Sustainability Manager

Job description

This role requires working across government, DWP Estates stakeholders, and suppliers, building a culture of environmental and sustainability innovation and implementation.

This role would suit someone with strong experience in sustainability improvement and project management. Specific experience in waste management, biodiversity and/or climate change adaptation would also be beneficial.

Government Property Profession Career Framework (Link)

This role sits within the following:

Job Family Technical Specialisms & Assurance

Core Role Environmental Sustainability

Level - Practitioner

Key accountabilities

Responsible for supporting the development and delivery of non-carbon Sustainability and Environmental strategies within DWP Estates, including implementation of the Sustainability Management Plan.

Manage projects and activities relating to the department and governmental targets on areas such as Waste, Biodiversity, and Climate Change Adaptation.

Support the development of communication plans and strategies related to the projects, looking at ways in which to engage staff and suppliers.

Responsible for monitoring and reporting departmental performance on waste, biodiversity and climate change adaptation, working closely with the Data and MI manager, including developing frameworks to track benefits from projects.

Oversee FM performance on sustainability and environment, ensuring performance is met to contractual requirements and performance is reported in a timely and accurate way.

Work closely with and ensure alignment with cross-government and cross-DWP Estates stakeholders and groups, and supply chain to ensure Sustainability Management Plan and related strategies reflect with DWP portfolio and project strategies.

Act as a SME on sustainability and environmental topics to other parts of DWP to ensure sustainability is factored into all processes and policies (e.g. procurement) and support the development and defining of future goals, ambitions, and policies.

Build relationships with other government departments, share best practice and undertake benchmarking, promoting a culture of innovation and sustainability.

Keep abreast of latest industry innovations, legislative changes, best practice and sustainability leadership; using this insight to advise new projects, capital investment programmes, and process changes. Attend industry events and represent DWP as required.

Undertake responses to relevant FOIs, Parliamentary Questions, executive briefing etc., ensuring relevant reports are produced and shared where required.

Person specification

Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Demonstrable professional experience in delivery role/s leading on environment and sustainability issues within the building services sector, with a preference for waste/biodiversity/climate change adaption experience.
• In depth knowledge and understanding of complying with related Statutory, regulatory frameworks and legislative or policy requirements related to Sustainability and the Environment with a preference for the Real Estate and FM/Property industry and Civil Service.
• Evidence of delivering sustainability projects from start to finish, ideally across a large portfolio, setting prioritisation, delivery at pace and working to tight timescales.
• Evidence of identifying and implementing process changes, with an outcome-based approach and focus on continuous improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communicator, able to present technical information to non-technical audiences, and use data to influence decision making.
• Experience of working closely with key suppliers in managing day to day activities, escalating issues to resolution, and influencing key decision making.
• Strong team contributor, able to work with internal, external, and supplier colleagues to achieve common goals.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Desirable

Educated to degree level in a relevant associated topic, such as Environmental Science, Environmental Management or Sustainability Development.

Practitioner member or above of IEMA or full membership of other relevant professional body (e.g. RICS, IWFM, ICE or CIOB) or equivalent experience.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed

Hybrid Working

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of no more than 1000 words against the essential criteria as outlined above. You will also be asked to provide a short CV.

Your CV should be fairly short and just evidence very brief details of your work history and experience.

Please do not submit a speculative application where you do not meet at least 50% of the essential criteria as these applications will be unsuccessful. Do not include Behaviour examples within your application as these will not be assessed in the sift and will only be used at interview stage.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

There will be an initial sift of applications based on the Personal Statement only, so please ensure you evidence how you meet the Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience requirement contained in the vacancy in this section. This will form a short list for interview.

STAGE 2 - INTERVIEW

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will undertake a single virtual video interview.

The interview will follow a blended approach which will help us assess candidates Behaviours and Strengths.

Currently the sift is scheduled to take place w/c 6th May 2024 and interview dates will be w/c 20 May 2024 . Interviews are scheduled to take place virtually and dates are subject to change.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Security Information

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email [email protected]

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the Reasonable Adjustments section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.