Sustainability Advisor

The primary mission of this role is to support the delivery of Farnborough Airport's environmental management and sustainability programmes. Day to day, you will maintain documentation and databases for ISO 14001 compliance, conduct environmental inspections and audits, and investigate incidents to identify corrective actions. You will also be responsible for flight auditing activities, which involve monitoring aircraft noise and issuing infringement notifications in coordination with Air Traffic Control. A significant part of the role involves collecting, analysing and interpreting environmental data on air quality, water quality, noise, waste, greenhouse gas emissions and net zero initiatives. You will prepare reports, including statutory submissions and departmental KPIs, and use this data to identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities. Your recommendations will help inform decision-makers across the airport. You will also engage with a range of stakeholders, including suppliers, contractors, tenants and the local community. This includes managing the external complaints process, delivering environmental awareness training and participating in governance meetings. The overarching goal is to ensure regulatory compliance and drive continuous improvement in the airport's environmental and sustainability performance, aligning with its broader objectives.

This role offers hands-on experience in environmental compliance and assurance within a highly regulated aviation setting. You are likely to become proficient in ISO 14001 requirements, audit processes and corrective action management, which are transferable skills for any sustainability career. You will also gain practical knowledge of environmental monitoring across air quality, water, noise, waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and learn how to interpret that data to inform decisions. Working with Air Traffic Control on flight auditing and infringement notices could provide a rare insight into aviation-specific environmental impacts, particularly noise and emissions. You might also develop expertise in stakeholder engagement, from managing external complaints to delivering training sessions, which builds communication and influencing skills. The reporting aspect, including statutory submissions and KPIs, could strengthen your ability to present sustainability performance to different audiences. Mentorship from the Sustainability Manager and exposure to governance meetings may help you understand how sustainability strategy is embedded in an airport's operations. If you are working towards a professional body membership, the role could provide the practical experience needed for chartership. Overall, the position offers a broad foundation that could lead to specialisation in aviation sustainability or broader ESG roles.

The ideal candidate will have a formal qualification in environmental science, sustainability, geography or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. You should be comfortable working with ISO 14001, ideally having supported audits or maintained environmental management systems. Strong analytical skills are essential, particularly in data processing with Excel or Power BI, because the role involves collecting and interpreting data on air quality, noise, waste and emissions. Experience in a regulated environment such as aviation, transport or another safety-critical industry would be a significant advantage, especially if you have dealt with environmental compliance and inspections. Knowledge of UK and global environmental legislation is expected, and you should be able to apply it to practical situations. Excellent communication skills are also key, since you will engage with stakeholders at all levels, from contractors to air traffic control, and handle public complaints. On a personal level, you should be organised, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced setting. A full UK driving licence and the ability to obtain security clearance and an airside driving permit are mandatory. Membership of a professional body, or working towards it, would be a plus, as would a genuine interest in promoting sustainability awareness through training and toolbox talks.

Your application needs to show you can handle the compliance and data sides of this role, not just a general interest in sustainability. Highlight specific examples of how you have used ISO 14001 principles, managed environmental data in Excel or Power BI, and supported audits or inspections. If you have worked in aviation, transport or another regulated industry, give concrete details such as the regulations you dealt with and the audits you contributed to. The role involves public-facing work, including managing complaints and engaging with ATC, so demonstrate your communication skills with examples of handling difficult conversations or explaining complex issues to non-specialists. Mention any membership of a professional body, or state that you are working towards one, because that signals commitment to the field. Before applying, research Farnborough Airport's published sustainability commitments, such as its net zero targets and noise management. In your cover letter, connect your experience to a specific airport challenge, like flight auditing or air quality monitoring, and explain how you would approach it. This shows you understand the context and can make an immediate contribution. Also make sure your CV accounts for a full five-year history with no gaps, and confirm your right to work in the UK and ability to obtain security clearance, because these are non-negotiable requirements.

The role is likely to focus on the airport's environmental compliance and management systems, particularly ISO 14001. You will work on monitoring and reducing impacts related to air quality, noise, water, waste and greenhouse gas emissions, which are key material issues for an airport. Flight auditing and noise infringement management will be a specific area, given the airport's location near residential areas and its need to manage community relations. Another focus area could be net zero initiatives, as the job description mentions contributing to net zero programmes and travel planning. You might help track and report on carbon emissions, support decarbonisation projects and engage with stakeholders to promote sustainable travel options. The airport's sustainability strategy may also include social aspects, such as community engagement and volunteering, which you would support through awareness initiatives. Governance and reporting will be important too, with statutory submissions and KPIs forming part of your responsibilities. You will help ensure that environmental considerations are integrated into airport operations and that performance is transparently reported. Overall, the role is central to maintaining the airport's licence to operate and improving its environmental footprint across multiple domains.

One challenge could be balancing the operational priorities of a busy airport with environmental objectives. You might need to push for compliance and improvement while ensuring that flight operations and customer service are not disrupted. This requires tact and the ability to influence stakeholders who may see environmental measures as secondary to commercial or safety concerns. Another difficulty might be the scope of environmental issues you will handle, from air quality and noise to waste and emissions. Each area has its own regulations and data sources, so you will need to switch between topics frequently and maintain accuracy under time pressure. Managing the external complaints process could also be demanding, as you will need to respond professionally and within tight timescales, sometimes to upset members of the community. The airport's size and the need to work across departments could mean that you have to be proactive in building relationships and gathering information. You may encounter resistance to change, especially when recommending improvements that affect established procedures. Additionally, the security clearance and airside driving requirements add a layer of administrative responsibility that you must manage alongside your core duties.

A typical day might start with checking emails and reviewing any new environmental incidents or complaints that need attention. You could then spend time analysing data from monitoring systems, such as air quality or noise readings, and updating spreadsheets or Power BI dashboards. Later, you might conduct an inspection of a construction site or a tenant's operations to verify compliance with environmental requirements. You will likely have meetings with various stakeholders, such as operations staff, contractors or the Sustainability Manager, to discuss ongoing projects or corrective actions. If a flight infringement has occurred, you may need to contact Air Traffic Control to gather information and then issue a notification to the operator. You might also prepare a section of a report or a KPI update for an upcoming governance meeting. In the afternoon, you could deliver a toolbox talk to a team about waste segregation or energy saving, or respond to a community complaint by phone or email. Some days will involve audits, which require detailed preparation and follow-up, while others may be more focused on data analysis and reporting. The role is varied and fast-paced, with a mix of desk work and site visits across the airfield.

In this role, growth could come from deepening your technical expertise in areas like carbon accounting, noise modelling or environmental auditing, all of which are in demand across the aviation and transport sectors. As you take on more complex compliance projects and lead audits, you might earn recognition that positions you for a senior advisor or management position within the airport's sustainability team. The airport's size, around 130 employees, could mean that high performers gain visibility with senior leadership and have the chance to shape new initiatives. If you demonstrate success in engaging stakeholders and improving environmental performance, you might be entrusted with managing larger programmes or representing the airport in external forums. There is also potential for lateral moves into related fields such as safety, operations or corporate affairs, given the airport's integrated approach. The experience you gain in a regulated, customer-facing environment is transferable, and you could progress to roles with broader responsibility in other airports, aviation companies or consultancies.

You will report directly to the Sustainability Manager and work closely with other airport departments such as operations, engineering, safety and commercial teams. Day to day, you might interact with air traffic control staff when investigating flight infringements, and with contractors, tenants and suppliers to ensure they meet environmental requirements. These interactions will often involve providing guidance, gathering data or following up on corrective actions. Externally, you will engage with regulators and local authorities on compliance and statutory reporting, and with community members who raise environmental complaints. You may also represent the airport in governance meetings and forums, where you will monitor performance against service levels and sustainability objectives. Building trust with these stakeholders is important, as your role involves both enforcing standards and promoting voluntary improvements. Internally, you could work with the training team to deliver environmental awareness sessions, and with finance or data teams to prepare reports and KPIs. The role also involves participating in volunteering and community engagement activities, which might bring you into contact with local groups and charities. Overall, you will be a central point of contact for environmental matters across the airport, requiring you to communicate clearly with a wide range of people.