Chief Integrity and Partnerships Officer

Location:

This is a full-time role based in London with some flexibility to exceptional candidates that can frequently travel to London from elsewhere in the UK and Europe, with a salary dependent on experience.

Apply by: Tuesday 7 April 2026

Job Purpose and Background:

As SBTi enters its next phase of growth and system maturity, strengthening the integrity of the SBTi framework and the partnerships that enable market transformation will be critical to delivering impact at scale.

The Chief Integrity (and Partnerships) Officer (CIO) is a senior executive leadership role responsible for safeguarding and strengthening the credibility, governance, and coherence of the SBTi system, while positioning SBTi as a central convenor and strategic partner within the global climate ecosystem.

The role leads the development of robust governance, assurance, and claims systems aligned with international best practice and supports the organisation’s evolution into a mature, high-integrity standard-setting system.

In parallel, the role will develop and steward strategic partnerships that advance SBTi’s priorities and ensure the organisation plays a catalytic role within the wider ecosystem driving corporate climate transition.

The CIO reports to the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer and works closely with the CEO, Chief Technical Officer, and Executive Leadership Team to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of SBTi’s overall system.

The role will provide cross-organisational leadership on system integrity and external collaboration.

About the SBTi:

The SBTi is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies worldwide to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.

The SBTi defines and promotes best practices in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets.

For more information, please visit www.sciencebasedtargets.org

Key Responsibilities

Strengthening System Integrity

• Lead the continued evolution of the SBTi as a mature, high-integrity standard system, aligned with international best practices including the principles of ISEAL Alliance.
• Develop and oversee scheme-level integrity, governance, and risk management frameworks to safeguard the credibility and effectiveness of the SBTi system.
• Provide executive oversight of the evolution of assurance, claims, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and data systems, ensuring clarity of roles and responsibilities across the scheme.
• Strengthen impartiality safeguards and governance mechanisms across the system.
• Ensure coherence and alignment across key components of the SBTi framework, including standards development, validation, assurance, claims, MEL, and data architecture.
• Build internal capacity and processes required for SBTi to fulfil its scheme owner responsibilities effectively.
• Identify and manage integrity-related risks to the credibility of the SBTi system.

Building Strategic Partnerships

• Help shape a coherent organisational strategy for partnerships with the strategic partnerships team, ensuring collaboration delivers clear strategic value.
• Position SBTi as a central partner within the global ecosystem advancing corporate climate transition, working alongside NGOs, standards bodies, financial institutions, governments and multilateral organisations.
• Identify and cultivate high-impact partnerships that advance SBTi’s strategic priorities and strengthen the enabling ecosystem for science-based corporate action.
• Steward senior relationships with key partner organisations and represent SBTi in strategic collaborations and coalitions.
• Ensure coordination and consistency in how partnerships are developed and managed across the organisation.

Executive Leadership

• Contribute to the development and delivery of SBTi’s organisational strategy and annual business plans.
• Work closely with Executive Leadership Team colleagues to ensure alignment and coordinated delivery across organisational priorities.
• Provide leadership across the organisation on integrity, collaboration, and ecosystem engagement.
• Represent SBTi externally with senior stakeholders across business, government, civil society and international organisations.
• Foster a culture of integrity, transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement within the organisation.

Essential skills and experience needed:

• Experience: Extensive senior leadership experience in sustainability standards, certification or assurance systems, governance frameworks, regulatory environments, or related fields. Experience working within or alongside multi-stakeholder initiatives, sustainability standards bodies, or market transformation organisations is highly desirable.
• Standards System and Integrity Expertise: Strong understanding of the architecture of credible standards systems, including standards development, validation or certification, assurance, claims, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), and governance. Experience strengthening integrity frameworks and safeguarding the credibility of complex schemes or initiatives is highly desirable.
• Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Engagement: Proven experience building and stewarding high-level strategic partnerships with NGOs, standards organisations, financial institutions, governments, and corporate stakeholders to advance system-level change and collective action.
• Leadership and Team Management: Demonstrated ability to lead teams and drive cross-organisational initiatives in complex and evolving organisations. Experience supporting organisational growth, managing change, and fostering collaboration across multiple functions and geographies.
• Strategic and Analytical Skills: Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to translate complex ideas into practical organisational strategies and operational frameworks. Ability to identify risks to system credibility and develop effective governance and mitigation approaches.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders and represent the organisation in high-level forums and public events.
• Educational Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in sustainability, environmental science, public policy, business administration, international relations, or a related field.
• Language Proficiency: Excellent command of English, both written and verbal. Additional language skills are advantageous.

Important information before you apply:

• This is a full-time role based in London with some flexibility to exceptional candidates that can frequently travel to London from elsewhere in the UK and Europe, with a salary dependent on experience.
• The position is a 12-month fixed-term contract
• This role holds a maximum 6-month probationary period, depending on country legislation.
• Interested candidates should be legally allowed to work in the specified countries and already be visa holders.
• The SBTi cannot sponsor working visas.

What we offer:

• Working in one of the most successful and fastest-growing initiatives driving climate action.
• Exciting and challenging tasks in a dynamic, international, innovative, and highly motivated team.
• Training and development.
• 30 days of time off, plus your country's public holidays.
• Competitive NGO salary range

If you are interested, please apply here.

SBTi is an equal opportunity employer - committed to building an inclusive workplace and diverse staff, where all can thrive. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all identities and backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age.