Department: Development & Construction

Who We Are:

At CloudHQ, our mission is to deliver flexible, efficient, and resilient data center solutions to businesses worldwide. Founded by a pioneer in data center REITs, we are a rapidly growing organization with state-of-the-art data center sites globally, with locations in Ashburn, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Osaka, São Paulo, and more.

As we embark on an exciting phase of global growth, we are building a diverse and talented team to drive our success and help shape the future of mission-critical infrastructure at CloudHQ.

As Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager, you will be the primary authority on environmental compliance, impact minimisation, and green construction practice across all development phases - from planning consent through to handover & operations.

You will operate at the intersection of German and EU environmental law, cutting-edge data center engineering, and stakeholder governance. This means owning the full environmental narrative of complex, high-value construction projects: managing permits, driving sustainable design decisions, reducing embodied carbon, protecting local ecology and hydrology, and ensuring growing digital infrastructure is built to the highest environmental standard.

While the role carries full EHS accountability, the weighting and seniority of this position is predominantly environmental. You will be the expert voice on environmental matters within the project team and a credible point of contact for our customers as well as Hessian and federal regulatory bodies.

Key Responsibilities:

EHS Leadership & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and monitor EHS programs across all phases of the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with CloudHQ’s corporate standards.
• Ensure compliance with German and EU regulations on health, safety, and environmental protocols.
• Manage environmental impact assessments and ensure sustainability practices are incorporated into all development projects.
• Conduct regular audits, site inspections, and risk assessments to identify and mitigate hazards.

Environmental Management:

• Oversee waste management, energy efficiency, and sustainability measures during construction and operational phases.
• Collaborate with design and construction teams to incorporate green building practices and reduce the project's carbon footprint.
• Provide guidance for environmental compliance reporting, ensuring all documentation meets regulatory standards and certification goals.
• Lead environmental incident investigations, root cause analyses, and create corrective action plans to address environmental concerns.

Workplace Safety:

• Act as the subject matter expert on construction safety, ensuring that safety policies are communicated, implemented, and enforced throughout the project’s delivery.
• Drive a culture of safety by conducting regular toolbox talks, training sessions, and awareness campaigns for project teams and contractors.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Work closely with project managers, construction leads, and consultants to ensure EHS standards are integrated into all project milestones.
• Engage with external regulatory bodies and local authorities to address EHS-related inquiries and approvals.
• Liaise with contractors to evaluate their EHS plans, ensuring full alignment with CloudHQ’s expectations.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date EHS reporting, metrics, and KPIs for leadership visibility and compliance audits.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in EHS performance and recommend best practices to enhance project efficiencies and safety outcomes.

Required Skills & Experience:

EHS Expertise:

• Minimum of 5+ years’ experience managing Environment, Health, and Safety responsibilities in construction or industrial projects, ideally within mission-critical infrastructure (e.g., data centers, energy, or industrial developments).
• Provide knowledge of German EHS regulations and European safety standards (e.g.,ISO 14001, ISO 45001).
• Support all environmental permitting activities under the Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz (BImSchG), Wasserhaushaltsgesetz (WHG), Bundesnaturschutzgesetz (BNatSchG), and Hessian state (LNatSchG) regulations.
• Manage Environmental Impact Assessment (Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung / UVP) processes, coordinating with planners, consultants, and Hessian authorities from scoping through to approval.
• Maintain full compliance with EU Taxonomy environmental objectives and the EU Construction Products Regulation as they apply to data center development.
• Ensure alignment with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requirements relevant to construction activity, supporting CloudHQ’s group-level reporting obligations.
• Monitor legislative pipeline for changes to German and EU environmental law that may affect current or future projects, briefing the development team accordingly.
• Assess and manage groundwater risks during construction, particularly given Frankfurt’s proximity to the River Main and local aquifer sensitivities - implementing dewatering controls, pollution prevention plans (PPPs), and spill response protocols.
• Commission and oversee ecological surveys (flora, fauna, bat and bird surveys) at pre-construction stage, ensuring all mitigation and compensation requirements are implemented and evidenced.
• Manage surface water drainage design review and SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System) integration, ensuring runoff quality and quantity standards are met throughout construction.
• Oversee data center cooling water management strategies during construction commissioning, minimising freshwater consumption and managing Legionella and chemical discharge risks in compliance with the Abwasserverordnung.
• Implement habitat protection zones, tree preservation orders, and biodiversity net gain measures in accordance with the Bundesnaturschutzgesetz and any planning conditions imposed by the Stadtplanungsamt Frankfurt.
• Manage dust, non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) emissions, and air quality monitoring during construction, ensuring compliance with the 39. BImSchV (Air Quality Ordinance) and any local Low Emission Zone requirements.
• Assess and mitigate construction noise in accordance with the Technische Anleitung zum Schutz gegen Lärm (TA Lärm), coordinating working-hour restrictions and acoustic screening as required by Frankfurt planning conditions.
• Manage light pollution controls during night works and assess urban heat island risk associated with large-scale data center infrastructure, working with designers on mitigation strategies (cool roofing, green walls, landscaping).
• Coordinate with logistics planners to minimise HGV movement through Frankfurt’s residential and protected zones, reducing community impact and NOx / particulate emissions.

Technical Abilities:

• Ability to assess environmental site conditions and implement impact minimization strategies.
• Experience in incident investigation techniques, risk assessments, and developing corrective action plans.
• Proficiency in generating EHS reports and interpreting technical standards related to workplace health and safety.
• Demonstrable knowledge of German environmental law: BImSchG, WHG, BNatSchG, KrWG, Gefahrstoffverordnung, TA Lärm, 39. BImSchV, and BaustellV.
• Experience managing UVP / EIA processes and interacting with Hessian and federal environmental regulatory bodies.
• Hands-on experience with embodied carbon tracking, whole-life carbon assessments, or LCA methodology on construction projects.
• Familiarity with BREEAM, LEED, or DGNB certification in the context of construction delivery.
• ISO 14001Environmental Management Systems implementation and auditing experience; ISO 50001 energy management beneficial

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with a commitment to detail and accuracy under tight timelines.
• Fluent in German and English to facilitate communication within the region and across the organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Engineering, or related fields.

Certifications:

NEBOSH Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

Familiarity with BREEAM, LEED, or DGNB certification in the context of construction delivery.

IOS14001 Auditor Certification

ISO 45001 Auditor Certification

Experience:

Proven background in EHS management for developer-led building projects or hyperscale data center developments is highly desirable.

At CloudHQ, we are at the forefront of global infrastructure development, delivering state-of-the-art data centers that empower businesses worldwide. As EHS Manager – Frankfurt, you will be instrumental in ensuring the successful delivery of sustainable and safe projects that support the growth of digital infrastructure.