Manager, Environment & Sustainability

The core mission is to turn CAG's environment and sustainability strategy into action across the airport's many business clusters. Day to day, you would formulate implementation plans, quantify and monitor outcomes, and help teams embed sustainability into their projects and processes. You are also the guardian of compliance, guiding colleagues on regulatory obligations and ISO 14001 standards. A second major responsibility is policy and advocacy. You would develop and champion CAG's positions on environmental matters with airport stakeholders, regulators and government agencies, and facilitate strategic discussions with senior management to ensure environmental considerations are part of major decisions. You would also work closely with project teams at the planning, design and execution stages, assessing and prioritising sustainability solutions for Changi Airport. Alongside this, you would support broader environmental initiatives such as emissions reduction, waste management and water conservation, ensuring they are measured and reported credibly.

You would gain deep exposure to sustainability in a large-scale, high-visibility infrastructure environment, including carbon accounting, energy transition planning, circular economy practices and climate resilience. Working with ISO 14001 and regulatory frameworks would sharpen your compliance and environmental management systems expertise. Because the role involves policy advocacy and senior management engagement, you would develop strong skills in strategic communication, storyboarding and stakeholder influence. You would also build practical experience in quantifying outcomes and using data to prioritise investments, which is highly transferable to other complex organisations. Mentorship and cross-cluster collaboration could expose you to airport operations, engineering, procurement and finance, giving you a systems view of how sustainability integrates with business strategy. CAG's investment in employer branding suggests a supportive environment for professional development.

The ideal candidate likely holds a good degree in environmental sustainability, engineering, economics, business or social sciences, backed by six to nine years of experience in policy formulation and environmental management. Domain knowledge in environmental compliance, ISO 14001, sustainability disclosures and project management is essential. Analytical strength is critical: you should be comfortable with data analysis and Microsoft Excel, able to quantify outcomes and build credible cases for sustainability solutions. Strong critical thinking and the ability to see connections across operational, regulatory and financial dimensions are also important. Equally vital are soft skills, proficient writing, storyboarding and presentation abilities to influence senior management and external stakeholders. A collaborative mindset and the credibility to work with technical teams and government agencies would set you apart, as would a genuine passion for embedding sustainability in a complex, high-profile organisation.

Tailor your application to show you understand CAG's specific sustainability context, an airport operator balancing growth with decarbonisation, energy transition and climate resilience. Highlight concrete examples where you quantified environmental outcomes, navigated ISO 14001 or shaped policy positions with regulators. Use the language of the job description, such as "working across clusters" and "sustainability solutions", but back it with evidence. In your cover letter, explain why Changi Airport's scale and ambition appeal to you, and how your experience in policy formulation and project management of environmental initiatives would translate to a complex, live operational environment. Mention your comfort with data analysis and Excel, and how you have used storyboarding or presentations to influence senior stakeholders. For interviews, prepare to discuss how you would prioritise sustainability investments under operational constraints, and how you would build consensus across diverse teams. Demonstrating knowledge of aviation's environmental challenges and Singapore's regulatory environment would signal genuine interest and preparation.

The role sits at the heart of CAG's Environment and Sustainability function, which explicitly covers carbon emissions reduction, energy transition, circular economy, water conservation and climate resilience. You would likely focus on embedding these priorities into airport planning, design and execution, ensuring new infrastructure and daily operations align with both near-term and long-term sustainability objectives. A significant part of the focus could be on compliance and disclosure: guiding clusters to meet regulatory obligations and ISO 14001 standards, and shaping how CAG reports its environmental performance. Because aviation faces growing scrutiny on decarbonisation, you might also support the development of policy positions and advocacy with regulators and government agencies. On the social and governance side, sustainable procurement and stakeholder engagement are part of the remit, so the role touches how CAG's supply chain and partnerships reflect its environmental commitments. The intersection of operational resilience and environmental performance, especially around climate adaptation for a coastal airport, could be another core theme.

One likely challenge is the sheer complexity of Changi Airport as a system: sustainability solutions must fit into live operations, long asset lifecycles and strict safety and security requirements. Aligning multiple clusters with different priorities around a single environmental roadmap could require persistent diplomacy and a strong evidence base. Another hurdle is the tension between ambitious decarbonisation goals and the realities of aviation growth. You may need to make the business case for investments whose benefits are long-term, while regulators and government agencies push for faster or different action. Navigating those expectations without slowing operational performance will demand sharp analytical and communication skills. Data quality and measurement could also be a challenge. Establishing credible baselines, tracking outcomes across distributed teams and ensuring consistent reporting for ISO 14001 and sustainability disclosures takes discipline. The role likely requires someone comfortable with imperfect information and able to drive continuous improvement.

A typical day might start with a project meeting where you assess the sustainability case for a terminal upgrade or new energy system, weighing carbon payback against cost and operational constraints. Later you could be reviewing data on emissions, waste or water performance, preparing a dashboard or briefing note for a cluster director. You would likely have periodic check-ins with colleagues across operations, engineering, procurement and finance to keep initiatives on track. Afternoons might involve drafting a policy position or regulatory response for a government agency, or preparing slides for a steering committee. Because Changi runs 24/7, urgent environmental compliance questions can surface without warning, so the rhythm is a mix of planned analysis and reactive problem-solving. You will also spend time coaching colleagues on ISO 14001 requirements and helping them interpret sustainability targets in practical terms. No two days look alike, but the common thread is translating high-level goals into decisions that operations teams can act on.

This role sits within a strategic function at a flagship national institution, so high-visibility projects, such as major energy transition or climate resilience initiatives, could accelerate your reputation and impact. Success might open pathways to leading the broader Environment and Sustainability function, or to roles with wider scope across CAG's clusters. Because the position involves policy advocacy and senior management engagement, you would build a network and influence that are valuable for progression into senior sustainability leadership, whether within aviation, infrastructure or the public sector. The exposure to ISO 14001, disclosures and sustainable procurement could also make you a strong candidate for CSO-track roles. CAG's size and diversity mean lateral moves into operations, strategy or international consultancy through Changi Airports International are plausible for a high performer. The role offers a platform to deepen expertise while broadening your organisational reach.

Internally, you would interact regularly with CAG's business clusters (operations, engineering, retail, infrastructure and procurement) to help them integrate sustainability into their plans and comply with environmental standards. Senior management would be key stakeholders when you facilitate strategic discussions or seek endorsement for policy positions and investment cases. Externally, you would engage regulators and government agencies on environmental compliance and policy advocacy, and potentially work with industry bodies, consultants and community groups on airport-related sustainability matters. These interactions require balancing CAG's operational and commercial realities with evolving regulatory expectations. You might also coordinate with project teams, contractors and suppliers to ensure sustainability criteria are built into design and procurement decisions. The role is fundamentally cross-functional, so success depends on building trust and clear communication with a wide range of partners.