Environmental engineers have pivotal role to play at firm

Gammon Construction is involved in many large infrastructure projects in Hong Kong. Its drive to make these projects meet the highest levels of safety and sustainability means that, alongside a general demand for engineers, there is also a need to recruit for a range of interesting roles.

Edmond Lai, director of human resources, says the company is looking for environmental engineers, whose roles have broadened in recent years.

'In the old days, it was mainly about compliance, but builders and consultants are increasingly focused on environmental sustainability,' he says.

Environmental engineers now monitor and assist in implementing green features. For this role, the company looks for candidates who have an academic background in environmental engineering and ideally some relevant experience in construction.

Lai says the company also needs safety managers and advisers. These might be already-registered safety officers or new graduates who the company trains for the position. Employees in these safety roles both monitor site activity and offer input during the pre-construction and design phases.

'They look at the major risks relating to the operation of the site and then work on a daily basis to remove these,' Lai says.