The Sustainability Manager will play a pivotal role in driving environmental and energy management excellence across our clients FM Defence Contracts. This is a highly visible and influential position responsible for leading the implementation of sustainable practices, ensuring environmental compliance, and supporting the delivery of innovative sustainability initiatives across a complex Defence estate.
Acting as the subject matter expert for sustainability and environmental management, the Sustainability Manager provides professional advice, guidance, and leadership on environmental performance, energy efficiency, and sustainability strategy. They ensure that all operational and project activities are compliant with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations, while also identifying opportunities to reduce environmental impact and support the MOD’s sustainability and carbon reduction commitments.
The role involves leading the ongoing development, maintenance, and improvement of the companies ISO 14001 Environmental Management and ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems. The Sustainability Manager works collaboratively across all business functions to ensure these systems are embedded into day-to-day operations, promoting continuous improvement and ensuring that environmental performance is measured, managed, and transparently reported.
A key part of the role is to identify, design, and deliver sustainability and energy efficiency projects that achieve measurable improvements in environmental outcomes. This includes initiatives in areas such as water efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable lighting, waste minimisation, and biodiversity enhancement. The Sustainability Manager will analyse sustainability performance data, develop business cases for investment, and oversee the successful implementation of projects that deliver both environmental and operational value.
In this role, the Sustainability Manager will respond to and investigate significant environmental incidents, ensuring that all actions are managed in accordance with contractual procedures and statutory requirements. They will produce detailed reports, liaise with clients, regulators, and end users, and provide clear, evidence-based recommendations for remediation and improvement.
Working closely with operations teams, project managers, and supply chain partners, the Sustainability Manager ensures that environmental best practice is embedded across all aspects of service delivery. They will conduct site inspections, audits, and assurance visits to verify compliance, providing targeted feedback and guidance to drive performance improvement. They will also lead sustainability awareness and communication initiatives, developing and delivering training and engagement materials to promote a culture of environmental responsibility across the workforce.
The Sustainability Manager will play an active role in developing and maintaining strong working relationships with both internal teams and external partners, including DIO, regulators, and environmental agencies. They will act as the key point of contact for environmental matters across the contract, ensuring that the client’s sustainability goals are supported and that the company continues to operate as a trusted, compliant, and environmentally responsible partner.
What You'll Bring
The ideal candidate will hold a degree or equivalent qualification in Environmental Management, Sustainability, or a related discipline and be a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) or an equivalent professional body. They will demonstrate strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, along with a full driving licence and the ability to travel across sites, is essential.
The role requires a strong understanding of environmental legislation and sustainability frameworks, alongside practical experience in the delivery of environmental management and sustainable FM practices. The Sustainability Manager will bring demonstrable expertise in at least three key areas of sustainable delivery within a construction or maintenance context—such as energy management, waste management, ecology and conservation, contaminated land, or sustainable procurement. They will also have experience in analysing environmental and energy data, preparing reports, and presenting findings to senior stakeholders.
Experience working within MOD, Defence, or large-scale FM environments would be an advantage, as would a track record of leading environmental campaigns or chairing sustainability forums. Above all, the Sustainability Manager will be a passionate advocate for sustainability—combining technical expertise with a practical, collaborative approach that drives positive change, supports business performance, and helps the company deliver meaningful environmental outcomes across its Defence portfolio.
This role will cover sites across England and as such, candidates must be willing and able to commit to significant travel as part of their employment.
Due to the vetting requirements on DSTL, we are only able to accept applications from British Nationals.
What We Offer
* 6% employee matched pension contribution
* Company car/car allowance
* 25 days annual leave
* Single private medical cover
* 1x professional subscription per year
* Life assurance 2x annual salary