Company overview
Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) is the UK’s largest independent supplier of laboratory equipment, chemicals, and consumables. We’re serious about sustainability and committed to placing it at the core of everything we do.
We’ve already made strong strides – but we’re just getting started. We're now seeking an experienced and passionate sustainability leader to build on this momentum, embed climate science-aligned practices across our operations, and help position SLS as the trusted partner for sustainable laboratory solutions.
Role summary
We’re looking for a dynamic and forward-thinking individual to lead, implement, and evolve our sustainability strategy. In this pivotal role, you’ll collaborate across departments and engage directly with customers and suppliers to bring impactful ideas to life, embedding sustainability into every aspect of our business. This includes addressing both regulatory and commercial requirements, as well as developing supplier and customer-facing programmes. Crucially, you’ll ensure that sustainability is not only a core value but also a driver of long-term profitability and growth.
Key responsibilities
Strategy and governance
* Manage and ensure performance against the company’s sustainability strategy and carbon commitments across all scopes
* Be the subject matter expert on climate change, adaptation and resilience.
* Run full materiality assessments periodically to ensure findings continue to align with existing strategy
Carbon accounting and reporting
* Own annual emissions calculations across operations and value chain
* Lead company-wide data capture and publish annual sustainability reports and communications of progress
Supplier and product transparency
* Expand our supplier engagement programme with Procurement, embedding due diligence on material issues, and collecting supplier insights and metrics for reporting
* Work closely with our Procurement department and PIM team to champion product lifecycle attributes project
Stakeholder engagement and training
* Engage cross-departmentally with HR, Procurement, Quotes and Tenders, Finance, Operations, IT and Marketing teams to continue to embed sustainability-thinking into every function
* Deliver tailored training and consultancy to customers, host workshops, and speak at industry forums
Industry collaboration and research
* Analyse market sustainability trends and identify opportunities to collaborate on case studies and work with Marketing to develop valuable sustainability content for customers
Tender and compliance support
* Strengthen tender submissions with robust sustainability responses
Continuous improvement
* Track emerging regulations for both UK and EU, standards and frameworks (GHG Protocol, SECR, SBTi, CSRD)
Required skills and experience
* 3-5 years of corporate sustainability, environmental management or related business experience
* Thorough knowledge of sustainability best practices, environmental legislation
* Strong analytical, problem-solving and project management skills
* Familiarity with carbon accounting, sustainability reporting frameworks, SECR, Ecovadis, UNGC
* Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation and report writing abilities
* High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or equivalent
About you
* Natural communicator and collaborator – influence, challenge, and drive change
* Strategic thinker, commercially minded, with a passion for balancing business goals with environmental stewardship
* Highly autonomous, organised, and detail-oriented
* Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment and navigate diverse stakeholders
What we offer
Based in Nottingham with customers across the UK, Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) is a stable, growing business renowned for its market-leading reputation. We’ve already embarked on our sustainability journey, investing £150,000 in an insulated roof at our Nottingham head office to reduce heat loss and gas consumption. Over half of our deliveries are fully carbon-offset, and 75% of our Nottingham facility is fitted with low-energy, motion-sensor LED lighting. To eliminate approximately 60,000 single-use plastic cups each year, every colleague at our Nottingham site has been provided with a reusable cup.
We’re passionate about our people and proud to foster a welcoming, supportive team culture. As a Living Wage Employer, we offer comprehensive training, ongoing development and clear pathways for career progression. Our ambitious growth plan spans multiple areas—sustainability is just one, but it’s one we hold in the highest regard. Backed by our Board of Directors and senior leadership team, you’ll have full support for your recommendations and the opportunity to make a genuine impact.