Location
Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Capabilities
Planning and Consulting
Office Setup
Hybrid
Job ID
#42520
Industry
Water
At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.
Your impact
As a trusted advisor and sustainability leader, you will:
Lead the development and delivery of sustainability strategies across major infrastructure programmes and projects.
Inspire and manage multidisciplinary teams of sustainability and environmental professionals.
Advise senior client and project leadership teams on sustainability risks, opportunities and best practice.
Embed sustainability principles into design, governance, procurement and delivery activities.
Provide technical leadership, quality assurance and expert guidance across complex projects.
Develop innovative, practical solutions to sustainability challenges.
Facilitate workshops, stakeholder engagement sessions and high-profile client presentations.
Monitor and communicate sustainability performance against programme objectives.
Mentor and develop the next generation of sustainability professionals.
Support business growth through key client relationships, strategic pursuits and winning work.
We're looking for an exceptional sustainability leader to join our team in Leeds and help embed sustainability at the heart of major infrastructure programmes. Whether appointed at Principal Consultant or Associate Director level, you'll play a pivotal role in influencing strategic decisions, shaping sustainability outcomes and driving innovation across some of the UK's most significant transport, cities, water and energy projects.
This is an opportunity to work with leading clients and project teams, ensuring ambitious sustainability goals are translated into practical, measurable outcomes that deliver real environmental, social and economic value.
Why Join Jacobs?
At Jacobs, sustainability isn't an add-on—it's central to everything we do. You'll join a collaborative network of industry experts, work on nationally significant infrastructure programmes and have the opportunity to influence projects from concept through to delivery.
We're committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Even if you don't meet every requirement, we'd still love to hear from you if you're excited about the opportunity and believe you can make a meaningful impact.
Here's what you'll need
You'll bring a combination of technical excellence, strategic thinking and strong leadership skills, alongside:
A degree in Sustainability, Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Geography or a related discipline.
Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status or equivalent professional accreditation.
Significant experience leading sustainability programmes on major infrastructure projects, ideally within the rail sector.
A proven track record of integrating sustainability into programme and project delivery.
Knowledge of sustainability frameworks and certification schemes such as BREEAM Infrastructure.
The ability to influence senior stakeholders and provide trusted strategic advice.
Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering, design and construction environments.
Excellent report writing, presentation and workshop facilitation abilities.
Commercial awareness and experience supporting business development, bids and client growth initiatives.
Ready to Make a Difference?
If you're passionate about delivering sustainable outcomes, influencing major infrastructure investments and helping clients create a better future, we'd love to hear from you.
Join Jacobs and help shape a more connected, resilient and sustainable world ✨
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Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.
With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs .
We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging. Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here .
Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https://www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.
As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.
We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.
Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support .
