Sustainability Reporting and Policy Technical Lead

The primary mission of the Sustainability Reporting and Policy Technical Lead is to serve as the subject matter expert driving sustainability disclosure frameworks, metric tracking, and policy alignment across the organisation. The role holder oversees the synthesis of complex environmental and operational data into formal reporting mechanisms, serving as a technical backbone for corporate transparency. Key responsibilities include designing, maintaining, and upgrading central sustainability dashboards to monitor progress against corporate targets, climate change initiatives, and peer benchmarks. The role requires staying ahead of rapidly shifting ESG reporting standards (such as CSRD, GRI, TCFD, and ISSB) to ensure the utility maintains high regulatory alignment and meets rating agency expectations. On an ongoing basis, the role holder leads cross-functional collaborations to standardise data collection, evaluate draft asset management policies, and translate performance metrics into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership and public stakeholders.

This position offers significant exposure to the mechanics of a national utility managing massive capital infrastructure projects. The role holder will gain deep hands-on expertise in navigating both public-sector mandates and rigorous European sustainability reporting regulations, developing an authoritative understanding of CSRD, EU Taxonomy, and national climate targets. Additionally, working within the Asset Management and Sustainability directorate provides valuable insights into how long-term utility investments align with ecological stewardship and circular economy practices. Candidates can expect to strengthen skills in high-stakes ESG data governance, climate risk disclosure methodologies, and multi-departmental policy design.

The ideal candidate brings extensive background in corporate sustainability reporting and environmental policy, preferably backed by at least five years of experience within utilities, capital infrastructure, or heavily regulated sectors. A relevant third-level qualification in environmental science, sustainability, public policy, engineering, or business is strongly desired. Core competencies must include advanced data analytics, an aptitude for designing strong monitoring dashboards, and deep familiarity with global frameworks like GRI, ISSB, and TCFD. Exceptional writing skills are essential to turn dense operational figures into coherent, persuasive narratives for executives, regulators, and the public.

Candidates should explicitly highlight their direct experience with statutory sustainability reporting and framework transitions in their CV and cover letter. Demonstrating concrete examples where you built data collection workflows, created KPI monitoring dashboards, or reconciled regulatory gaps will set your application apart. Given Uisce Éireann’s mandate as Ireland's regulated water authority, tailor your application to emphasize familiarity with utility-scale environmental concerns, such as wastewater management, biodiversity protection, and water resilience under climate pressure. Articulate not just reporting familiarity, but how your technical insights can steer broader asset policy.

The role intersects centrally with Uisce Éireann’s climate resilience and environmental stewardship commitments. The technical focus involves translating utility-wide operational impacts (such as energy efficiency across treatment plants, greenhouse gas reduction, and water loss mitigation) into strong, verifiable ESG metrics. Beyond basic compliance, the position supports the utility’s broader decarbonization roadmap, climate risk mitigation policies, and public accountability reporting. Ensuring transparent and accurate reporting of environmental indicators directly affects how Ireland manages its finite natural water systems under the pressure of climate change.

A primary challenge will be breaking down institutional data silos across a large, geographically dispersed workforce of more than 2,000 employees. Extracting consistent, audit-ready sustainability metrics from legacy systems and disparate asset management operations requires patience, diplomatic influence, and meticulous verification processes. Another significant hurdle is managing the rapid pace of evolving EU and Irish sustainability reporting mandates. The technical lead must continually interpret emerging obligations, determine operational relevance, and guide diverse technical teams who may view sustainability compliance as secondary to day-to-day engineering deliverables.

A regular day could start with reviewing data feeds feeding the internal sustainability dashboard, checking for anomalies in resource consumption or emissions reporting from regional treatment facilities. The morning might continue with a working group meeting focused on preparing disclosures aligned with CSRD and climate risk guidelines. In the afternoon, the technical lead might conduct deep-dive policy benchmarking, comparing internal asset strategies against European utility standards, followed by drafting a briefing paper for the Sustainability Policy and Reporting Manager. The day often concludes with cross-departmental coordination to resolve data governance questions with engineering or procurement colleagues.

Given the strategic importance of sustainability and regulatory compliance within critical infrastructure, this role provides high visibility across executive and directorate leadership. Strong performance can open progression pathways toward senior management within ESG policy, corporate strategy, or environmental regulation. The breadth of cross-directorate engagement also allows the candidate to pivot toward broader asset management strategy, supply chain sustainability, or regulatory affairs. Developing expertise at the interface of utility infrastructure and statutory ESG reporting ensures highly transferable leadership credentials across European regulated markets.

The primary internal collaborator is the Sustainability Policy and Reporting Manager, alongside peers across the Asset Management and Sustainability directorate, including engineering teams, capital delivery planners, and environmental regulation specialists. Regular contact with procurement and internal audit teams is also essential to verify supply chain metrics and data integrity. Externally, the role holder may interface indirectly or directly with sector regulators (such as the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and the EPA), external assurance auditors, government bodies, and sustainability rating agencies requiring verified operational data.