Sustainability Specialist

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We have an exciting opportunity within the S&SD team in Eastern Routes Capital Programmes for a Sustainability Specialist. Our vision is to deliver industry-leading projects safely and sustainably.

The role offers the opportunity to influence the sustainability performance in Network Rail’s biggest portfolio of enhancement and renewal projects. This role will balance and assess environmental, social value, and economic opportunities and risks for a portfolio of projects.

As the Sustainability Specialist, you’ll play a pivotal role in providing professional environment and sustainability advice and support. This includes managing relevant assurance and governance processes and supporting the leadership team with the management and implementation of environment and sustainability improvement programmes.

This role can be based out of our London or York offices. It will involve some travel for meetings and site visits across the Eastern region of Network Rail. The role requires working in the office a minimum of three days a week.

Join our team and be part of our mission to create a sustainable future! Apply today and let’s make a difference together.

About the role (External)

Key Accountabilities

1. Deliver functional support through input to project remits, supplier tender reviews, pre-construction information, input to supplier meetings, and support key project assurance, working closely with project management, engineering, and construction management teams to facilitate compliance with legislation, standards, and processes.
2. Implement the sustainability aspects of the Safety and Sustainability strategy, working with all relevant business areas and the supply chain to facilitate successful delivery, including feeding into safety and sustainability action plans, and helping to coordinate activities and report on progress.
3. Develop the desired sustainability culture throughout the business unit by leading by example on behaviours and delivering the Capital Programmes S&SD strategy at a delivery level to achieve continuous improvement and adoption of best practices.
4. Develop internal and external sustainability communications such as cascades, briefings, lessons learned, case studies, and newsletters to promote a learning culture within Capital Programmes to improve safety performance.
5. Provide guidance on trends in sustainability data for delivery teams to facilitate project assurance, local delivery improvement, and focus on supplier engagement.
6. Offer expert technical advice on environmental management and sustainability requirements during planning, design, and delivery of projects, including certification and environment survey and consent requirements.
7. Support investigation panels of contractor-led Level 2 investigations to maximize learning from events and improve environmental performance.
8. Assist teams in becoming a learning organization by supporting the implementation of outcomes from assurance activities and lessons from incidents.
9. Develop and manage relationships with stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, NGOs, education centers, and charities, to support sustainability performance sharing.

Job Skills, Experience, and Qualifications

• Practitioner member of IEMA or equivalent (e.g., CIEEM), or equivalent experience.
• Degree level qualification (minimum UK level 6) in environment/sustainability or relevant subject, or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience managing environment and social value matters, especially in construction programs across disciplines.
• In-depth understanding of environment and social value legislation.
• Experience in implementing sustainability improvements successfully.
• Experience with management systems (e.g., ISO or similar).
• Understanding of project management and lifecycle within the railway industry or similar environment.
• Skills in building positive relationships with customers, teams, and stakeholders.
• Experience in fostering teamwork and collaboration.
• Ability to challenge and improve services and approaches.
• Experience considering cost, business priorities, and customer implications in decisions.
• Proven ability to represent oneself and the team positively.
• Experience managing topics like biodiversity and ecology risk management.
• Full member of IEMA or similar institute.
• Qualification in incident investigation.
• Experience applying certifications/frameworks like CEEQUAL, BREEAM, or Social Impact Framework.
• Experience collaborating with organizations for sustainability outcomes.

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups, to apply. If this role isn’t a perfect fit, other opportunities may be available in the wider team.