Welcome letter from Sue Riddlestone OBE
Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Director of Sustainable Business at Bioregional.
I co-founded Bioregional in 1994, and we’ve been blazing a trail for innovation in sustainability ever since.
It is my great privilege to lead a small but passionate team of experts dedicated to helping businesses and communities to thrive within a net-zero and sustainable world.
This challenge has never been more important, or more urgent, and so we are embarking on a new growth strategy to scale up our impact.
In 2022 we moved our head office to Sustainable Ventures – a sustainable coworking space and ‘ecosystem’ of likeminded organisations – near Waterloo, in Central London.
As Director of Sustainable Business, you’ll help to lead both our organisation and our growing team of highly skilled and technical sustainability professionals in a varied role that combines project delivery, business development, strategy, team management, and staff development.
I am proud of the culture that we’ve developed over the years at Bioregional. We are professional, honest, and always true to our values. And we pride ourselves on being a fantastic place for colleagues to develop their skills and career, whether they are a recent graduate or a seasoned professional.
If you feel you have the skills and experience we’re looking for, and you share our passion for securing a livable future, then we would be delighted to hear from you. If you have any questions about the role, or the process, please email recruitment@bioregional.com.
You may also download the job description as a PDF here.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Sue Riddlestone OBE, CEO and Co-founder
About Bioregional
Purpose-led sustainability consultancy
Bioregional is one of the UK’s oldest sustainability consultancies. Founded in 1994, we have been winning awards and working with partners to create cutting-edge sustainability solutions for 30 years.
As a purpose-led organisation, our mission is to help businesses and communities to respond to the climate and ecological emergency, and to create a world in which we can live happy and healthy lives within the limits of our planet’s resources.
We focus on real-world impact, acting as a ‘critical friend’ to our clients and challenging them to innovate at the boundaries of best practice. We have built our expertise, knowledge, and reputation by collaborating with leading industry players, from leading multinational retailers to housebuilders, real estate investors, pension funds, and local authorities.
We are a social enterprise, not a faceless corporate consultancy that’s motivated by profit. We have no partners or shareholders, so every penny we make funds practical projects and educational resources that enable people to live more sustainably, or is used to share our expertise with industry stakeholders and policymakers to drive systemic change.
We are the creators of the One Planet Living framework, which provides a vision and a toolkit for creating healthy and happy lifestyles within the limits of our one planet, and which we make free to use by everyone.
Our long-term ‘transformational partnership’ with Kingfisher plc was recognised at the Sustainability Consulting Awards 2023, and we were delighted to win Consultancy of the Year at UK Green Business Awards in 2024. Our Sustainable Business team supported The Portman Estate to launch its first ever Supplier Charter, and we’ve supported the United Nations Environment Programme and GlobalABC to launch a sustainable building materials hub for global policymakers.
We’re proud to be a founding member of the Carbon Accounting Alliance - a coalition of industry leaders that collaborate to promote the development of robust carbon standards.
Impact
- Last year, our Sustainable Business team supported 33 organisations to develop and deliver their sustainability strategies, sustainable product guidelines, carbon footprinting, and net-zero roadmaps. These businesses collectively employ over 290,000 people, with a total turnover of over £23bn.
- Our Sustainable Places team worked with 13 developers and housebuilders on sustainability strategies for housing-led, mixed-use development. Collectively these could deliver over 5,000 sustainable homes, as well as over 100,000m2 of sustainable commercial or community space.
- We make our One Planet Living framework available to use free of charge by communities, local authorities, businesses, and housebuilders around the world. Today, 1.4 million people across 22 countries and six continents are helped to live, work, or enjoy their leisure time more sustainably because of the One Planet Living framework.
- There are hundreds of One Planet Living projects around the world, and the very best achieve the status of Leader or Global Leader, representing a gold standard in sustainable placemaking. There are now 32 One Planet Living Leaders and Global Leaders.
- Read our full Impact Review here.
Background photograph: Les Villages Nature Paris - a One Planet Living Leader.
Awards
Bioregional has won numerous awards over the last 30 years for our work with partners to create innovative and practical solutions for sustainable living.
Recent highlights include:
- UK Green Business Awards 2024: Winner - Consultancy of the Year
- Property Week Edge Awards 2024: Winner - ESG Icon Award
- edie awards 2024 - finalist: Consultancy of the Year
- edie awards 2024 - finalist: Net-zero innovation of the year
- RESI Awards 2023: Professional Team of the Year - winner
- Sustainability Consulting Awards 2023: Transformational Partnership SME Award - winner
- Unlock Net Zero Awards 2023 – finalist
- UK Green Business Awards 2023 – finalist
- Housing Digital innovation awards 2023 – finalist
- Inside Housing Development Awards 2022 - finalist
Our culture
At Bioregional, you will join a team of sustainability experts who are dedicated to creating real impact that helps create a more sustainable world. We are entrepreneurial and professional, always delivering the highest standards of work and giving colleagues the freedom to innovate. And we treat everyone with respect, support our colleagues, and embrace diversity and inclusion to create an environment in which everyone can thrive.
Our values underpin everything we do:
- we focus on solutions
- we aim to inspire
- we are entrepreneurial
- we work with the mainstream
- we are absolutely environmental
Bioregional away days: often rainy. Always brilliant.
Sustainable offices and hybrid working
At Bioregional you can work flexibly from Sustainable Ventures in central London, Europe’s largest climate tech ecosystem, offering easy commuting options and a wealth of local amenities on London's South Bank. We also work from the Eco Business Centre – the UK’s first Passivhaus offices – in Bicester, Oxfordshire.
We offer flexible and hybrid working to help colleagues embrace the benefits of working from home, while ensuring we have enough time for face-to-face contact and collaboration. Most team members average two to three days-per-week in the office.
We're currently piloting a 9-day fortnight
We’re excited to have joined the UK’s second reduced working hours pilot – and we’re currently trialling a 9-day fortnight, with no loss of pay. Read the full story on our blog here.
We’re proud of our rich history of progressive ideas, forward-thinking attitudes and our proven track record of innovation – and we see this pilot as another step in that journey.
We’ve designed our own set of KPIs relevant for us, and the trial will be underpinned by data through collaboration with the research partners.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
We foster a supportive, inclusive workplace where people can be themselves and achieve great things. We are committed to improving diversity and inclusion within our organisation – and we actively encourage applications from people of a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. We want to grow our team with a wealth of diverse ideas, opinions and perspectives and want to hear from you if you believe you can contribute to this.
We also collaborate with others to support industry-wide D&I initiatives. We make sure that the events we organise or take part in are as diverse as possible. We promote careers in sustainability to young people, including through the Greater London Authority climate kickstart initiative, to encourage people from all backgrounds to join the profession.
Job profile
Purpose
Our Sustainable Business team supports our clients and partners to develop transformational and practical strategies that contribute to an equitable, net-zero and nature-focused future. future. The projects delivered by the team sit at the forefront of sustainability for businesses and organisations, helping clients and partners to understand their challenges, develop strategies and solutions that address them, and most importantly implement them..
As a member of the organisation’s Leadership Team and the Director of the department, you will lead our growing team of highly skilled and technically capable sustainability professionals in a varied role that combines project delivery, business development, and strategy. You’ll also work on organisational strategy and governance as part of the Bioregional’s Leadership Team.
The Director of Sustainable Business will ensure that we offer high quality and relevant services to our clients and partners which includes:
- Creating transformational sustainability strategies and implementing action plans,
- Sustainability monitoring and reporting including GHG accounting, SBTi target submissions, CSRD and wider sustainability frameworks
- Research to inform the development of sustainable product and materials guidelines, policies, and action plans.
The Director of Sustainable Business develops long-term partnerships with our clients and partners based on our current service offer while also looking at complementary services we can offer either in-house or through working in partnership with others. The Director of Sustainable Business will also work closely with the Chief Executive to seek new opportunities to expand Bioregional’s work to increase our scope and scale of impact.
Scope
You will be leading and managing a team of 12 consultants. You will act as project director for between 10 and 15 strategic projects at any one time, taking responsibility for the delivery of high-quality outputs in the areas of:
- Carbon footprinting and science-based net-zero strategy,
- Corporate sustainability strategy, governance, reporting and implementation,
- Sustainable products: life cycle thinking, responsible sourcing, circular economy.
This role will oversee the delivery of colleagues’ work across a varied portfolio of projects, working alongside senior team members who will also each undertake oversight of several strategic projects, including relationship management and quality assurance. Together, you will inspire our ambitious consultants, helping them to deliver high-quality outputs and to develop their skills.
You will also contribute to Bioregional’s growth and impact by helping to win new projects and develop our service offering in line with the strategic objectives of the team and Bioregional’s charitable objectives. You will be responsible for the overall financial success and operational running of the sustainable business team and will be supported by senior members within the sustainable business team.
The role will involve occasional UK and international travel.
Seniority
You will be part of the four-person Leadership Team, reporting to the CEO, and working alongside the CEO, Director of Finance and Resources and Director of Sustainable Places.
You will oversee all aspects of the running of the Sustainable Business Team, including the development of the team’s annual and longer-term strategies, making sure that these align with the objectives of the organisational strategy that you will have been part of developing. You are responsible for the team budget and achieving the financial objectives of the team.
Skills and attributes
As the senior point of contact for high-profile clients, you will be professional, friendly, and able to think on your feet. You will have experience in the corporate sustainability landscape and be able to use your negotiation and influencing skills to guide C-suites and executive teams of large organisations on their sustainability approach. You will possess excellent presentation and communication skills and have a proven track record of building and managing stakeholder relationships. You will have significant experience in building sales pipelines and securing high-value work with clients and partners.
You will have the ability to oversee complex research and technical deliverables, making sure they are delivered in an understandable and engaging way to clients.
As the Sustainable Business team leader, you will bring a people-centered approach and be able to generate ideas, inspire and develop colleagues, and oversee the production of high-quality work.
You will have a strong belief in the urgent need for transformative solutions for the climate and ecological emergency and the just transition and be committed to creating and implementing these solutions through your professional work.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic leadership, team and line management: 20%
- Strategic leadership of the organisation as part of the Leadership Team.
- Overall management of the team; currently 12 staff members.
- Oversee all recruitment, growth, and development in the team.
- Support and inspire the team and oversee the team’s resourcing, performance, impact and wellbeing.
- Line management of three staff members.
Business development and relationship management: 35%
- Maintain client relationships with key clients.
- Develop and convert new leads to strategically expand our work.
- Maintain and implement a clear sales strategy for the team in collaboration with the CEO and senior team members.
- Horizon scan for opportunities and act on these.
- Grow the team’s revenue at least in line with the growth in the market.
- Help to set, and then manage the team budget, ensuring the team meets its financial targets.
- Attend and contribute to conferences, networking events, and seminars, providing thought leadership to the sector.
Consultancy project delivery: 35%
- Together with the Associate Director, oversee around 10-15 projects each at any one time, with smaller or simpler projects only needing light touch input. Taking the creative, problem-solving approach with clients that Bioregional is known for, alongside quality assurance, budgeting, client relationships, team resourcing, and performance.
- Maintain a lighter touch oversight of the work of senior team members who are taking responsibility for other projects and clients within the team.
- Offer technical and client relationship support where appropriate.
Personal and professional development: 5%
- Attending internal and external seminars, conferences, and training to develop technical knowledge and industry exposure.
Organisation administration: 5%
- Maintain a half-hourly timesheet each month.
- Take part in team activities.
Skills and experience
We acknowledge that no one will ever meet all the requirements for a role, so if you think this role is right for you then we would love to hear from you regardless of whether you meet all the criteria below:
1. Skills and abilities
Desired:
- Proven management of a team’s financial success and operational efficiency.
- Proven programme management skills and experience.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines independently and as a team leader.
- Clear communicator – comfortable with presenting to senior stakeholders of clients and at conferences.
- Ability to trouble shoot efficiently and effectively.
- Team worker - demonstrating and encouraging open communication, cooperation and the sharing of knowledge and information.
Pluses:
- Experience with CRM and PSA systems.
4. Experience
Desired:
- Ten-plus years of relevant professional experience
- Evidence of successful business development through creating and converting new leads and growing work with existing clients.
- Developing and implementing business strategies
- Managing a diverse team of ten plus; mentoring and coaching the team and supporting their professional development whilst keeping them on target and productive
- Significant knowledge gained within the sustainability sector
- Consultancy experience
Pluses:
- Recognised publicly/externally as a sustainability leader
Our benefits
At Bioregional you will create real-world impact in your day-to-day role, helping businesses and communities to transition to a net-zero, sustainable future. We also offer a range of other benefits to support our colleagues:
- Work-life balance: work is only one part of your life and making time for other things is important – be that your family, friends, or yourself. In this role, you’d be required to be in our London office with the team or with clients for three days a week, leaving you the flexibility to work at different locations and times during the rest of the week, whether that be in the comfort of your own home or collaborating with colleagues in the office. We are currently piloting a 9-day working fortnight, with every other Friday off, to give the team more time back to do the things they love.
- A commitment to diversity and inclusion: we foster a supportive, inclusive workplace where people can be themselves and achieve great things. We are committed to improving diversity and inclusion within the built environment and sustainability sectors – including our own organisation – and we actively encourage applications from people of a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.
- Health and wellbeing: health and wellbeing are fundamental to our ethos and our vision of a better world. We make sure we’re a great place to work through regular feedback with colleagues and run regular social activities – in person and online – to build and maintain our positive working culture. We are committed to supporting our team through a range of benefits, from our employee assistance programme to our cycle-to-work scheme.
- Professional development: we have a learning culture and help our people to enjoy rewarding careers where they will grow and develop their skills. We build and share our knowledge through regular staff seminars and offer 10 days of training and development time each year, a training budget for each employee, plus additional support for formal training and study. Bioregional’s training pathway means that colleagues always understand and have access to the training they need to progress their career – be they an Analyst or a Head of Department.
- An ethical employer: we live our values in everything we do. As well as working from sustainable office space alongside like-minded businesses, your benefits include a 6% employer’s ethical pension contribution and 25 days of annual leave, rising by one day for each year you work with us, for up to five years, to 30 days of annual leave.
Photo: the bar at Sustainable Ventures, Waterloo. © Sustainable Ventures.
Testimonials
"I knew from my first day I had joined somewhere special. Bioregional is a place of immense warmth and creative problem-solving. I know that I can speak to any colleague, and I will always enjoy the conversation and friendliness."
"Bioregional has a fantastic culture and is made up of truly talented people with a can-do attitude. I really value partnership working and helping clients to create impact, and have been lucky enough to lead a wide variety of projects and develop deep relationships with businesses."
"This small organisation really punches above its weight – the team is highly impactful, driving change across multiple sectors. Bioregional is highly collaborative and friendly, but driven and daring. Working here will guarantee an endless variety of exciting challenges, a supportive and passionate set of colleagues and the opportunity to be at the forefront of tackling the climate and ecological crisis."
"Bioregional really gives you the building blocks. It’s up to you to use your initiative, but we will always support you. We have a flat hierarchy so if junior staff members have ideas or suggestions, they will always be listened to, supported, and actively encouraged."
How to apply
Please apply by submitting a CV and cover letter, describing why you want the job and what you would bring to the role, to recruitment@bioregional.com
You may also download the job description as a PDF here.
If you think this role is right for you then we would love to hear from you, even if you think you don’t meet all the requirements set out above.
We want to grow our team with a wealth of diverse ideas, opinions and perspectives and want to hear from you if you believe you can contribute to this.
Deadline: 10am Wednesday 2 April 2025.
We encourage you to apply for this role as soon as possible, as we will review applications and conduct initial interviews throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early should we find the right candidate. If we close the advert early, this page will be updated/removed to reflect that, so please do apply if you're reading this.
Interviews will otherwise take place 7-11 April 2025 at our offices at County Hall, central London. Please let us know in your application if you will not be available during this week.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Image below: BedZED eco-village at sunset
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