Sustainability Manager

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Are you passionate about driving environmental sustainability in large organisations?
Do you thrive on developing innovative strategies to reduce carbon footprints and promote eco-friendly practices?
If so, continue reading to find out more about this fantastic opportunity to join HMRC - one of the largest and most dynamic IT infrastructures in Europe, and we are now one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world.
The Professional Services Team in Estates is responsible for setting standards across technical disciplines, including Health and Safety, Fire safety, Building Services, and Sustainability. They provide support across the Estates function and are responsible for risk management and delivering assurance for the Estate.
The Sustainability Team is responsible for embedding environmental sustainability across the HMRC estate, implementing our Environmental Sustainability Strategy and preparing to put the HMRC estate on a path to net zero by 2040. We are also looking to continuously improve our environmental sustainability in line with GGC targets and business plan targets, and improve biodiversity and the natural capital of the estate.
The main focus of this role is contributing to the development and delivery of estates’ sustainability strategy and policies, and embedding environmental sustainability within our organisational programmes, projects and operations, and across the wider HMRC business.
The Sustainability Manager will work closely with teams across HMRC and the VOA to assist with developing sustainable communities and promoting a culture of environmental sustainability. This is an exciting and varied role that presents an excellent opportunity to become part of a Sustainability Team that’s at the forefront of delivering sustainability outcomes in a modern estate., In this role you will be working with property, commercial, digital, project and operational delivery colleagues on new and best practice solutions that assist us with meeting our energy management/net zero, water, sustainable procurement, waste diversion, biodiversity, travel and sustainable construction targets and objectives.
Main Responsibilities:
+ Contribute to the development and delivery of estates sustainability strategy and supporting policies, and sustainability projects.
+ Provide subject matter expert advice and guidance to colleagues and wider HMRC teams on best practice for incorporating net zero, water, procurement, waste, biodiversity, climate adaptation and sustainable construction improvements into their own projects and programmes.
+ Work closely with commercial, finance and programme delivery colleagues to identify opportunities and mechanisms for delivering environmental sustainability across the HMRC estate.
+ Develop stakeholder capacity for change, encouraging quick wins, drafting new processes, piloting innovations, capturing lessons learned and adopting best practices.
+ Introduce governance and management controls, helping to deliver environmental assurance for the HMRC estate.
+ Implement and manage processes and procedures to ensure compliance with relevant regulatory, statutory, and other mandated requirements., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Changing and Improving
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Working Together, At sift, your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, your experience will be assessed, and you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of, and you will be asked strength-based questions to also explore what you enjoy and your motivations relevant to the job role.
This is an example of a strengths-based question:
“It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?”
There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.
Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – 370594 & vacancy closing date 08/09/2024’.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Criminal Record Check
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
+ Contact the UBS Recruitment Excellence Team via ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Additional Security Information
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.
Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window)., Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.
In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.

+ Demonstrable knowledge of buildings and estates management, including energy and water efficiency, waste management, construction and biodiversity.
+ Practical understanding of environmental sustainability in the built environment.
+ Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate, persuade, influence and motivate at all levels, internally and externally,
+ Experience of working effectively through others to achieve goals.
+ Ability to understand wider strategic organisational context and pressures and apply a positive approach to delivering sustainability objectives.
+ Ability to understand and interpret complex datasets, technical issues, get to the core of performance issues and explain this concisely to stakeholders.
+ Experience of working with a variety of stakeholders to develop new approaches, factoring in awareness of the relevant strategy and mitigating between different agendas, resolving conflict and achieving positive outcomes.
+ Ability to work on own initiative, make decisions, work under pressure and deliver within tight deadlines.
+ A practical working knowledge of the use of ITC packages, e.g. MS Word, Excel, Power Point and MS Teams.
Essential Criteria:
- Experience of working and delivering projects in an environmental sustainability profession - preferably in an Estates/Property function.
- Demonstrable experience of developing, planning, and informing sustainability strategy/policy.
- The ability to interpret complex data sets to identify opportunities to deliver environmental sustainability improvements.
- Understanding of government sustainability reporting (e.g. Greening Government Commitments).
Essential to develop towards
If not already held, you must be willing to obtain IEMA Practitioner Level within 12 months.
Desirable Criteria:
+ Relevant qualification in a sustainability discipline
+ IEMA Practitioner Membership Level

Alongside your salary of £42,618, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £12,346 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
+ Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
+ Family friendly policies.
+ Personal support.
+ Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service