About the role
Balfour Beatty is a leading infrastructure company working to deliver key low‑carbon projects such as public transport networks, renewable‑energy grid connections and nuclear power stations. Low‑carbon infrastructure is a key growth area for our business. The UK has a strong pipeline of low‑carbon infrastructure requirements to meet the Government’s Net Zero Strategy, which has mobilised significant capital investment for low‑carbon wind power, energy‑efficient buildings, carbon capture and new nuclear capability.
Balfour Beatty is recruiting a Sustainable Procurement Manager to align procurement ambitions with the sustainability targets of the projects we work on, the customers we work with and to meet our own Building New Futures Sustainability Strategy ambitions.
This senior role sits within the Sustainability team and provides strategic leadership on environmental sustainability across the supply chain, supporting a number of UK business units and working closely with Procurement, Commercial and operational teams.
The role focuses on embedding strong sustainability outcomes within procurement and supply‑chain decision‑making, aligned to Balfour Beatty’s Building New Futures sustainability strategy and customer expectations. The post‑holder will bring a broad sustainability understanding, with sufficient depth across areas such as climate change, resource efficiency, nature and supply‑chain integrity. They will increase the knowledge and awareness of responsible sourcing with key internal and external stakeholders, identify areas for improvement and identify processes and tools to facilitate this.
This role can be based out of any of our regional hubs, with travel throughout the UK.
What you’ll be doing
Strategic Leadership & Business Unit Support
* Provide strategic leadership and expert advice on responsible sourcing to multiple business units, ensuring a consistent and proportionate approach across the organisation.
* Act as a senior sustainability advisor to Procurement, Commercial and project teams, influencing decision‑making and supporting delivery of responsible sourcing outcomes.
* Shape and drive a coherent approach to supply‑chain sustainability that meets business, customer and regulatory expectations.
* Build capability across the supply‑chain and internal Procurement, Commercial and Sustainability teams through training, guidance and knowledge sharing.
* Lead the development and implementation of approaches to measure, manage and reduce supply‑chain (Scope 3) carbon emissions, including the use of data, tools and supplier engagement.
* Support integration of low‑carbon and resource‑efficient procurement practices, carbon‐informed decision‑making, material efficiency and circular economy principles where appropriate.
* Provide oversight and strategic direction on nature‑related supply‑chain requirements as they evolve, including biodiversity considerations, land‑use impacts and alignment with emerging policy and customer expectations.
* Identify priority sustainability risks and opportunities within supply‑chains and develop proportionate interventions, standards and guidance to address them.
* Work with internal stakeholders to embed sustainability requirements into procurement processes, tender documentation and supplier management.
Collaboration, Influence & External Engagement
* Work closely with the Sustainability and Procurement functions, Material Engineers and business‐unit stakeholders to develop and deliver priority initiatives.
* Represent Balfour Beatty externally with customers, suppliers, SMEs, VCSEs and industry bodies (e.g. the Supply Chain Sustainability School).
* Act as a subject‑matter expert for strategic tenders, supporting assessment of suppliers’ sustainability credentials.
* Maintain oversight of relevant policy developments, public procurement requirements and reporting frameworks.
* Identify best practice and drive continuous improvement in tools, processes and guidance across the business.
Who we’re looking for
Essential
* Significant experience in environmental sustainability, responsible sourcing, sustainable procurement or related supply‑chain roles.
* Strong understanding of supply‑chain carbon emissions, climate change and carbon‑accounting principles, with practical experience of influencing reduction initiatives.
* Good working knowledge of wider environmental topics, including resource efficiency, circular economy and nature‑related considerations.
* Knowledge of UK public procurement policy, legislation and voluntary sustainability initiatives (e.g. 5 Client Carbon Commitments, Science‑Based Targets, SteelZero).
* Understanding of social sustainability and ethical implications for responsible sourcing.
* Experience of working with complex, multi‑tier supply‑chains and balancing ambition with practical delivery.
* Demonstrated leadership and influencing capability with senior stakeholders across complex organisations.
* Commercial awareness and a pragmatic, delivery‑focused mindset.
* Relevant qualifications or professional experience in sustainability, procurement or a related discipline.
* Strong IT capability and confidence using data and digital platforms.
You do not need to come from a construction, infrastructure or engineering background; we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds with an interest and willingness to learn about infrastructure.
Preferable
* Experience of working closely with Procurement or Commercial teams.
* IEMA or CIPS Membership (or equivalent).
* Experience supporting major tenders or frameworks.
We are a Disability‑Confident Employer and are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long‑term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role.
We are committed to creating an inclusive culture and seek to continually improve our resourcing process to ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all.
We believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing an inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of identity or background. We are members of WISE, ENEI, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers. In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long‑term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and actively encourages applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.
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