Sustainability Manager

Chester Zoo; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Chester Zoo seeks a Sustainability Manager to turn its Sustainability Policy into practical, organisation-wide action. You will embed sustainability into decision-making, lead reporting and compliance, and ensure robust evidence supports targets and external reporting requirements.

You will develop and deliver initiatives across the zoo, driving progress on carbon, waste, procurement and biodiversity while creating guidance, action plans and business cases to enable change.

Qualifications

• Degree in sustainability/environmental field or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading sustainability compliance and initiatives in medium/large orgs.
• Knowledge of external drivers, legislation and tech influencing sustainability.
• Experience developing written communications, delivery plans, and business cases.
• Experience liaising with governance structures and multi-stakeholder groups.

Responsibilities

• Manage sustainability reporting and compliance across the organisation.
• Programme manage initiatives to embed sustainability and drive behaviour change.
• Support governance with presentations, business cases, and communications.
• Progress work toward targets via Delivery Groups and cross-site collaboration.
• Identify and secure investment; manage budget and funding proposals.
• Act as SME on sustainability and advise internally and externally.

Skills

Sustainability leadership

Regulatory compliance

Data reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Education

Degree in sustainability or environmental field

Job description

Sustainability Manager

Chester Zoo is committed to improving sustainability across all its activities. We have an exciting role for an outstanding Sustainability Manager to help drive forward the organisation’s Sustainability Policy, reporting to the Head of Sustainability, with the support of the Executive Team, senior management and Board of Trustees.

The Role

As Sustainability Manager, you’ll help turn Chester Zoo’s Sustainability Policy into practical, organisation-wide action. Bringing specialist technical expertise, you’ll embed sustainability into everyday decision-making, lead reporting and compliance, and ensure robust evidence supports our policies, targets and external reporting requirements. You’ll develop and deliver sustainability initiatives, working with teams across the zoo to drive progress on carbon, waste, procurement and biodiversity, while developing the guidance, action plans, business cases, communications and funding opportunities needed to make change happen.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage sustainability reporting and compliance across the organisation, including maintaining oversight of current and emerging regulatory requirements and working with teams across the zoo to ensure all appropriate data is captured and understood to fulfil regulatory and organisational reporting requirements, including SECR, ESOS and sustainability performance reporting in the Annual Report.
• Programme manage and drive initiatives to deliver and embed sustainability throughout the organisation, with the support of senior managers. This will include delivery of carbon management and energy reduction/efficiency activities, improvement of waste management, support for sustainable procurement practices and improvements for UK biodiversity, through both physical interventions and behaviour change (e.g. training, engagement and communications on sustainability issues) across the zoo to bring about change in attitudes, culture and behaviour.
• Work with the Head of Sustainability to deliver good governance around sustainability, including supporting the Sustainability Steering Group, the Executive and the Board of Trustees, to coordinate and manage sustainability activities across the organisation. This will include producing presentations, business cases and communications which update on progress, highlight key challenges and opportunities and maintain visibility of regulatory risk associated with sustainability.
• Alongside the sustainability target leads and the Head of Sustainability, manage a structured approach to progressing work towards each of the sustainability targets through Delivery Groups. This will include working across the organisation and its site, establishing relationships, developing procedures, guidance and associated action plans and programmes of work in order to deliver towards the zoo’s sustainability targets and wider sustainability legislation and regulation.
• Identify and secure investment to support delivery of sustainability, including supporting management of the budget for sustainability, existing corporate partnership arrangements and preparing funding applications/proposals/business cases.
• Act as a subject matter expert on sustainability and advise on best practice in relation to sustainability internally across the organisation and externally, e.g. to embed sustainability across the organisation, contribute to position statements, policy asks and consultation responses and having involvement in the BIAZA sustainability working group.

Why join Chester Zoo?

As the UK’s largest and most popular zoo, we have ambitious goals and exciting plans for the future. We are an inclusive and diverse organisation made up of over 600 permanent and 500 temporary team members. We are committed to investing in our colleagues, supporting career development, and creating opportunities for growth.

The Package

• Permanent contract
• Working Monday – Friday, typically 8:30am-5pm, with some flexibility available
• Salary - £40,430 per annum
• The role is based at Chester Zoo onsite (minimum 60% per week) with the opportunity for hybrid working (working from home) up to 40% per week.
• 33 days annual leave per annum
• Annual holiday buy/sell scheme
• Staff pass for unlimited zoo entry during your time off, plus complimentary tickets for friends and family
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and cash healthcare plan
• Employer contributory pension scheme
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• Plus much more! Find out more about our benefits here

Our Requirements

• Relevant qualifications or experience, e.g. degree level qualification in sustainability or an environmental field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience of leading sustainability compliance and results driven sustainability initiatives within a medium/large organisation, including working with diverse teams to deliver results.
• Knowledge and subject matter expertise on sustainability, as relevant to the role, including an awareness of external drivers, influences, concepts and new technology that could influence our sustainability work, e.g. legislation, regulation, emerging technologies, techniques and industry best practice.
• Experience of developing written communications, behaviour change materials, delivery plans (project level and long term strategic) and business cases for sustainability interventions.
• Experience of working with stakeholders across organisations to achieve results, including governance structures, e.g. delivery groups, steering groups.
• Experience of collating, quality assuring and presenting clear, organised data to deliver organisational and regulatory reporting on sustainability, including carbon emissions, energy, waste, procurement and biodiversity information.
• Experience of managing budgets, compliance/reporting and projects.
• Member of or working towards a recognised relevant professional body, e.g. ISEP (Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals) or similar would be an advantage.

More About Us

We’re not just an award-winning visitor attraction, home to over 30,000 incredible animals across 128 acres of stunning gardens. We’re also a leading wildlife charity, committed to preventing extinction and recovering endangered species globally. As the world faces an extinction crisis, we’re making a significant contribution to conservation when it’s needed most. We are Chester Zoo. And we prevent extinction.

Closing date for applications: 15 September 2026

Shortlisting and interviews may take place while the advert is live and may result in the advert closing early, so early applications are encouraged.