Sustainability Programme Manager Ref 21602

Division: Sussex Projects
Hours: Full time up to a maximum of 1 FTE. Requests for flexible working  options will be considered (subject to business need).
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom
Contract: Fixed term until August 2026
Reference: 21602
Salary: starting at £45,585 to £54,395 per annum, pro rata if part time
Placed on: 18 September 2023.
Closing date: 04 October 2023.  Applications must be received by midnight of the closing date.
Expected Interview date: 30 October 2023 
Expected start date: As soon as possible 

Job description

The University of Sussex is seeking to appoint to the post of Sustainability Programme Manager to support and manage the delivery of the University’s exciting new Sustainability Programme, which will drive the delivery of the University’s ambitious plan to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2035.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity for a Programme Manager with an interest in Sustainability to play a leading role in this new and exciting Programme, within a vibrant city.  The candidate brochure can be viewed at Sustainability Programme Manager - University of Sussex (flippingbook.com)

The University of Sussex is a leading higher education and research institution. The first of the new wave of UK universities founded in the 1960s, receiving its Royal Charter in 1961, Sussex is a successful, growing University with a top-20 place in the major UK higher education league tables.  The University has a beautiful and diverse estate located in Falmer, to the east of Brighton and Hove.  It is situated in the South Downs National Park and has amongst its buildings a core heritage estate designed by Sir Basil Spence.

This role will oversee the development and implementation of a long term plan to reach Net Zero, working with key stakeholders to establish a well-defined and funded roadmap. Tranche One of the programme is already defined and funded, and the postholder will be required to drive implementation, ensuring that the deliverables are achieved in a timely fashion. One of the key outputs of Tranche One is to produce a compelling and robust business case to secure University funding for future tranches of work, including the decarbonisation of the estate as well as a range of initiatives to address Scope 3 emissions.

The successful candidate will have proven experience of shaping, planning and delivering strategies that enhance an organisation's energy and sustainability performance.   You will enjoy the challenge of leading a broad portfolio across sustainability, energy management and decarbonisation and will have the experience and credibility to lead a diverse team across these areas.

The successful candidate will be an experienced Programme Manager with a strong appreciation of programme management methodology and techniques. They will require exceptional interpersonal skills to bring together a diverse group of people with a shared aim, and have demonstrable experience in influencing decisions in a timely fashion. This is a particularly complex Programme, so expertise in working on challenging, multi-stranded Programmes is essential.

To learn more please contact our retained search advisors Craig Douglas (craig.douglas@mrgglobal.com) / 07355 093 394) and Ben Duffill (Ben.duffill@mrgglobal.com) / 07976 125 010) at MRG.

Applications should consist of a CV and cover letter and can be sent to craig.douglas@mrgglobal.com.

About our Division

Led by our Chief Digital Transformation Officer and his Leadership team, we are now embarking on an ambitious programme of change. Over the coming years, this digital transition will be an ever-developing programme supported by senior stakeholders both financially and strategically. This University will be a very different world in years to come and aspires to achieve levels of performance and digital delivery yet unseen in the sector. All of this is underpinned by major construction and estate renewal, an exciting programme of work to add thousands of accommodation spaces, and a network replacement project to install the latest digital infrastructure as part of the journey towards a fully data-enabled organisation.

Why work here…

Our University is situated just off of the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are easily accessible by public transport; a 5-minute walk from the train station and bus stops within the campus. We have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to cycle to work with our offering of a cycle to work scheme. 

Sussex is a renowned, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are Faculty, Student, or a member of a Professional Services Team, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

The benefits that you will receive from day one:

  • Generous pension scheme  31.4% total (grades7-10)
  • Life insurance of up to 3 times your annual salary for any pension-enrolled employees.
  • Purchase additional Annual Leave though our Scheme for a great home and work life balance
  • Discounts of public transport, Cycle to work Scheme, and special rates in hotels in Brighton and the Sussex region.
  •  Discounts on high-street shops through our Rewards partner, along with a Cash back Health Plan.
  • Considerable discount on our on-site Gym Facilities because we care about our employees’ Health and Wellbeing.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

You can find out more about our values and our EDI Strategy,  Inclusive Sussex, on our webpages.

Download Job Description and Person Specification Ref 201602 [PDF 221.48KB]

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed from the UK. 

How to apply

Applications should consist of a CV and cover letter and should be send to craig.douglas@mrgglobal.com. Please also, download and complete the Personal Details and Equal Opportunities Form [DOCX 65.11KB] and send the pdf. format to jobapps@sussex.ac.uk.  

You should attach your application form and all documents to the email in PDF format (we are unable to accept applications as google.docs or .pages) and use the format job reference number / job title / your name in the subject line.

You can also send your application by post to Human Resources Division, Sussex House, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH.

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