Role: Senior Sustainability Lead

Location: Hybrid - Reading area 2 days per week

Salary: £450 - £550 Per Day Outside IR35

Overview

Do you want to be a part of a major Transformation Programme spearheading the wider UK Industrial Strategy boosting productivity by backing Manufacturing businesses in one of the UK's largest Infrastructure Investments to date? Join this innovative organisation to drive growth across the UK Manufacturing Sector modernising and improving capability and efficiency throughout the wider UK PLC.

We are looking for capable and credible Senior Sustainability Lead who can help setup a new procurement team and establish "best practice sustainability", meeting targets and goals of wider organisation in line with the new Procurement Act. You will be working with and engaging diverse stakeholders across a highly regulated environment from Private and Public Sector, working closely with Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Defence.

SC Clearance will be needed to obtain this role and it would be of great benefit if you were already security cleared.

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Sustainability Lead to drive the integration of sustainable practices into our public sector procurement processes. As a key member of our procurement team, you will lead on embedding sustainability and ethical considerations across all procurement activities, ensuring we meet our environmental, social, and economic objectives.

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact by ensuring that public spending contributes to a greener, fairer future while delivering value for money. You will work closely with suppliers, stakeholders, and policymakers to promote best practices and influence sustainable procurement strategies across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of sustainability strategies in procurement, ensuring alignment with government and organisational targets (e.g., Net Zero goals, circular economy, social value).

• Develop and monitor policies that promote sustainable sourcing, ethical supply chains, and reducing environmental impact, including carbon reduction, waste management, and resource efficiency.

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to drive innovation and adoption of sustainable products and services.

• Ensure procurement compliance with national and international regulations and standards (e.g., ISO 20400, environmental legislation).

• Engage with suppliers and contractors to improve sustainability standards, encouraging environmentally and socially responsible practices.

• Provide expert guidance and training to procurement teams and wider departments on sustainable procurement practices.

• Monitor and report on progress towards sustainability goals, identifying areas for improvement and ensuring continuous development.

• Support tendering processes by integrating sustainability criteria into contracts and supplier evaluations.

• Represent the organisation in sustainability-related networks and forums, advocating for improved standards in public procurement.

If you want to work in an innovative and complex organisation on classified programmes with a great opportunity for real impact across sustainability in practice, and you have the resilience and tenacity to push projects forward in a highly regulated environment then reach out to me directly today tom.dykes@1st-executive.com or click Apply Now to find out more about this fascinating opportunity.