Chief Sustainability Officer

Base Location: Perth, Glasgow, Reading, London

Salary: Competitive + car /car allowance + performance-related bonus + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time  | Flexible First options available

The role

SSE’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is a key strategic role reporting directly to the Chief Executive and a member of the senior leadership team within SSE.  The CSO leads the sustainability policy for SSE, acts as an ambassador for sustainability both inside and outside the company and directly supports stakeholder and investor engagement on all matters relating to climate change and sustainability.  The CSO supports the good governance of environmental and social considerations within SSE’s operations and investments. 

You will

• Design and oversee the development of SSE’s sustainability strategy aligned with SSE’s business goals, national and international climate policies and the UN goals for sustainable development.
• Develop, review and drive both SSE’s Net Zero Transition Plan and Just Transition Strategy. Ensure SSE is sufficiently prepared and resilient to a climate changed world.
• Engage with stakeholders and represent SSE in national and international climate and sustainability forums, promoting SSE’s practical contribution to climate action and embedding a culture of listening and learning from stakeholders. 
• Partner with SSE’s Investor Relations Team to lead an evolving programme of proactive and reactive investor Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) engagement and support SSE’s ability to attract sustainable debt financing.
• Lead the preparation of transparent sustainability reports, aligned to national and international ESG frameworks, driving high performance against key targets and KPIs and provide high quality stewardship on several core governance bodies within SSE.   

You have

To excel in this role, we would love for you to have:

• A proven track record in sustainability leadership: as a skilled sustainability professional, you will have experience of sustainability strategies in a corporate context. An understanding of power systems would be advantageous.
• Proven experience of engaging with and influencing critical external stakeholders e.g. Governments, Politicians, NGOs, Shareholders, Investors, Regulators, Industry Peers/Competitors, Supply Chain, Media and Public Advocacy Groups and Communities.
• An exceptional ability to triangulate between alternative perspectives and gain support from the most senior colleagues for sustainability initiatives and strategies and advocating internally and externally for a commitment to sustainability.   
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to understand how good sustainable strategies, practices and outputs impact the bottom line and overall organisational commerciality and value creation.   
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style: you will have the ability to influence and inspire change across a diverse set of teams and stakeholders.

About SSE

SSE has a bold ambition – to be a leading energy company in a net zero world. We're building the world's largest offshore wind farm. Transforming the grid to provide greener electricity for millions of people and investing over £20 billion in homegrown energy, with £20 billion more in the pipeline.

Acting to address challenge of climate change sits at the core of SSE's strategy. That's why we've linked our long-term business goals to the United Nations global goals for sustainable development. Our Sustainability teams provide advice, support and education to lead change, embed best practice, and keep us on track with our goals.

Flexible benefits to fit your life

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Work with an equal opportunity employer

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. please contact Gordon.macfarlane@sse.com / 01738 340127 to discuss how we can support you.

We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.

Ready to apply?

Start your online application using the Apply Now box on this page. We only accept applications made online. We'll be in touch after the closing date to let you know if we'll be taking your application further. If you're offered a role with SSE, you'll need to complete a criminality check and a credit check before you start work.

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