Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Manager

We’re looking for a strategic, forward-thinking Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Manager to lead our work on climate change resilience, sustainability and natural capital. You will play a pivotal role in shaping how we anticipate and respond to future challenges and identify opportunities for innovation and long-term resilience. You will develop strategy, help to inform decision-making, and drive innovation across the organisation.

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

• Lead our Climate Change Strategy - define and manage the execution of Thames Water’s climate change strategy, approach and risk management, and make sure that this is embedded.
• Lead our work on Natural Capital - drive the development and implementation of Thames Water's natural capital approach, embedding natural capital thinking into decision-making frameworks and strengthening links to our wider value and sustainability agenda.
• Build strong internal and external partnerships - work with internal and external stakeholders to develop, integrate and deliver our commitments.
• Scan the horizon - 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 - maintain and evolve core sustainability policies and frameworks, ensuring they remain aligned with strategic priorities, regulatory expectations and industry best practice, and are effectively understood across the business.
• Support key disclosures and reporting - including the development of material for sustainability reporting and climate-related disclosures
• Influence investment and business planning – provide expert advice and challenge to business planning, investment decisions and strategic programmes so that climate, sustainability and natural capital considerations are reflected in decision making.
• Champion our sustainability themes - maintain our nine sustainability themes and support the development of case studies that bring our work to life for internal and external audiences.

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:

• Excellent communication skills, a collaborative approach and the ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability see multiple options, join the dots and turn complex information in to clear, compelling insight.
• Ability to translate complex technical information into clear business insights and recommendations.
• Demonstrable experience developing and delivering climate change, sustainability or environmental strategies within a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of climate adaptation, climate mitigation, natural capital and sustainability frameworks.
• Knowledge of relevant UK environmental and climate policy, regulation and reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate effectively across organisational boundaries.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation.
• A relevant technical or professional qualification such as a degree or equivalent experience.
• Strong digital and analytical skills, including proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, with curiosity and willingness to explore and apply AI.
• Highly numerate with an attention to detail.

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

• Strong questioning and probing skills to identify opportunities or discover risks relating to sustainability.
• Awareness of emerging trends, opportunities and challenges within the sustainability, climate change and natural capital landscape.
• Experience developing and delivering engaging communication and stakeholder approaches across a variety of audiences.
• 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.