As the ESG Manager at Innovus, you will bridge the gap between high-level group strategy and daily operational execution. You will lead the implementation of a structured multi-year ESG programme, turning climate and social value ambitions into actionable divisional plans. Your core focus involves integrating sustainability into business processes, from procurement to project delivery, while overseeing the critical monitoring and reporting of performance metrics.
This role is vital because it directly impacts how the property sector manages its environmental footprint and social contributions. By driving net zero progress and enhancing social value frameworks within a diverse real estate portfolio, you ensure the business creates long-term value for communities and investors alike. It is a rare chance to shape the governance and culture of a growing division during a pivotal strategic rollout.
This suits someone who possesses a strong technical grip on carbon accounting and reporting frameworks but thrives in an influential, advisory capacity. You should be comfortable navigating complex corporate structures to advocate for sustainable decision-making at every level.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
The ESG Manager is tasked with taking the overarching corporate ESG strategy and making it a functional reality within the property services division. You will develop detailed action plans for climate, environmental sustainability, and social value, ensuring that these are not just lofty goals but are embedded into the day-to-day work of surveying and asset management teams.
Technically, you will oversee the collection and validation of data for carbon footprinting and KPI tracking. This involves contributing to external disclosures and ensuring the company meets evolving regulatory requirements such as TCFD or SECR. You will also provide vital ESG expertise to help win new client bids and support commercial business development.
Beyond data, you are responsible for culture and engagement. This means promoting internal awareness and training staff to understand how their specific roles contribute to the broader sustainability mission. You will act as the primary advisor to the leadership team, ensuring that every strategic decision accounts for environmental and social risks.
Key learning opportunities for this job
In this role, you will gain deep exposure to multi-framework reporting, moving beyond theory into the practical application of standards like CSRD, TCFD, and the GHG Protocol. Since the company is in the midst of a multi-year ESG programme, you will witness first-hand how a large professional services firm transforms its governance and operational DNA.
You will also sharpen your commercial sustainability skills. By supporting the business development and bid teams, you will learn how to translate ESG performance into a competitive advantage in the real estate market. This provides a unique perspective on how sustainability creates financial and brand value for institutional investors and property developers.
Mentorship and networking are key components here, as you will have a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Head of ESG. This provides high-level visibility into group-wide strategy while you maintain divisional autonomy, allowing you to develop a versatile skill set that balances local execution with global corporate objectives.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal candidate holds a degree in Environmental Science or Sustainability and brings proven experience from a corporate environment. You should be highly proficient in carbon accounting and environmental performance management, with a clear understanding of how to move from a high-level strategy to operational delivery.
Soft skills are just as vital as technical ones. We are looking for a strategic influencer who can communicate complex ESG topics to different audiences, from executive directors to operational survey teams. You must demonstrate a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset, taking full ownership of your projects while managing competing deadlines across the division.
Experience within professional services or real estate is a significant advantage. Familiarity with social value frameworks and biodiversity considerations will also set you apart, as the role seeks to balance environmental goals with positive social outcomes for the communities where the property portfolios are located.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
To stand out, move beyond general sustainability talk and focus on operational integration. Show in your application how you have previously taken a corporate goal and turned it into a specific process or policy that colleagues actually used. Since Innovus works heavily in property compliance and safety, highlighting your understanding of regulatory alignment will be very impactful.
When discussing your experience, be specific about the data and frameworks you have mastered. Mentioning successful instances where your ESG input contributed to a winning commercial bid or improved a client relationship would demonstrate that you understand the business value of the role. Research their 'Simple solutions to complex problems' philosophy and reflect that in your communication style.
Prepare to discuss how you handle stakeholder resistance. In a role focused on 'embedding' sustainability into culture, you will likely face challenges in changing established workflows. Demonstrating a history of building credible relationships and using data to influence decision-makers will show you are ready for the cultural aspects of this position.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
The primary focus will be on decarbonization and net zero pathways within the property sector. This involves measuring and mitigating the carbon footprint of building surveys, asset management, and the wider supply chain. You will likely work on reducing the environmental impact of physical property portfolios through improved energy efficiency and waste management.
There is also a significant emphasis on Social Value and resident engagement. In property management, sustainability includes how buildings affect the people living in them. You will focus on initiatives that improve safety, community well-being, and social equity, ensuring these are reported as part of the company's broader ESG outcomes.
Finally, governance and compliance are critical pillars. You will ensure the division stays ahead of complex safety regulations and ESG reporting mandates. This means refining internal decision-making structures so that sustainability is a permanent factor in procurement, project delivery, and financial reporting.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
One of the chief challenges is the translational gap between high-level group goals and divisional reality. You will need to take broad corporate ambitions and make them relevant to property managers and surveyors who have high-pressure workloads, which requires significant persistence and diplomatic communication.
Data quality and collection across diverse assets can also be difficult. Property portfolios often involve fragmented data sources, making carbon accounting and KPI tracking a complex exercise in coordination. You will need to be resilient and systematic in establishing robust data validation processes where they may not currently exist.
Lastly, you may face competing priorities between commercial growth and ESG constraints. Balancing the immediate needs of business development with long-term net zero targets requires a balanced approach. You will need to demonstrate that ESG is a value generator rather than just a compliance hurdle to overcome internal skepticism.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
A typical day might start with a data review of divisional carbon metrics or progress against social value targets, followed by an update meeting with the Head of ESG to align on group-level reporting requirements. You might then spend the mid-morning advising the procurement team on integrating sustainability criteria into new vendor contracts.
Your afternoon could be spent in a bid support session, helping the commercial team articulate the company's ESG strengths to a potential institutional investor client. This is often followed by drafting an 'action plan' for a specific operational team, such as building safety, to help them embed new environmental protocols into their site inspections.
You will also likely participate in ESG Steering Group meetings, where you provide progress reports to senior leadership. Communication is constant; you might end your day by preparing a presentation for an internal town hall to share sustainability success stories and drive employee engagement across the New Milton office and beyond.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
This role offers a clear path toward senior sustainability leadership. By sitting on the ESG Steering Group and holding a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Head of ESG, you gain the visibility and strategic experience needed to move into regional or group-wide director roles in the future.
Because you are the ESG subject matter expert for an entire division, you have the opportunity to define and build your own internal brand. You will become a hybrid expert in both sustainability and the property sector, a combination that is in extremely high demand across the global real estate and asset management industries.
There are also opportunities for cross-functional development. Interacting regularly with Finance, HR, and Procurement will broaden your business acumen, potentially allowing for lateral moves into operational management or corporate governance. The company's commitment to a multi-year ESG programme ensures your role will evolve and expand as the strategy matures.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
You will serve as a bridge between the Divisional Leadership Team and the Group Head of ESG, ensuring two-way communication on strategy and performance. This internal advisory role is central to your success, as you will be the primary point of contact for all things sustainability within Innovus.
On the operational side, you will interact closely with Property Managers, Surveyors, and Asset Managers. These are the people who will implement your action plans on the ground. You will also work with the Procurement and Finance teams to align ethical sourcing and data reporting with overall business governance.
External stakeholders are equally important. You will engage with institutional investors, national property developers, and regulators (such as RICS or CIH). Demonstrating the company's ESG credentials to these partners is vital for maintaining the firm's reputation and supporting its commercial objectives in a competitive market.
CSR Jobs newsletter
Never miss the next opportunity
Get a curated selection of new CSR, ESG, and sustainability roles in your inbox. No daily noise, just useful opportunities.
You are subscribed
Want more relevant opportunities?
Share your LinkedIn profile so we can better understand the roles that may fit you. This step is optional.
You are all set!
Thanks for joining the CSR Jobs newsletter. Keep an eye on your inbox for sustainability opportunities.