| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Environment, Health and Safety |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Chief Executive Officer |
| Direct reports | Sustainability Manager, Environment Manager |
| Experience | 12+ years in sustainability, environment or ESG |
Head of Sustainability job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Head of Sustainability
Department: Environment, Health and Safety
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Head of Sustainability leads a company's environmental, social and governance agenda and its sustainability performance. They set the sustainability strategy, drive carbon and resource goals, oversee ESG reporting, and engage investors, customers and regulators. The role reports to the Chief Executive Officer. A good head of sustainability sets credible targets and delivers real progress on energy, emissions, water and waste, produces reliable ESG disclosures, and embeds sustainability into how the business operates and grows.
Key responsibilities
- Set the sustainability strategy and targets for carbon, energy, water and waste.
- Oversee ESG reporting including the business responsibility and sustainability report where applicable.
- Drive projects that cut emissions, energy and resource use across operations.
- Build reliable systems to collect and assure sustainability and ESG data.
- Engage investors, customers, regulators and rating agencies on sustainability performance.
- Embed sustainability into procurement, operations and all new investment decisions.
- Track progress against targets and report to leadership and the board.
- Manage climate and sustainability risk and disclosure across the business.
- Build partnerships and initiatives that advance the sustainability agenda.
- Develop the sustainability team and build awareness across the company.
Requirements
- Postgraduate in environment, energy or management
- ESG or sustainability certification is an advantage
- Deep sustainability or environment experience
- 12+ years in sustainability, environment or ESG
KRAs and KPIs for a Head of Sustainability
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Emissions reduction | Carbon and energy intensity reduced against the annual target |
| ESG reporting | ESG and sustainability report published on time with assured data |
| Resource goals | Water and waste targets met across operations for the year |
| Data assurance | Sustainability data passing internal and external assurance with no major finding |
| Project delivery | Sustainability projects completed to plan and delivering the expected impact |
| Ratings | ESG ratings or scores maintained or improved against the target |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: ESG reporting software, Carbon accounting tools, MS Excel and Power BI, Data assurance frameworks, Presentation software.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Operating Officer, ESG Director
Interview questions for a Head of Sustainability
- How do you set credible sustainability targets that the business can actually deliver?
- How do you build ESG data systems that stand up to external assurance?
- How do you engage investors and rating agencies on sustainability?
- How do you embed sustainability into operations and procurement?
- How do you prioritise projects to cut emissions with limited budget?
- Describe a sustainability programme you led and its measurable impact.
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What does a head of sustainability do?
A head of sustainability leads a company's environmental, social and governance agenda. They set the sustainability strategy, drive carbon and resource goals, oversee ESG reporting, and engage investors, customers and regulators. They set credible targets, deliver real progress on emissions, water and waste, and embed sustainability into how the business operates.
What qualifications does a head of sustainability need?
Most heads of sustainability hold a postgraduate degree in environment, energy or management, and an ESG or sustainability certification helps. Employers look for deep experience in sustainability, environment or ESG, skill in strategy and data assurance, knowledge of ESG reporting frameworks, and the ability to engage investors and embed sustainability across the business.
What is the difference between head of sustainability and head of EHS?
A head of EHS focuses on environment, health and safety compliance and incident prevention at operations. A head of sustainability takes a broader view of ESG, including carbon, resources, social and governance performance and external disclosure. The roles overlap on environment, but sustainability is strategic and reporting focused, while EHS is operational.