Head of Sustainability Advisory

Application Deadline: 15 June 2026

Department: Managed Legal Services - Northelm - Cosec - Cosec - 1503

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Flexible

Reporting To: Helen Richardson

Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a senior, strategic ESG leader to build and shape a new business stream, working with a diverse portfolio of clients across sectors.

You’ll design and deliver a compelling ESG proposition, embed it with multiple client organisations, and influence at Board level. You will ideally bring an established client following that will help accelerate long‑term growth.

You’ll be trusted to define the vision, advise on implementation end‑to‑end, and translate ESG strategy into meaningful, measurable outcomes — from framework design and governance through to reporting, assurance, and Board‑level engagement — tailored to the needs of each client.

If you’re an experienced ESG professional with credibility, commercial instinct, and the drive to build a market‑leading, multi‑client offering, this is your chance to really make a difference.

We are flexible on location for this role, however some travel to London would be required.

What you will be doing:

Key Responsibilities

Environmental & Sustainability Advisory

Advise clients on environmental and sustainability‑related legal and regulatory requirements, including mandatory climate reporting frameworks (e.g., SECR, TCFD), biodiversity and nature‑related expectations, and other environmental compliance matters.
Conduct sustainability assessments, gap analyses, and materiality reviews to help organisations understand current performance and future environmental risks.
Develop environmental sustainability strategies covering net‑zero pathways, climate resilience, resource efficiency, and supply‑chain sustainability.
Support clients with data collection and sustainability reporting for annual reports, impact reports, and stakeholder disclosures.
Support clients in engaging with ESG and sustainability rating agencies (e.g., MSCI, Sustainalytics), FTSE4Good, and other benchmark providers, including preparing submissions, improving scoring outcomes, and interpreting methodology requirements.
Deliver tailored training, workshops, and board‑level briefings on environmental sustainability and climate‑related responsibilities.

Social Impact, Community & Charitable Advisory

Help clients design and strengthen their social value strategies, including community engagement, charitable partnerships, charitable foundations, volunteering frameworks, and social impact measurement.
Advise clients on responsible procurement, ethical sourcing, and social impact requirements within public and private sector tenders.
Support the development of policies and programmes relating to employee wellbeing, social mobility, community investment, and charitable giving.
Produce social impact narrative content and case studies to support client reporting and stakeholder communications.

Commercial Growth & Cross‑Referrals

Work closely with partners across corporate, employment, real estate, and public sector teams to identify cross‑referral opportunities and embed sustainability considerations in legal advice.
Contribute to pitches, proposals, and client development meetings using sustainability expertise to enhance value.
Help develop new sustainability service lines and advisory products aligned with emerging client needs.

Thought Leadership & Market Presence

Produce thought leadership on environmental trends, upcoming sustainability regulation, and best practice in social impact.
Represent the firm at events, conferences, and industry forums to build the profile of our sustainability advisory offering.

What you will need:

About You
You will excel in this role if you combine strong environmental and social sustainability expertise with excellent communication and advisory skills.

Essential Experience

Experience in sustainability consulting, environmental management, social impact advisory, or a related discipline.
Strong understanding of UK sustainability regulation, carbon reporting, and environmental compliance expectations.
Experience developing environmental strategies, climate action plans, and/or social impact programmes for organisations.
Ability to work confidently with senior stakeholders and deliver clear, practical advice.
Strong communication skills, including presenting and facilitating training.

Desirable Qualifications

Degree in environmental science, sustainability, social impact, business, law, or related fields.
Professional accreditation (e.g., SCR, IEMA, GRI, carbon accounting certification).
Experience working with or alongside legal teams or professional services.

Benefits, Agile Working and Additional information

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have the following hubs across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stratford upon Avon & Tunbridge Wells.

Want to find out more about our amazing benefits?

Additional information:
Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Equal opportunities
Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

In-person interview