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Sustainability Officer

Prosper Fingal • Ireland • Added on Jul 27, 2026
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As the dedicated Sustainability Officer for Prosper Fingal, you will take the reins of the organization’s environmental agenda. Working twenty hours a week, you’ll act as the central pivot for green initiatives, coordinating the Energy Management and Sustainability Working Group while guiding local Green Teams across multiple service locations. This role is about transforming high-level goals into practical, observable actions within a social care setting.

This position offers a rare chance to bridge the gap between environmental stewardship and social care, ensuring that a critical community service operates as sustainably as possible. By improving energy efficiency and integrating sustainability into the Erasmus+ program, you are helping to future-proof an organization that supports vulnerable individuals, directly linking planetary health with social well-being in North County Dublin.

This suits someone who possesses a degree-level background in environmental science or a related field and has a knack for motivating diverse teams toward a shared green vision.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The primary focus of this role is to drive the environmental roadmap for the organization, ensuring that sustainability is woven into its daily operations. You will be responsible for leading the Energy Management and Sustainability Working Group, providing the strategic direction needed to reduce the group's carbon footprint and energy consumption. You will also spend significant time empowering local Green Teams, helping staff and service users implement grassroots environmental projects. Beyond internal coordination, you will manage data collection for sustainability reporting and identify external funding or grant opportunities to finance green upgrades across Prosper's facilities.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This role provides a unique vantage point to understand the intersection of non-profit management and ESG compliance. You will gain hands-on experience in operationalizing energy efficiency within a complex, multi-site social care environment, which involves navigating specific regulatory and safety requirements. Furthermore, the involvement with the Erasmus+ programme offers international exposure to sustainability best practices and collaborative European projects. You will also develop specialized skills in sustainability reporting and grant writing, which are increasingly valuable in the charitable and public sectors.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal candidate should hold at least a 2.1 honours degree and demonstrate a sincere passion for environmental issues. While the role is open to various backgrounds, having at least one year of experience in a similar sustainability or environmental coordination role is highly desirable to hit the ground running. Technically, you should be comfortable with data monitoring and reporting using standard office tools. Soft skills are equally vital; you need to be a persuasive communicator capable of inspiring staff and volunteers. A full, clean driving license is essential, as you will need to travel between various service locations in Fingal and Meath.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, emphasize your ability to translate complex environmental concepts into simple, actionable steps for a non-technical audience. Since this role involves guiding 'Green Teams,' highlighting any experience you have in community organizing or volunteer management would be highly beneficial. Research the specific challenges faced by social care providers in Ireland regarding energy costs and facility management. Showing that you understand the budget constraints of a non-profit while remaining ambitious about sustainability goals will demonstrate the pragmatic mindset Prosper Fingal is looking for.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The role will likely focus heavily on energy management and decarbonization of the organization's buildings and transport fleet. Given the nature of the service, there is also a strong emphasis on social sustainability—ensuring that environmental initiatives enhance, rather than disrupt, the quality of care provided to individuals with disabilities. You will also look at waste reduction and sustainable procurement, as well as educational initiatives that involve service users in 'green' activities. The integration of sustainability into the Erasmus+ framework suggests a focus on knowledge exchange and social inclusion through environmental action.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the chief hurdles will be engaging a busy workforce that is primarily focused on providing high-quality care. Finding ways to make sustainability feel like an integrated part of their mission rather than an additional administrative burden will require tact and creativity. Additionally, working within a fixed-term, part-time contract means you must be excellent at prioritizing tasks to maximize impact. Tracking and collecting reliable data from multiple service sites can also be a logistical challenge that requires persistence and clear communication.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day might begin with a site visit to one of the residential or day services to meet with a local Green Team and discuss an ongoing recycling or gardening project. You might then transition to a data-focused afternoon, compiling energy usage statistics for a quarterly report or researching a new government grant for solar installation. Collaboration is a constant theme; you could find yourself in a virtual meeting with Erasmus+ partners across Europe before drafting a staff newsletter on Canva to promote an upcoming sustainability week. Your schedule will be a mix of strategic planning and hands-on site coordination.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

As the lead for the organization's sustainability initiatives, you will have high visibility within the senior management team. Successfully delivering on the two-year objectives could lead to more permanent strategic roles within the charity sector or the broader environmental management field. The role also offers the chance to become a subject matter expert in the specialized niche of sustainable social care, a growing field as HSE-funded agencies face increasing pressure to meet national climate targets.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will report to senior management and work closely with the Prosper Group board through the Energy Management and Sustainability Working Group. Internal stakeholders include the staff members across various services who form the Green Teams and the service users themselves. External interactions will involve funding bodies and grant providers, as well as European partners within the Erasmus+ network. You may also liaise with local authorities in Fingal and Meath and various environmental consultants or contractors during energy upgrade projects.

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