Net Zero Sustainability Manager

Are you ready to champion sustainability and be at the forefront of the green movement? Are you passionate about driving sustainability? If so, apply now and make a difference!

The Rural Payments Agency is on the lookout for an enthusiastic and dedicated Net Zero Sustainability Manager to lead our mission towards a greener and more resilient future! We are an organisation committed to world class farming and land management for the environment, food, and rural resilience. We are a voice for farmers and land managers, we encourage sustainable and profitable farming, and are a delivery agency for the 25 Year Environment Plan.

We help agricultural and rural communities to create a better place to live. We achieve this through:

• Delivering economic growth
• Delivering environmental sustainability
• Supporting agriculture
• Enabling innovation
• Facilitating community activities

The UK Government set a target in 2019 to achieve Net Zero by 2050. The RPA is working towards this target through the delivery of its commitments outlined in its 5 Year Strategy which includes:

• Embedding Net Zero in our criteria for all our decisions
• Promoting sustainable travel methods
• Stopping all domestic flights for business on mainland GB
• Working with our colleagues who supply our Corporate Services to encourage and support them as they also take action to tackle Net Zero
• Influencing the Defra Sustainability Strategy (now published)
• Reviewing our supplier contracts to ensure they are supportive of our Net Zero aims
• Increasing recycling across our estates

We also strive to use our role as the governments advocate for farming and rural communities, to drive positive change through the adoption of our environmental land management schemes.

Furthermore, we will also work closely with our partners across Defra Group to ensure we make our contribution to Defra’s Greening Government Commitments (GGC’s) and work with the wider UK government to collaborate and share best practices.

This role will be part of a newly established team with the exciting task of delivering the initiatives that will equip the RPA in reaching Net Zero. You will work closely with the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Sustainability Lead and RPA senior leaders to assist in the delivery of the ambitions set out in the 5 Year Strategy, supporting the RPA to become a more sustainable and climate friendly business. You will be part of a team comprising of an additional Higher Executive Officer (Sustainability Manager) and SEO (Sustainability Lead) within the wider strategy team where you will have the ability to drive and shape RPA’s sustainability strategy.

The Sustainability Manager will be responsible for supporting on, developing and delivering sustainability initiatives across the RPA.

In this dynamic role, you will concentrate on two primary areas of work.

You will work closely with the Sustainability Lead, senior leaders and strategy teams to contribute to and develop strategic documents and/plans that will help outline how we will reach our sustainability goals. As well as this, you will be expected to support the sustainability lead in developing relationships within the RPA, Defra Group, and other relevant government departments. You will conduct comprehensive research to inform leadership on opportunities to make the RPA a more sustainable organisation.

The second area of work will be more focused on the execution of sustainability initiatives and projects. These could align with the objectives in the 5-year strategy or be new work streams introduced by Defra and/or wider government. As such, the successful individual is expected to possess excellent organisational and communication skills, with the capacity to work on multiple tasks simultaneously.

As well as achieving environmental sustainability, we are also dedicated to fostering a sustainable workplace as a whole. This encompasses ethical and social considerations and as such, this role may involve active engagement in corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders and customers, internally and externally, to maintain robust partnerships and influence environmental outcomes
• Contribute to the development of Net Zero strategy plans and documentation
• Build capabilities/systems allowing RPA to measure its Net Zero contribution with more accuracy
• Work closely with Executive Team members to assist in the delivery of their sustainability sponsor areas
• Developing guidance and tools that can be used across the agency to enable RPA teams to operate in a more sustainable way
• Conduct regular engagement with teams across the RPA promoting sustainability initiatives and best practice