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Sustainability Officer

Seafish • United Kingdom • Added on Jul 2, 2026
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This Sustainability Officer role is about coordinating sustainability and responsible-sourcing programmes for the UK seafood industry. You’ll take on the operational running of the carbon emissions profiling tool (SCEPT) while handling the administrative side of working groups and stakeholder workshops across the sector. Your day-to-day work centers on managing databases, preparing briefing notes, and reporting on the organization’s environmental commitments.

The impact of this role is significant, as it supports the green transition of a £10 billion economic sector. By helping the industry adopt carbon measurement tools and improving commercial fishing practices, you directly contribute to supply chain resilience and the protection of marine biodiversity nationwide. It’s a unique opportunity to have a concrete influence on the UK’s food sustainability.

This suits someone with strong administrative rigor and excellent interpersonal skills, able to turn complex environmental data into clear communication materials. Some prior experience in project management or ESG reporting is strongly recommended to succeed.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core of this role involves providing operational and administrative support for responsible sourcing programmes. You will be the primary coordinator for the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool (SCEPT), managing user onboarding, training logistics, and the resulting supply chain data. In addition to technical tool support, you will manage statutory reporting tasks, specifically the Greening Government Commitments (GGC). This includes collecting internal energy, waste, and travel data to ensure the organization meets its own corporate sustainability obligations. Lastly, you function as a central hub for stakeholder communication, preparing briefing papers and maintaining engagement records to ensure that sustainability initiatives across the seafood supply chain remain on track and transparent.

Key learning opportunities for this job

A candidate in this position will gain deep expertise in carbon accounting and life cycle assessment specifically tailored to the food and fisheries industry through the management of the SCEPT tool. This is a high-demand skill in today’s carbon-constrained economy. You will also develop a sophisticated understanding of public sector ESG frameworks by handling Greening Government Commitments. The exposure to diverse stakeholders, from commercial fishers to government regulators, offers a unique macroeconomic view of how sustainability policies are implemented in real-world supply chains.

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

The ideal candidate holds a degree in environmental management, fisheries science, or geography and demonstrates a high level of proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data management. Precision is critical, as you will be responsible for quality-checking emissions data from various seafood businesses. Beyond technical background, strong interpersonal skills are essential. You need to be comfortable facilitating workshops and translating complex sustainability concepts for non-technical audiences, such as industry operators who are just beginning their decarbonization journey.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, emphasize any experience you have with multi-stakeholder coordination. Seafish sits at the intersection of industry, NGOs, and government, so showing you can navigate these different agendas is highly valued. Research the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool (SCEPT) before your interview. Demonstrating a clear understanding of its purpose and the challenges businesses face when measuring Scope 3 emissions in the fishing industry will prove your immediate readiness for the role.

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

This role primarily focuses on decarbonization of the seafood supply chain. By assisting industry users with emissions profiling, you are directly addressing the carbon footprint of food production and sourcing. Additionally, there is a strong focus on corporate transparency and accountability. You will ensure the organization itself leads by example through rigorous internal reporting on waste and energy, aligning with wider UK government environmental targets.

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

The major challenge will be managing data quality from external parties. Small to medium seafood businesses may struggle with accurate reporting, requiring you to be patient and diligent in providing support and verifying information. Balancing the technical requirements of carbon accounting with the administrative demands of stakeholder coordination can also be difficult. You will need to switch contexts quickly between deep data analysis and high-level event planning.

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

A typical day might begin with responding to technical queries from SCEPT tool users, followed by a meeting with the Sustainability Analyst to review the progress of carbon data collection. You might spend the afternoon drafting a guidance document for a new sustainable fishing workshop. Later, you could switch to internal reporting tasks, updating the travel and energy logs for the quarter. The day often concludes with stakeholder outreach to confirm logistics for an upcoming industry steering group meeting.

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

This role is an excellent springboard for someone looking to become a Sustainability Analyst or ESG Manager. The high level of responsibility for a major carbon tool provides the technical credibility needed for senior analytical roles. Given the organization's unique position, you could also develop into a Policy or Stakeholder Engagement lead, leveraging the network of industry and government contacts you build while coordinating these large-scale UK sustainability programs.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Internal collaboration is centered on the Sustainability Analyst and the wider resilient supply chains team who provide the strategic direction for your coordination efforts. Externally, you will interact with seafood processors, retailers, and fishers to assist them with emissions tools, as well as consultants and government bodies who oversee the reporting standards Seafish must adhere to.

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