Sustainability Advisor

Job overview

The government has committed to a multi-billion-pound investment in UKHSA’s new laboratory facilities – the most significant investment the UK has made in biosecurity infrastructure in a generation. These state-of-the-art laboratories, to be built at a new site in Harlow, will replace UKHSA’s existing facilities at Porton Down and Colindale and will be critical to the UK’s public health resilience and national security for decades to come.

This decision marks a pivotal moment for UKHSA and the wider government science landscape. The new facility will bring together world-class capability under one roof, enabling cutting-edge research, pandemic preparedness, and the protection of the UK from major biological threats.

Main duties of the job

The Sustainability Advisor will be responsible for providing technical assurance on the implementation of the sustainability technical specification and standards for the whole project lifecycle of the UK Health Security Campus Programme.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Sustainability Advisor will require the knowledge and experience to act as the intelligent client and work with the programme’s technical partners to deliver towards the government’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

The post holder will explore and review the incorporation of leading sustainability initiatives, including innovative technologies, systems, materials and construction methods, whilst engaging with end-users, scientific facilities, scientists and Subject Matter Experts (SME) to understand operational requirements, to oversee an integrated and holistic design solution that is fit for purpose and provide value for money.

They will have expertise to assess strategies, modelling, calculations and risks to present recommendations to senior management, steering effective decision making. They will set out key metrics to evaluate the performance of buildings in use to verify that environmental performance targets and requirements are met, to measure suppliers’ performance. They will develop forward thinking sustainability design guides and technical assurance standards to respond to government sustainability goals and future climate challenges.

Leadership is a critical element of this role, and the post holder will actively steer, prioritise and manage a workload to meet the programmes sustainability objectives and wider business development needs.

Responsibilities will include the following:

• Responsible for championing the programme's sustainability vision and objectives.
• Explore, understand, rationalise and advise on leading sustainability initiatives and integrated design solutions.
• Lead on technical assurance, including: developing and implementing robust strategies to have oversight that design solutions are compliant with legislation, fit for purpose and meet required environmental targets advising on the demonstration and evidence of compliance, such as testing and certification, and witnessing tests where required setting soft landing requirements, such as support and training for end-users, and building performance evaluations In Use, to verify targets and requirements are met
• developing and implementing robust strategies to have oversight that design solutions are compliant with legislation, fit for purpose and meet required environmental targets
• advising on the demonstration and evidence of compliance, such as testing and certification, and witnessing tests where required
• setting soft landing requirements, such as support and training for end-users, and
• building performance evaluations In Use, to verify targets and requirements are met
• Lead on developing sustainable design guides and technical standards to respond to government sustainability goals and future climate challenges. Ensuring that the sustainable design standards, specifications and guides are compliant with legislation, fit for purpose and provide value for money. Seek alignment of guidance and standards with wider government departments.
• Lead on measuring suppliers’ performance against achieving sustainability targets.
• Support the programme team in all sustainability design matters where specialist input is required, to overcome challenges or uncertainty, and for wider business development needs.
• Consider and make decisions on all Value Engineering that relates to sustainable technical specifications and consider all related non-compliance requests through a derogation process.
• Support suppliers understanding of UKHSA’s requirements and where applicable oversee the product testing procedure and product acceptance criteria.
• Provide direction and advice to programme partners to ensure designs meet the operational needs of service users.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level in Environmental / Sustainable / Mechanical / Electrical Engineering or relevant technical subject matter, or relevant equivalent experience in a related role.
• Membership of CIBSE, Energy Institute or similar professional body.
• Ability to set the technical design standards and sustainable assurance strategy for the UK Health Security Campus Programme.
• Experience of working with complex and high value project/framework procurement processes.
• Extensive knowledge of statutory regulations & standards relating to environmental and sustainable design.
• Strong understanding of leading sustainability initiatives and strategies.
• Strong working knowledge of technical and modelling software, data analysis calculations and sustainability assessment tools.
• Strong working knowledge of accredited sustainability certification such as BREEAM, LEED and other similar assessments.
• Strong working knowledge of building MEP design.
• A strong communicator and able to present confidently to a wide range of audiences.
• Knowledge of how MMC can contribute to sustainability.
• Knowledge of Building Information Modelling (BIM).
• Knowledge of RIBA stages and experience of construction projects.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of designing and delivering highly serviced laboratory projects.

Selection criteria

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your behaviours and experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 13 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of:

• an application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1200 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria. You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1200 words. We will not consider any words over 1200 words.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting. Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Educated to degree level in Environmental / Sustainable / Mechanical / Electrical Engineering or relevant technical subject matter, or relevant equivalent experience in a related role.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a remote interview via MS Teams.

Behaviours and experience will be tested at interview.

You will be required to prepare a 5 - 10 minute presentation as part of the interview. The details of this will be: What challenges you think you will face as Sustainability advisor in the first 6 months and what would be your strategy and plan to deal with those challenges.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership (Lead behaviour)
• Making effective decisions
• Working together
• Changing and improving

Interviews will be held week commencing 28th September 2026. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London (Canary Wharf).

We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) on-site.

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Eligibility criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Security clearance level requirement

Part 1

Successful candidates must pass a basic Disclosure and Barring Security (DBS) check before they can be appointed.

Part 2

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting at this higher level and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Salary information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.

Grade 7 Upper

• £64,317-£66,581 (National)
• £66,497- £68,574 (Outer London)
• £68,626- £70,566 (Inner London)

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.