Climate Change & Sustainability Manager

We’re looking for a strategic, forward-thinking Climate Change and Sustainability Manager to lead our work on climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainability and natural capital.

This is a key role that will shape how we respond to the challenges of climate change, and promote long-term resilience and innovation.

You will act as Thames Water’s subject matter expert – the trusted adviser and ‘go-to’ person for climate change, natural capital and sustainability

What you’ll be doing as a Climate Change and Sustainability Manager

• Define and manage the execution of Thames Water’s climate change strategy, approach and risk management, and make sure that this is embedded into business decision making.
• Identify opportunities, shape plans and support teams across the business to deliver.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop, integrate and deliver our commitments
• monitor emerging policy and best practice to take a long-term view of the external landscape and apply this to our key focus areas.
• Own and update core policies including the Sustainability Policy, to make sure they remain relevant and well  understood across the business
• Maintain our nine sustainability themes and develop case studies that bring our work to life for internal and external audiences
• Proactively shape the future by taking a long-term view of the external landscape and applying them to our key focus areas e.g. Sustainability, Climate Change, Natural Capital, resource management.
• Lead on the development of material for sustainability reporting and external disclosures. Lead the enterprise materiality and double‑materiality assessment, maintain the register, and align priorities across plans.
• Own, update, and socialise the Sustainability Policy and Environmental Policy; map and report our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Base location : Reading - Hybrid

Working hours : 36 Hours

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• A relevant technical or professional qualification such as Degree or equivalent experience
• Strong IT skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint capability with an ability/ willingness to explore and apply AI
• Highly numerate with an attention to detail.
• Extensive working and delivering success in the areas of Sustainability, Climate Change, Natural Capital.
• A relevant technical or professional qualification such as Degree or equivalent experience
• Capability to engage and inform internal and external stakeholders in positive, engaging and constructive ways.
• Excellent strategic and analytical skills with the ability to interpretate data and information and develop a clear and compelling narrative.
• Ability to liaise and positively influence people at all levels of the business often without direct authority and externally.
• A drive and enthusiasm for continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication skills, written and spoken.
• A collaborative leader with the ability to build strong relationships across multiple teams and disciplines within a matrix, and to deliver through others.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of techniques, approaches and good practice in relation to Climate Change, Sustainability, & Natural Capital.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

• Strong questioning and probing skills to identify opportunities or discover risks relating to sustainability.
• Understanding of the evolving Sustainability, Climate Change, and Natural Capital landscape.
• Development and delivery of engaging communication approaches both formal and informal
• Relevant related higher professional qualification or working towards one

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £90,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays) 
• Car Allowance
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Private Medical Health Care
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.