Senior Sustainability Manager

London, England, United Kingdom

12/12/2024

At Mace, our purpose is to redefine the boundaries of ambition. We believe in creating places that are responsible, bringing transformative impact to our people, communities and societies across the globe. To learn more about our purpose, culture, and priorities, visit our strategy site.

Within our consult business, we harness our unique combination of leading-edge practical expertise and project delivery consultancy to unlock the potential in every project.

The Project

We are a purpose-led organisation that places diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. Our responsible business practice group comprising 170+ people bring themselves to work each day to make a difference; to create a low carbon resilient world, shaping cities and building thriving communities, and helping our clients to realise their ambitions.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior sustainability manager to join Mace’s responsible business team. As a member of the team, you will lead biodiversity delivery on the department for education (DfE) projects.

This position is ideal for an individual experienced in project leadership and management, with a good holistic understanding of sustainability, climate change and biodiversity aligned with current and future trends in the built environment. We want the candidate to inspire, challenge, guide and help us to deliver our sector-leading sustainability targets outlined in our 2026 business priority, Pursue a Sustainable World.

Our Values Shape The Way We Consult And Define The People We Want To Join Us On Our Journey, They Are

• Safety first - Going home safe and well
• Client focus - Deliver on our promise
• Integrity - Always do the right thing
• Create opportunity - For our people to excel
  
  

You’ll Be Responsible For

• Accountable for service excellence, delivering purpose-led and measurable outcomes for clients, with a particular focus on biodiversity for the DfE.
• Lead the development of client biodiversity, climate change and sustainability strategies on both an individual project and programme level including agreeing project outcomes and ensuring their delivery by the project team with a focus on work for the DfE.
• Manage the nature-based solutions team working on DfE projects, which includes identifying resource requirements, recruitment as required and championing career development.
• Deliver biodiversity CPD/training sessions with Mace teams.
• Work with our external partners/sub-consultants which will include commissioning additional surveys and services, preparing technical scopes and developing strong working relationships with them to support delivery of ecology surveys, biodiversity and landscape services.
• Provide technical expertise and promote innovation in particular areas of sustainability including green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation and resilience.
• Contribute to the delivery of the business strategy priorities and corporate targets, in particular, awareness of the biodiversity has delivered across projects, while driving an increase in nature-based solutions and % BNG delivered.
• Sustainability technical advisor role which includes reviewing consultant and contractor design proposals against client and planning requirements.
• Deliver commercial revenue targets aligned to the project/programme plan, requiring the translation of project/programme objectives into deliverable strategies, leading to a sustainable business for Mace in the sector.
• Develop a strong working relationship with our internal team across Mace including the architecture and urban design teams.
• Work with contractors and stakeholders to deliver best practice in terms of sustainability, biodiversity and environmental management, supporting them with specific queries - translating technical requirements into layperson language to ensure all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Work-winning through bids, solutioning, client liaison and raising Mace’s profile externally. This includes developing our nature-based solutions service offer and supporting the development of the climate resilience service offer. A focus on our key clients in Manchester and surrounding areas including but not limited to working with internal account leads to develop account growth and zipper plans.
• Delivery of our TCFD report, including interpretation of IPCC climate change data, internal workshops, risk assessments and providing management recommendations.
• Promote digital innovation within the responsible business team and work with internal teams across Mace with a focus on ArcGIS.
• Behaviours – we are particularly looking for someone who is proactive, pragmatic, and able to work both independently and part of a team across the UK. You would also be:
• We Are Curious – Able to think strategically and solve problems – can view things from different perspectives and simplifies concepts to solve or
• communicate complex problems. Drives change – through your ability to lead others and adopt innovative solutions, act decisively with a passion to achieve results.
• We Are Collaborative – Establishes positive relationships with project teams, client and stakeholders including consultants, contractors, sub-contractors and regulators.
• We Are Contributors – A confident communicator and capable of delivering high quality presentations to colleagues and clients. Capable of delivering results.
• We Are Champions – Technically robust and an expert in ecology, comfortable analysing data and able to adapt to learn new technical requirements.
  
  

You’ll Need To Have

• Established track record of successfully managing biodiversity delivery on projects from initial site analysis and concept design through to detailed design including coordination with ecologists to produce information for planning and construction.
• Developing biodiversity, climate change and sustainability strategies.
• Knowledge of TCFD, experience in analysing IPCC data and undertaking physical climate change risk assessments.
• Technical know-how, and experience of working with contractors and environmental management during construction.
• Experience of understanding client requirements and developing scope and fee proposals.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of the UK legal and planning system with respect to BNG, environmental assessment and management.
• Undertaking a technical advisory sustainability role which includes reviewing contractor design proposals against client and planning requirements.
• An understanding of the DfE technical standards and project requirements is preferable.
• Skills in ArcGIS is preferable.
  
  

You’ll Also Have

• Degree level qualification in geography, environmental science or recognised equivalent.
• Postgraduate diploma/master’s qualification in environmental assessment or management.
• Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).
• Working towards chartered environmentalist or similar equivalent.
• Full UK driving license.
  
  

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfil all of the criteria, please apply as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organisation.

We are also open to discussing part-time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.