Service Manager - Sustainability (Internal applicants only)

The Service Manager - Sustainability role at North Northamptonshire Council involves leading the Sustainability Team to implement strategies promoting environmental stewardship while ensuring social equity and economic vitality. Responsibilities include managing climate change initiatives, workforce management, and providing expert guidance. The position requires strong leadership, negotiation skills, and a background in sustainability or environmental management. This role is open to internal applicants only and is based in the United Kingdom.
About The Role

The purpose of this new role is to lead, develop, and implement a range of strategies, plans, and guidance that promote environmental stewardship in a way that also supports social equity, and economic vitality within the community, and to provide specialist advice and leadership that supports sustainability and drives the Council’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the wider ambition for the entire North Northamptonshire area to be net zero by 2050.

What will you be doing?

You Will
• be responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of the Sustainability Team.
• lead and drive the delivery of the Climate Change Strategy, including responsibility for co-ordinating actions, monitoring and reporting.
• work with the Head of Economic Growth & Sustainability to shape the future direction of the Service and its transformation to ensure that strategic objectives are met.
• be responsible for leading the management of all employees (permanent, temporary, seconded and agency) within the Team and to oversee all aspects of workforce management, including recruitment, development, training, performance, and discipline.
• horizon scan and recognise changes in legislation, guidance, and best practice, and work in collaboration with the Head of Economic Growth & Sustainability and other managers to ensure the effective and expeditious implementation of any necessary changes relevant to the Team as they affect the Authority.
• lead and drive the delivery of the Council’s Carbon Management Plan, including responsibility for identifying cost effective solutions that reduce consumption and emission of greenhouse gasses and meet the Council’s carbon neutral targets.
• provide professional and technical guidance and advice for all aspects of the functions of the Team to the Head of Economic Growth & Sustainability, Assistant Director of Assets and Environment, Corporate Leadership Team, elected members, officers, and members of the public.
• be responsible, in conjunction with Democratic Services, for the management of the Sustainable Communities Executive Advisory Panel.
• prepare and present reports and attend committees, boards, panels and other meetings as required by the Council.
• represent the Council on sustainability and climate change matters in countywide, regional and national forums as required, including the representation of the Council or Service on specialist bodies as required by the Head of Economic Growth & Sustainability.
• communicate and champion the Council’s values, One Council approach, professional behaviours and priorities to employees, partners and the public.

About You

You will have strong leadership, negotiation and influencing skills, including change management and service delivery improvement, with a degree in a sustainability, environmental management or other related subject, or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline. You will also have strong contract management and programme/project management skills, and significant experience of engaging with different stakeholders to deliver success plans, projects and initiatives. Furthermore, you will be able to demonstrate an innovative approach to problem solving and achieving value for money.

For further information about this role please email Ian Achurch on Ian.Achurch@northnorthants.gov.uk

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We Offer a Vibrant Working Environment With
• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About Us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our Values Define Who We Are And How We Operate, By Forming The Foundation For How We Interact With Our Customers, Colleagues And Provide Our Services. They Are Also At The Forefront Of Our Decision Making And Delivery And Are

Customer-focused

Respectful

Efficient

Supportive

Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

We aim to be a carbon neutral Council by 2030.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)

Attached documents
• 25-04 Service Manager Sustainability JD.pdf

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