Sustainability Lead (Climate and Circularity)

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 118,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney seeks a Sustainability Lead (Climate and Circularity) to provide technical leadership and project management for the Climate and Nature Transition Plan. The role is based on Camperdown Campus and reports to the Senior Manager Sustainability, driving decarbonisation, net zero and circularity priorities across the University.

You will lead complex sustainability projects, manage work plans, risks and milestones, and collaborate with internal teams and external partners to

Qualifications

• Degree in environmental science, engineering or related field.
• Strong expertise in decarbonisation, net zero pathways and GHG accounting.
• Experience implementing circular economy initiatives across large organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination and delivery of sustainability projects and programs.
• Drive climate mitigation and circularity initiatives across the University.
• Provide technical leadership on decarbonisation, energy, and circularity.
• Engage stakeholders across operations, procurement, research and governance.
• Support governance, reporting and performance tracking against targets.
• Build strategic relationships to support delivery and decision-making.

Skills

Decarbonisation & net zero

Circular economy

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Project management

Education

Environmental science / Engineering degree

Job description

Sustainability Lead (Climate and Circularity)

• Full-time, fixed term until 31st December 2029
• Located on Camperdown Campus on Gadigal Country
• Base salary from $131,108 plus 17% superannuation

About the team

The Sustainability Team sits within the Office of the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost and leads the University’s environmental sustainability agenda; translating our institutional Climate and Nature Transition Plan 2026–2032 into practical action, measurable outcomes and lasting change. The Climate and Nature Transition Plan (CNTP) is the University’s roadmap for addressing the defining challenges of climate change and nature loss, along with the interconnected challenges that underpin and shape them. It establishes a clear pathway to 2032, with measurable targets, defined actions, accountable owners and transparent reporting.

The Sustainability Team plays a central role in enabling delivery of this agenda across the University. Working across operations, research, education, and engagement, the team brings together strategic leadership, specialist sustainability expertise, project and program delivery, data, reporting and compliance, sustainability governance, behaviour change and stakeholder engagement to turn ambition into action, and to embed sustainability into decision‑making and everyday practice. The team works collaboratively with academics, professional staff, students, University leadership and external partners to drive meaningful and lasting change.

As visible champions for sustainability across the University, the team strives to build the institutional capabilities, behaviours, partnerships and systems needed to embed and scale climate and nature action and deliver meaningful outcomes.

About the opportunity

The Sustainability Lead (Climate and Circularity) provides technical leadership and project management expertise to deliver the University’s Climate and Nature Transition Plan. Reporting to the Senior Manager Sustainability (Climate Mitigation and Circularity), the role leads the planning, development and implementation of strategic initiatives that advance the University’s climate mitigation, net zero and circularity priorities.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• lead the planning, coordination and delivery of complex sustainability projects and programs, managing workplans, risks, performance and milestones to deliver the University's Climate and Nature Transition Plan
• lead the delivery of the Climate Mitigation and Circularity focus areas of the University's Climate and Nature Transition Plan, driving implementation across the University and monitoring progress against strategic objectives and targets
• provide technical leadership in climate mitigation and net zero initiatives, including decarbonisation, electrification, renewable energy, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas accounting, carbon management and offsetting
• lead the development and implementation of the University's circularity program, advancing waste reduction, reuse systems, resource recovery and circular economy principles across University operations and procurement
• apply behavioural science and engagement approaches to build organisational capability, influence decision‑making and embed climate mitigation and circularity practices across the University community
• build strategic relationships and provide specialist technical advice across the University and with external stakeholders, facilitating project governance, stakeholder forums and collaborative initiatives to support delivery, inform decision‑making and achieve sustainability outcomes.

About you

• tertiary qualifications in a relevant field, such as environmental science, environmental management, sustainability, climate science, engineering, resource management, circular economy, law or policy, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• demonstrated technical expertise across decarbonisation and net zero pathways, energy and electrification, Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas accounting and carbon management, including knowledge of TPG24-33 climate-related financial disclosure and experience applying climate and transition risk assessment, scenario analysis and mitigation strategies to support organisational decision‑making, reporting and disclosure
• experience in circular economy principles and practices, including waste prevention, reuse systems, resource recovery and sustainable procurement, with experience developing and implementing circularity initiatives across complex organisations to reduce resource consumption and waste generation
• experience managing and engaging a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders across a large or complex organisation, including operational and infrastructure teams, technical experts, procurement and supply chain stakeholders, suppliers, government and regulatory organisations, researchers and academic experts
• experience in leading, managing and developing team members, including fostering a positive, inclusive and high-performance work culture.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

Please note: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre‑employment checks and declarations

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre‑employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.