Sustainable Building Design Lead

Co-op; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 67,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail cooperative in the UK is looking for a Sustainable Building Design Lead to drive sustainable strategies and lead innovative projects. You will manage sustainable design principles, work collaboratively across teams, and ensure environmental impacts are monitored. The ideal candidate has a background in sustainable construction along with strong project management and communication skills. This role offers a competitive salary and great benefits including a bonus and 28 days holiday.

Benefits

Annual bonus

28 days holiday, rising to 32

Pension with up to 10% employer contributions

Private healthcare

Access to a subsidised onsite gym

Coaching and training for career development

Wagestream app access

Qualifications

• A background in sustainable construction.
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of climate resilience mitigation.
• Project management experience and ability to deliver successfully.
• Strategic thinking and creativity to find innovative solutions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to build strong relationships across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of sustainable building design strategy.
• Carry out cost-benefit and environmental impact analysis.
• Work with teams to embed sustainability into new builds.
• Research best practices and build external networks.
• Identify quick-win opportunities for low-impact materials.
• Collaborate to integrate climate resilience into strategy.
• Lead the delivery of the Sustainability Showcase Store programme.
• Act as subject matter expert and provide training.
• Monitor and report on environmental impact.

Skills

Sustainable construction

Strong commercial acumen

Project management

Strategic thinking

Excellent communication

Relationship building

Job description

Sustainable Building Design Lead
Circa £67,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 5)
Home-based with some travel to sites within the UK and occasional visits to our head office in Manchester city centre based on business needs

We’re looking for a Sustainable Building Design Lead to join our Property team at Co-op. As a business, we’re continuing to invest, develop, and open new routes to market; while remaining committed to sustainability and social value, stepping forward where others step back.

Why this role matters

Our ambition is clear: create buildings that are fit for the future. From embedding Net Zero Carbon principles to improving climate resilience and trialling innovative solutions in our Sustainability Showcase Stores, you’ll lead the way in sustainable design. Your work will help us balance environmental goals with commercial benefits, delivering spaces that work for our colleagues, customers, and communities.

What you’ll do

• Lead the development of our sustainable building design strategy, including Net Zero Carbon principles
• Carry out cost-benefit and environmental impact analysis for design and material changes
• Work with internal teams and external partners to embed sustainability into new builds and refits
• Research industry best practice, build external networks, and horizon scan for emerging technologies
• Identify quick-win opportunities for low-impact or reused materials
• Collaborate with sustainability managers to integrate climate resilience into our estate strategy
• Lead the delivery of our Sustainability Showcase Store programme—testing and trialling new ideas before rollout
• Act as subject matter expert, providing guidance, training, and sharing best practice
• Monitor and report on environmental impact, using data to drive continuous improvement

What you’ll bring

• A background in sustainable construction
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of climate resilience mitigation
• Project management experience and the ability to deliver successfully
• Strategic thinking and creativity to find innovative solutions
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, you’re able to make technical information clear and engaging
• Ability to build strong relationships across multiple teams and influence others

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Private healthcare
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• Coaching and training to support your career development
• Wagestream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn

Building a diverse environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme at Disability Confident Scheme - Co-op Colleagues and more about our commitments to diversity and inclusion at Diversity and Inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.