Operational Sustainability Lead

Job summary

Can you drive sustainability performance across a complex organisation?

Have you delivered reporting, targets and environmental improvement initiatives?

Are you a confident leader who influences and collaborates effectively?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

As Sustainability Performance Lead, you will play a pivotal role in driving operational sustainability across the Department for Transport and its family of agencies and Arm's Length Bodies. You will lead the development, review and delivery of the Operational Sustainability Strategy, ensuring meaningful and achievable targets are in place to support ambitious sustainability objectives and Greening Government Commitments.

You will oversee key sustainability reporting, including contributions to the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, TCFD disclosures and quarterly performance returns. Working closely with stakeholders across government, contractors and property teams, you will lead sustainability and environmental projects, influence strategic decision-making and help improve environmental performance across a diverse national estate.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DfT.

Job description

The role holder will provide strategic leadership on sustainability performance across the Department’s estate and wider organisation, ensuring environmental objectives are effectively embedded into operational activities. They will build strong relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, drive continuous improvement through data-led decision making, and identify opportunities to enhance sustainability outcomes. The postholder will also lead the delivery of environmental projects, provide expert advice and assurance, and support the Department in meeting its corporate sustainability and environmental commitments.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Lead on sustainability management, improvement and reporting across DfT Group (including Arm’s Length Bodies); ensuring compliance with Greening Government Commitments reporting requirements.
• Lead on the development of the Sustainability section of the Annual Report and Accounts, including the TCFD return.
• Maintain, manage, review and renew the DfT Operational Sustainability Strategy and ensure appropriate policies, standards and targets are in place and communicated across the organisation and suppliers.
• Keep abreast of all industry trends, developments, and legislation on carbon, waste and the environment and represent DfT at the cross-Whitehall Sustainability Forum.
• Manage the sustainability data and reporting across DfT. Utilising existing data management contracts, identify improvements and manage any sustainability data requirements in renewed or relet contracts
• Encourage the use of renewable and sustainable energy resources across the portfolio, driving innovation and championing industry best practice. Particularly working with the Building Services team to improve the sustainability performance of the central Department.
• Ensure that all areas of property management are driving towards the reduction of environmental impact and supporting the government’s sustainability agenda and lead the production of the Annual Report and Accounts Sustainability. Report/Statement.
• Develop relationships with colleagues, suppliers, contractors and other Government Departments to share best practice, improve performance and achieve targets.

Flexible resourcing

Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile . Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Significant professional expertise in management role/s leading on environmental issues in the real estate and FM/property industry and knowledge of complying with related regulatory frameworks
• Experience in government reporting, including experience with the Greening Government Commitments reporting
• Experience of working with government departments to co-develop policy/reporting documentation
• Experience of understanding environmental options and how to apply them to a multi-sited and multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Experience of managing complex and innovative projects from start to finish and associated contract management. Influential and able to lead key senior stakeholders, colleagues and customers towards commercial solutions that give a balance of optimal performance and environmentally sustainable solutions that support the business strategy
• Willingness to work toward attaining Chartered Environmentalist status (through ISEP, CIOB, CIWM, CABE or other property, infrastructure or building services body) or holds Core Accreditation at Chartered, Certified or Fellow grade in (RICS, IWFM, CIOB, CEng, CEnv, RTPI, RIBA)
• In addition, to hold or agree to work towards the appropriate level of contract management certification

Additional Information

You will be required to undertake the Foundation e-learning module of the Contract Management Capability programme once in role, unless this accreditation is already held.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Frequent travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Sponsorship is not offered for this role. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Qualifications

At a minimum to hold the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental

Professionals (ISEP) Certificate and the APM Project Management Qualification or equivalents.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Department for Transport contributes

£16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following: • Experience in government reporting, including experience with the Greening Government Commitments reporting
• Experience of working with government departments to co-develop policy/reporting documentation
• Experience of understanding environmental options and how to apply them to a multi-sited and multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Experience of managing complex and innovative projects from start to finish and associated contract management. Influential and able to lead key senior stakeholders, colleagues and customers towards commercial solutions that give a balance of optimal performance and environmentally sustainable solutions that support the business strategy

The sift will take place week commencing 5th October 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing and Working Together
• Experience

The interviews will take place week commencing 19th October 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to a