Senior Sustainability Manager

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA); Swansea; On-site; GBP 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector agency in the UK is looking for a Sustainability Manager to lead a team of environmental professionals and drive sustainable practices. This role involves overseeing the Environmental Management System, developing sustainability strategies, and reporting to stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have a degree in an environmental discipline, leadership experience in sustainability, and strong communication skills. The position offers a salary of £44,241 with significant pension contributions.

Benefits

Employer pension contribution of 28.97%

Up to 30 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Access to professional development

24-hour Employee Assistance Programme

Diverse workforce support

Civil Service pension

Qualifications

• Experience in environmental strategy and policy development.
• Ability to motivate and lead a team focused on sustainability.
• Strong knowledge of ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Sustainability and Environmental managers.
• Oversee the Environmental Management System.
• Develop and monitor programmes that promote sustainability.

Skills

Sustainability strategy development

Team leadership

Environmental management systems

Effective communication

Education

Degree in environmental discipline

Practitioner membership of environmental body

Job description

Do you have a background in sustainability and the environment? Can you drive change and implement improvement strategies? Are you a strong team leader who can motivate people to achieve excellent results? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of Corporate Sustainability, you will manage a small team of Sustainability and Environmental managers. You will be responsible for overseeing the Environmental Management System.

You will have significant input into the key environmental strategy of the DVLA, developing and monitoring programmes and policies that promote sustainability. You will produce and deliver reports and presentations to internal and external stakeholders. Stakeholders will ask you to substantiate your recommendations and targets and so you must have a comprehensive understanding of finer details as well as the overall strategy.

We provide a range of professional development and training opportunities for our staff, and you will be supported to develop your skills and knowledge in the environmental field.

Benefits

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary.
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days) plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
• Access to staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships.
• 24‑hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• Peace of mind from government‑wide Civil Service pensions.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Develop and review strategy, policies and guidance for sustainability and environmental objectives to drive positive change through the agency.
• Champion sustainability and environmental consideration as a key element of all estate and operational decision making and strategy.
• Provide specialist advice on sustainability and environmental matters to Head of Sustainability, senior managers, line managers, staff and external stakeholders.
• Manage and maintain the Environment Management System to ensure DVLA retains certification to ISO14001.

Additional requirements:

• Degree (or substantial experience) in an environmental discipline.
• Practitioner membership of an environmental body.
• A passion for the environment and sustainability, and significant knowledge of environment management systems.
• A strong leader with experience of managing and motivating an environmental and sustainability team.
• An articulate communicator, verbally and in writing, capable of presenting work in a variety of formats.

Selection Process

We will assess you against the following behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

The selection process for this role will be as follows:

1. Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement. The sift will take place week commencing 8th December 2025. You will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
   • Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and a personal statement (1000‑word count).
   • Evidence of experience in:
     • Working knowledge of an environment management system.
     • Leading and motivating an environmental sustainability team.
     • Driving change and implementing continuous improvement strategies.
     • Using effective communication skills to build relationships with various stakeholders.
2. Stage 2: Interview and Presentation. The interviews will take place week commencing 12th January 2026. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
   • Behaviours – (Changing & Improving, Communicating & Influencing, Leadership and Seeing the Big Picture)
   • Strengths

   At interview, you will also be required to create and deliver a presentation; guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

We will also hold a 12‑month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

Visa Sponsorship

We do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non‑visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

AI Tools and Platforms

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Salary

Salary: £44,241. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.