You will take the helm of the Trust’s environmental strategy, turning high-level net-zero commitments into tangible improvements across 5,000 homes. This role involves overseeing energy assessments and stock data to create a costed, realistic pathway for decarbonization while ensuring all property investments align with evolving green standards. You are the architect of the organization’s climate action plan, moving from data gathering to operational delivery.
Working for a profit-for-purpose housing provider means your efforts directly alleviate fuel poverty and improve life quality for thousands of residents in East Cheshire. By embedding sustainability into the core of asset management and procurement, you ensure that the transition to low-carbon heating and energy-efficient building fabrics remains socially equitable and financially resilient. This is a chance to define what sustainable housing looks like at a community scale.
This suits someone who possesses a deep technical understanding of residential energy efficiency and social housing regulations, combined with the project management skills to lead diverse contractors and secure external grant funding.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
As the strategic lead for energy and sustainability, you will be responsible for developing and executing the environmental strategy action plan. This involves translating net-zero goals into operational reality by working closely with the Asset Manager and development teams to ensure all property decisions prioritize carbon reduction.
You will manage comprehensive energy and environmental assessments for the entire housing stock. This data serves as the foundation for your work, allowing you to create a costed, evidence-based roadmap for property improvements and large-scale decarbonization retrofits.
Beyond technical planning, you will also navigate the financial landscape of sustainability by identifying and securing external funding and grant opportunities. This includes managing contractors to deliver energy programmes while ensuring that procurement and service delivery are fully aligned with the Trust's green objectives.
Key learning opportunities for this job
In this role, you will gain significant expertise in the specialized field of social housing decarbonization. You will learn to navigate complex UK energy efficiency standards and building regulations specifically tailored to larger residential portfolios, providing you with a high-demand skillset in the green building sector.
You will also have the opportunity to master large-scale data analytics for sustainability. By developing carbon performance reports and energy models for 5,000 homes, you will become proficient in using data to justify multi-million-pound investment decisions and long-term asset management strategies.
Additionally, the role offers exposure to public sector grant management and partnership building. You will learn the intricacies of bidding for and managing government-backed sustainability funds, such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which is vital for any professional looking to lead large-scale environmental transitions.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal candidate brings a robust background in building science and energy efficiency, ideally within the social housing or residential construction sectors. You should possess a deep understanding of energy performance certificates (EPCs), retrofitting standards (such as PAS 2035), and the nuances of housing regulation.
Technical skills must be balanced with proven project management experience. You should be comfortable managing budgets, overseeing third-party contractors, and writing precise technical specifications for property upgrades. Fluency in energy modeling software and carbon reporting tools is highly valued to support evidence-based decision making.
Soft skills are equally important; you should be a collaborative influencer capable of embedding sustainability into diverse departments. Since the role involves tenant engagement, the ability to communicate technical sustainability concepts to non-experts is essential for success in a community-focused organization.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
To stand out, move beyond general sustainability concepts and demonstrate specific knowledge of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund or similar UK-based grant structures. Providing examples of where you successfully managed grant-aided projects will immediately signal your value to the Trust.
Your application should highlight your ability to translate data into action. Instead of just mentioning that you are good with data, describe a situation where you analyzed stock energy performance and used those insights to change a procurement strategy or prioritize a specific set of retrofits.
Finally, align your personal narrative with the Trust’s profit-for-purpose mission. Explain why you want to apply your sustainability expertise to the housing sector specifically, showing an understanding of how environmental performance impacts tenant wellbeing and organizational resilience.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
The primary focus is on operational decarbonization of the Trust’s 5,000 homes. You will be tasked with finding the most effective ways to reduce the carbon footprint of existing buildings, which is one of the most significant challenges in reachings the UK's net-zero targets.
There is also a strong social sustainability component to this role. By improving energy efficiency, you are directly tackling fuel poverty and ensuring that homes remain affordable and healthy for residents, aligning environmental goals with the Trust's social mission.
Governance and compliance with environmental reporting also play a major role. You will be the point person for ensuring the Trust meets all statutory requirements and voluntary benchmarks related to energy performance and sustainability disclosure, maintaining the organization's reputation for resilience.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
One of the chief challenges will be balancing ambitious net-zero targets with budget constraints. As a profit-for-purpose organization, every pound must be spent wisely, so you will need to build very strong business cases for sustainability investments to ensure they are financially viable.
You may also face difficulties related to the complexity of retrofitting older housing stock. Not every home is easily upgraded, and you will need to find innovative solutions for 'hard-to-treat' properties while minimizing disruption to the residents living there.
Finally, managing contractor performance in a high-demand market can be challenging. Ensuring that third-party vendors meet the Trust’s high standards for quality and health and safety, especially with the current shortage of skilled green-sector labor, will require constant vigilance.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
Your day might begin with analyzing stock performance data to track progress against your carbon reduction targets. You could spend the morning reviewing technical specifications for an upcoming insulation or heat pump installation project to ensure it meets both quality and safety standards.
In the afternoon, you might shift to stakeholder engagement, perhaps meeting with the maintenance team to discuss how to embed energy-saving advice into their routine tenant visits, or collaborating with the procurement manager to vet new suppliers for sustainable building materials.
The day often ends with strategic reporting or grant management. This could involve drafting a bid for a new government sustainability fund or preparing a performance update for the leadership team to show how your initiatives are contributing to the Trust's long-term resilience goals.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
This role is a high-visibility position within the Asset and Development team, offering a pathway toward senior strategic leadership. Success here proves you can handle complex, multi-stakeholder environmental transformations, which is a key requirement for future Director-level roles in housing or sustainability.
You will have the chance to lead high-profile, innovative pilot projects, such as the adoption of new renewable technologies or smart home systems. Being at the forefront of these implementations often leads to recognition as a subject matter expert within the wider housing sector.
Furthermore, the Trust’s commitment to training means you can pursue advanced professional certifications. Whether it is in carbon accounting, advanced building performance management, or strategic leadership, you are encouraged to develop the credentials needed to grow alongside the organization's evolving needs.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
You will work very closely with the Asset and Development teams, as your sustainability strategy is inextricably linked to their property maintenance and new-build plans. Your ability to integrate and cooperate with these colleagues is vital for operational energy efficiency.
External contractors and supply chain partners are another critical group. You will be responsible for overseeing their work, ensuring they adhere to the technical and environmental standards you have set, and maintaining a high standard of health and safety on site.
You will also interact with tenants and community members. Engaging with residents is essential to ensure they understand new energy systems in their homes and to gather feedback on how the Trust’s sustainability initiatives are impacting their day-to-day lives.
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