.
• Ensure compliance with mined-land reclamation, restoration, and post-mining land-use obligations under Jamaican law and lease commitments.
Bauxite Residue, Waste & Materials Management
• Direct the safe management, processing, monitoring, and long-term stewardship of bauxite residue (red mud) storage areas at Gramercy, including structural integrity, seepage control, water balance, and closure planning.
• Oversee management of overburden, red-earth, tailings, and process waste materials at St. Ann in line with permit conditions and reclamation plans.
• Ensure hazardous, industrial, and general waste is characterized, stored, transported, and disposed of in compliance with applicable regulations at both sites.
Air, Water, Land & Biodiversity
• Oversee air emissions monitoring, control, and dust management across refining from bauxite discharging through to final product loading (Gramercy) and mining/drying/shipping (St. Ann) activities.
• Manage water resources, process water, wastewater, and stormwater programs, including discharge monitoring, groundwater and surface-water protection, and water quality reporting.
• Lead progressive mined-land reclamation, revegetation, reforestation, and biodiversity protection programs at St. Ann, and land stewardship and site remediation at Gramercy.
Permitting, Monitoring & Reporting
• Own the full lifecycle of environmental permits, licenses, and authorizations at both operations—applications, renewals, modifications, and condition tracking.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and defensible environmental monitoring, recordkeeping, and regulatory reporting in both jurisdictions.
• Maintain an audit-ready compliance calendar and documentation system spanning both sites.
Incident Management & Emergency Response
• Establish and maintain environmental incident prevention, spill response, and emergency preparedness programs at both operations.
• Lead environmental incident investigations, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and regulatory notification and follow-up.
• Ensure emergency response plans meet US and Jamaican requirements and are regularly tested and updated.
Auditing, Assurance & Continuous Improvement
• Implement a program of internal and third-party environmental audits, inspections, and self-assessments across both sites.
• Track environmental performance against targets, identify improvement opportunities, and drive corrective and preventive actions to closure.
• Benchmark performance and adopt industry-leading practices in alumina refining and bauxite mining environmental management.
Stakeholder, Community & Sustainability Engagement
• Represent Atalco with regulators, government agencies, industry bodies, and communities in both Louisiana and Jamaica.
• Support community relations, land-use, and social-license initiatives associated with mining and refining operations.
• Advance Atalco's sustainability, ESG, and greenhouse-gas / decarbonization reporting and commitments.
Team Leadership & Resources
• Lead, develop, and mentor site environmental teams at Gramercy and St. Ann, building bench strength and consistent standards across borders.
• Develop and manage the environmental function's operating and capital budgets, including compliance, monitoring, remediation, and reclamation expenditures.
• Manage environmental consultants, laboratories, and specialist contractors in both jurisdictions.
• Identify and develop succession candidates for environmental managers at both locations and other key environmental roles.
Dual-Jurisdiction Regulatory Scope
The role requires fluency in two distinct regulatory systems. The table below summarises the principal frameworks and authorities the Director is accountable for in each jurisdiction.
Area
Gramercy — United States (Federal / Louisiana)
Primary Agencies :
U.S. EPA
Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality (LDEQ)
Key Legislation:
Clean Air Act
Clean Water Act
RCRA (waste)
EPCRA / TRI; CERCLA
Air:
Title V operating permit; emissions monitoring for calcination, digestion & power generation
Water:
LPDES discharge permit to Mississippi River; stormwater; SPCC
Overburden, red-earth & tailings management; process waste
Land :
Progressive mined-land reclamation, revegetation & post-mining land use
Qualifications & Experience
Required
• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemical Engineering, Geology, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum 12–15 years of progressive environmental experience in heavy industry, with substantial exposure to mining, metals, refining, chemicals, or a comparably regulated sector.
• Demonstrated leadership of environmental compliance across multiple sites, including managing professional environmental teams.
• Proven, working knowledge of U.S. federal and state environmental regulation (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA and related programs).
• Direct experience with major environmental permits (e.g., Title V air, NPDES/LPDES water) including permit strategy, negotiation, and compliance.
• Experience managing large-scale environmental liabilities such as residue/tailings storage, land reclamation, or remediation.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States and able to travel internationally to Jamaica on a recurring basis.
Preferred
• Master's degree in an environmental, engineering, or management discipline.
• Direct experience in the bauxite / alumina industry (Bayer-process refining and/or bauxite mining).
• Working knowledge of Jamaican or other Caribbean environmental and mining regulatory frameworks, or demonstrated ability to lead compliance in international jurisdictions.
• Professional certification (e.g., PE, CHMM, CPEA) and experience with ISO 14001 environmental management systems.
• Experience with ESG, sustainability, and greenhouse-gas reporting.
Key Competencies
• Judgment — Strategic, systems-level thinking balanced with strong operational and technical rigour.
• Technical depth — Deep command of environmental science, engineering, and regulatory practice across differing legal systems.
• Leadership — Ability to lead and develop teams across borders, cultures, and time zones.
• Communication — Clear, credible communicator with regulators, executives, communities, and field teams.
• Risk management — Sound judgment under pressure during incidents, audits, and regulatory scrutiny.
• Integrity — Commitment to compliance, ethics, transparency, and responsible stewardship.
Performance Measures (KPIs)
• Zero significant environmental incidents and no notices of violation, penalties, or enforcement actions in either jurisdiction.
• 100% on-time submission of all regulatory reports, permit renewals, and monitoring data at both sites.
• Full permit compliance and successful outcomes on regulatory and third-party audits and inspections.
• Progress against mined-land reclamation, residue-area management, and closure/remediation plans.
• Achievement of environmental performance targets (air, water, waste) and sustainability / GHG commitments.
• Effective management of the environmental budget and closure of corrective and preventive actions.
Working Conditions & Travel
The role is based primarily at the Gramercy refinery in Louisiana, with a recurring on-site presence required at the St. Ann operation in Jamaica—typically 25–35% travel, including regular international travel. The Director must be able to work in active industrial refinery and open-pit mining environments, including exposure to outdoor conditions, elevated and confined areas, and standard site personal protective equipment requirements. The role requires availability to respond to environmental incidents and emergencies outside normal business hours.
This position description outlines the general nature and scope of the role and is not an exhaustive list of duties. Responsibilities may be adjusted to meet the evolving needs of the business and regulatory environment.
