Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Manager

Thames Water; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car Allowance

Pension Scheme

Private Medical Health Care

Holiday entitlement (26–30 days)

Job summary

Thames Water seeks a strategic Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Manager to lead resilience work, develop strategy and drive innovation across the organisation. The role involves embedding climate change and sustainability thinking across governance and operations, with a focus on long-term resilience.

Reading-based, hybrid role with a 36-hour week, offering a competitive salary, car allowance, pension and strong benefits.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication, collaborative approach and ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, ability to join dots and turn complex information into clear insight.
• Translate complex technical information into clear business insights and recommendations.
• Demonstrable experience developing and delivering climate change, sustainability or environmental strategies within a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of climate adaptation, mitigation, natural capital and sustainability frameworks.
• Knowledge of relevant UK environmental policy, regulation and reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Lead Thames Water’s climate change strategy, including risk management and embedding it across the business.
• Drive the natural capital approach and embed thinking into decision-making frameworks.
• Build internal and external partnerships to develop and deliver commitments.
• Monitor policy landscape to inform long-term strategy.
• Maintain and evolve sustainability policies aligned with priorities and best practice.
• Support disclosures and reporting, including climate-related disclosures.
• Provide expert advice to influence investment and business planning.

Skills

Communication

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Policy knowledge (UK)

Stakeholder influence

AI curiosity

Numerical literacy

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

We’re looking for a strategic, forward-thinking Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Manager to lead our work on climate change resilience, sustainability and natural capital. You will play a pivotal role in shaping how we anticipate and respond to future challenges and identify opportunities for innovation and long‑term resilience. You will develop strategy, help to inform decision-making, and drive innovation across the organisation.

What you’ll be doing as a Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Manager

• Lead our Climate Change Strategy - define and manage the execution of Thames Water’s climate change strategy, approach and risk management, and make sure that this is embedded.
• Lead our work on Natural Capital - drive the development and implementation of Thames Water's natural capital approach, embedding natural capital thinking into decision‑making frameworks and strengthening links to our wider value and sustainability agenda.
• Build strong internal and external partnerships - work with internal and external stakeholders to develop, integrate and deliver our commitments.
• Scan the horizon - monitor emerging policy and best practice to take a long‑term view of the external landscape and apply this to our key focus areas.
• Own and update core policies - maintain and evolve core sustainability policies and frameworks, ensuring they remain aligned with strategic priorities, regulatory expectations and industry best practice, and are effectively understood across the business.
• Support key disclosures and reporting - including the development of material for sustainability reporting and climate‑related disclosures
• Influence investment and business planning – provide expert advice and challenge to business planning, investment decisions and strategic programmes so that climate, sustainability and natural capital considerations are reflected in decision making.
• Champion our sustainability themes -maintain our nine sustainability themes and support the development of case studies that bring our work to life for internal and external audiences.

Base location

Reading - Hybrid

Working hours

36 Hours

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Excellent communication skills, a collaborative approach and the ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability see multiple options, join the dots and turn complex information in to clear, compelling insight.
• Ability to translate complex technical information into clear business insights and recommendations.
• Demonstrable experience developing and delivering climate change, sustainability or environmental strategies within a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of climate adaptation, climate mitigation, natural capital and sustainability frameworks.
• Knowledge of relevant UK environmental and climate policy, regulation and reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate effectively across organisational boundaries.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation.
• A relevant technical or professional qualification such as a degree or equivalent experience.
• Strong digital and analytical skills, including proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, with curiosity and willingness to explore and apply AI.
• Highly numerate with an attention to detail.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

• Strong questioning and probing skills to identify opportunities or discover risks relating to sustainability.
• Awareness of emerging trends, opportunities and challenges within the sustainability, climate change and natural capital landscape.
• Experience developing and delivering engaging communication and stakeholder approaches across a variety of audiences.
• Relevant related higher professional qualification or working towards one.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £90,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Private Medical Health Care
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.