Head of Environmental Sustainability

Job summary

The New Hospital Programme is more than building hospitals, it's a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in England. We're delivering over 40 new hospitals that will be modern, sustainable and built around the needs of patients and staff.

We're looking for people who care about purpose, who thrive in complex environments and who want to help deliver change at scale for future generations.

Main duties of the job We are seeking an experienced Head of Environmental Sustainability to lead the delivery and embedding of environmental sustainability across the New Hospital Programme.

Reporting to the Director of Sustainability, you will play a key leadership role in implementing the programme's Social, Economic and Environmental (SEE) Delivery Strategy, ensuring environmental objectives are embedded across the design, planning, procurement, construction and operational delivery of hospital schemes.

Working across a complex national programme, you will drive the delivery of environmental initiatives, support the development of sustainability strategies, and ensure consistent measurement, monitoring and reporting of environmental outcomes.

You will work closely with stakeholders and delivery partners to ensure environmental requirements are effectively incorporated into Hospital 2.0 products, spaces and scheme delivery.

We are looking for someone with: Significant experience in environmental sustainability, net zero, or environmental programme delivery. Strong knowledge of sustainability frameworks, policies and reporting requirements. Experience developing and implementing environmental strategies within large, complex programmes.

Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills. A track record of driving measurable environmental improvements and continuous improvement initiatives.

About us

NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025,the Government announcedthat NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement.

You may opt out at any stage of the process. Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices. Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

Job description

Job

responsibilities

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

For more information on the NHP programme Due to ongoing organisational change and developments, aspects of this role may be subject to change. By applying for this position, you acknowledge and understand that NHS England is currently undergoing a consultation process to finalise its structure, which may impact this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential Educated to Masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in large and complex organisations Desirable Relevant professional qualification commensurate with experience Certified environmental professional Experience Essential Significant experience in a large, complex organisation or major programme Significant experience of developing and embedding environment and sustainability strategies and plans Proven ability to translate sustainability strategies and initiatives into actionable plans Understanding of sustainability regulations and industry requirements.

Proven track record of delivering against environmental/sustainability targets in the public or private sector Desirable Extensive knowledge of sustainability principles Understanding of environmental sustainability within construction processes Understanding of the healthcare sector Extensive experience with internal and external stakeholder engagement and management.

Skills Essential Technical expertise environment and sustainability standards; Net Zero Carbon, whole life building standards; statutory requirements; reference design; industrialisation processes; utilities; logistics; technical and operational standards Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations Ability to provide and receive, convey and present highly complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to large groups, responding openly to questions to ensure full understanding and engagement Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess verbal, written, numerical and draw appropriate conclusions High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner