Sustainability Manager (12-Month Maternity Cover)

Stepnell; Rugby; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension

Annual leave increase

Employee referral scheme

Health coverage

Car allowance/Company car

Flexible start/finish times

Job summary

Stepnell is seeking an ambitious Sustainability Manager for a 12-month maternity cover, starting in early December 2026. Location options include Rugby, Nottingham, Bristol or Southampton, with the role embedded in the wider SHEQ team.

You will own our environmental management systems (ISO 14001/50001), coordinate SECR reporting and carbon data, and drive the Sustainability and Social Value Strategy across our construction and property portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability, Environmental Management, or related discipline.
• ISEP membership preferred.
• Experience with ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 14064-1 and related software.

Responsibilities

• Oversee ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 systems governance, audits, and documentation.
• Lead SECR reporting and carbon data collection across scopes 1-3.
• Drive Whole Life Carbon assessments and support bids and project delivery.
• Manage SmartWaste data integrations and regional champion engagement.

Skills

Sustainability strategy

Environmental compliance

Carbon accounting

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability, Environmental Management, or related discipline

ISEP membership preferred

Tools

SmartWaste

Job description

Sustainability Manager (12-Month Maternity Cover)

Start Date: Early-December

Location: Rugby, Nottingham, Bristol or Southampton

Stepnell are looking for an ambitious experienced Sustainability Manager to step into a key 12-month fixed-term contract starting in early-December 2026.

Leading our sustainability agenda, you will take ownership of our environmental management systems, corporate emissions data reporting, SECR reporting, and delivery of the Sustainability and Social Value Strategy across the entire lifecycle of our construction and property portfolio.

Working within the wider SHEQ team alongside the Strategic Sustainability Manager and regional Social Value Managers, you will act as a trusted technical advisor across regional project teams, pre-construction, procurement, and executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Governance & Compliance

Management Systems: Oversee operational compliance and continuous improvement for our certified ISO 14001 system (Environmental) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management) (Energy) management systems, ensuring Business Management System (BMS) documentation is up to date. Maintaining our BMS documentation where required.

Corporate Audits & Certification: Lead preparation and evidence management for our annual corporate audits, recertifications and verifications including ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO14064-1. Act as a trusted advisor to the wider SHEQ Team for sustainability and environment.

Regulatory Compliance: Lead preparation and evidence management for our statutory ESOS Phase 4 compliance. Ensure business-wide understanding and adherence to evolving statutory sustainability and environmental legislation and industry best practices.

Carbon Emissions and Energy Data Collection

Emissions Tracking: Lead corporate carbon data capture across all operational boundaries (Scopes 1, 2, and 15 Scope 3 categories), co-ordinating our network of regional SmartWaste Champions.

SECR and PPN 006 Reporting: Produce our annual Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR) submission and update our PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) to protect our bidding gateways on public sector frameworks (e.g., SCAPE, CWM).

KPIs & Reporting: Maintain monthly sustainability KPI reporting and prepare technical inputs for the annual Group Sustainability Report and internal Sustainability & Social Value Forum.

Project Delivery & Team Support

Whole Life Carbon (WLCA): Drive project-level Whole Life Carbon Assessments (A1-A5) across regional projects, ensuring commitments are met on major framework schemes.

Work-Winning & Bids: Provide expert technical input and qualitative responses for pre-construction proposals, framework bids, and client tenders.

Supply Chain & Waste Management: Manage waste contractor SLAs, conduct quarterly performance reviews, and drive circular economy initiatives (e.g., material off-cut return schemes).

Engagement & Training: Lead internal sustainability forums, SmartWaste Champion teams, support site teams and deliver against the Sustainability and Social Value Strategy.

Priorities for the 12-Month Term

Annual Corporate Verification: Successfully lead the annual ISO 14064-1 verification audit and compile SECR emissions data prior to reporting deadlines.

ISO Audit Management: Oversee external recertification audits for ISO 14001 and ISO 50001.

WLCA Rollout: Deliver mandatory A1-A5 Whole Life Carbon Assessments on SCAPE projects (>£5M) and support regional teams to complete 2 WLCAs per region per year.

Baseline Standards: Establish zero avoidable waste and water intensity baselines and define operational reduction targets.

Energy Reviews: Conduct the annual corporate ISO 50001 energy review, evaluating EnPIs and site/office intensity metrics.

Data Automation: Manage SmartWaste API integrations and maintain data integrity across all live project sites.

Key Requirements

Experience: Experience in managing sustainability strategy, environmental compliance, and corporate carbon accounting within the construction or built environment sector.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability, Environmental Management, or related discipline. Professional membership of ISEP (or equivalent) preferred.

Technical Expertise: Proven hands‑on experience with environmental management systems (ISO 14001, ISO 50001), carbon verification (ISO 14064-1), and software platforms like SmartWaste.

Communication: Strong leadership and communication skills with the confidence to interface with board members, regional directors, site teams, and supply chain. Ability to build strong inter‑personal relationships with Stakeholders.

Why Stepnell

At Stepnell, we’re passionate about empowering our people to thrive. We believe in building fulfilling and rewarding careers by investing in talent, nurturing growth, and inspiring innovation. With the prestigious Investors in People Gold accreditation, we’re proud to place our people at the heart of everything we do. Every team member is valued, and curiosity and collaboration are central to our team culture. We’re committed to enabling our people to make a real impact and drive meaningful change throughout our business.

To show our appreciation, we offer generous and competitive benefits including, an enhanced pension scheme with a Stepnell contribution of 7% to help secure your financial future, annual leave that increases with service and the flexibility to purchase more, a market leading employee referral scheme, and for eligible roles comprehensive health coverage, adjustable start and finish times and a car allowance or company car.

Join us in a collaborative and inclusive environment where your well-being is our priority, and your contributions are truly valued.

About Stepnell

As a family-owned business with over 155 years of history, Stepnell is built on stability, trust, and long-term thinking. We make decisions with the future in mind for our people, our clients, and our communities.

Our capabilities span construction, property development, energy solutions, joinery, and concrete repair, allowing us to offer integrated services that meet a wide range of client needs. Operating through seven regional offices in Rugby, Nottingham, Liverpool, Wantage, Bristol, Southampton, and Poolevand across three core business units, we maintain a strong local presence while delivering consistently high standards. Today, repeat clients account for 75% of our turnover a testament to our reliability and the quality of our relationships.

Benefits

• an enhanced pension scheme with a Stepnell contribution of 7% to help secure your financial future
• annual leave that increases with service and the flexibility to purchase more
• a market leading employee referral scheme
• for eligible roles comprehensive health coverage
• adjustable start and finish times and a car allowance or company car