Sustainability Manager

Description

• Embedding sustainability into every stage of the project lifecycle, balancing environmental and social objectives with cost, programme, and design development.
• Building strong relationships with regulators, CCS, and other authorities to ensure compliance and best practice.
• Collaborating with engineering, procurement, and commercial teams to:
• Managing sustainability KPIs, reporting and auditing, ensuring accuracy and accountability across workstreams.
• Designing a sustainability team structure and resource forecast, leading recruitment and building capability across specialist areas (environmental, carbon, and social value).
• Set project-specific objectives on carbon, biodiversity, circular economy, and social value.
• Shaping and leading the sustainability strategy, working closely with design consultants and internal delivery teams.
• Driving community engagement by working closely with the client's community team, representing the project in public forums, and coordinating impactful communications.
• Defining and agreeing sustainability targets and metrics at preconstruction (RIBA Stage 3 onwards), aligned with client and local authority expectations.
• Leading and mentoring a growing team of sustainability professionals, offering technical guidance and pastoral support.
• Leading sustainability as part of the core project leadership team, with responsibility across environment, carbon, and social value.
• Create the Sustainability Risk & Opportunity Register.
• Embed sustainability requirements into procurement and supply chain partnerships.
• Acting as the primary sustainability lead during preconstruction and delivery, ensuring consistent communication with the client, design team, and stakeholders.
• Developing a Stakeholder Management Plan to support proactive engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
• Supporting continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned and contributing to Laing O'Rourke's wider sustainability strategy.

Requirements

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, from regulators and community groups to client leadership.
• Proven experience delivering sustainability strategies on large infrastructure or construction projects.
• Deep knowledge of environmental sustainability — not just carbon, but biodiversity, circular economy, waste, and water.
• Confidence, resilience, and influencing skills to operate independently during the PCSA period — with the ability to negotiate, steer design decisions, and proactively shape the sustainability agenda.
• BREEAM and ecology management frameworks
• PAS 2080 (Carbon Management in Infrastructure)
• Skilled in data management and reporting, with experience tracking, auditing and presenting sustainability performance to senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership experience in establishing and building a team, including resource planning, recruitment, and performance management.
• Strong understanding of net zero carbon principles, life cycle assessments, and sustainability-linked procurement.
• ISO 14001 (Environmental Management)
• Degree qualified (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field such as Environmental Science, Sustainability, Engineering, or Architecture.
• Familiarity with relevant standards such as:
• NHS SHTN 02-01 (Sustainable Design & Construction)
• Commercial acumen, with the ability to integrate sustainability into decision-making alongside cost and programme.
• Awareness of and/or experience in delivering social value outcomes such as apprenticeships, local employment, and community initiatives.
• Eligible to work in the UK and subject to vetting and security screening.

Benefits

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance