Position summary

HM Revenue and Customs is seeking a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) to play a critical leadership role aligning departmental strategy and operations with national and international social and environmental sustainability goals. Reporting to the Commercial Director, the CSO is the head of HMRC’s sustainability function, with the opportunity to influence the Executive Committee and HMRC Board, and drives the embedding of sustainability across procurement and supply chains, operations, and the estate.

Why this role matters

As HMRC’s senior sustainability authority, the CSO ensures the department’s sustainability ambitions are integrated into its investment lifecycle and the day-to-day actions of its workforce, and that HMRC meets its government sustainability, climate, and social value obligations while supporting wider public sector carbon reduction and UK growth.

Key responsibilities

• Lead strategy as HMRC’s senior sustainability authority, personally advising the Board and Executive Committee on climate-related risks, sustainability governance, resilience, social value, and long-term environmental strategy, and chairing HMRC’s Sustainability Board.
• Own the sustainability strategy by developing, maintaining, and overseeing implementation of HMRC’s sustainability, SME, and social value strategies, defining objectives and embedding sustainability into commercial, risk, resilience, and people strategies.
• Set targets and KPIs at enterprise and Group level, embedding sustainability into decision-making and coaching decision-makers to manage complex trade-offs.
• Own governance, risk, and assurance by planning and mitigating risks and ensuring assurance frameworks support compliance, including reporting against TCFD and HM Treasury’s Sustainability Reporting Guidance, and acting as lead for the TCFD-adapted process.
• Deliver social value by delivering SME and VCSE Action Plan commitments and building a procurement social value strategy with measurable benefit.
• Build capability and culture by integrating sustainability across the department through learning programmes and communications, identifying skills and training needs, and provoking innovation and agility.
• Lead the team by managing a multi-disciplinary team responsible for HMRC’s sustainability strategy and Net Zero roadmap, drawing on SMEs across Commercial, Estates, HR, Risk, and Finance.
• Engage stakeholders by influencing senior government decision-makers, external strategic suppliers (e.g. Microsoft, Capgemini), assurance bodies (e.g. Carbon Trust), and the cross-government community including the Taskforce for Environmental Resilience and Efficiency (TERE).

Team and stakeholders

Reporting to the Commercial Director, the CSO leads a multi-disciplinary sustainability team, chairs HMRC’s Sustainability Board, influences the Executive Committee and HMRC Board, and engages SMEs across government professions, external suppliers, assurance bodies, delivery partners, and the cross-government sustainability community.

Key details

This is a permanent, full-time SCS Pay Band 1 role with flexible working, based in one of seven UK locations (Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Stratford, or Telford), with a minimum assignment duration of three years. Appointment requires a counter-terrorist check (CTC) and baseline personnel security standard checks, and is subject to Civil Service nationality requirements.

Requirements

Essential

• Deep understanding of UK and international climate and environmental policy and frameworks, including the Net Zero Strategy, Climate Change Act, Environmental Improvement Plan, and TCFD.
• Working knowledge of climate science, carbon accounting, and environmental systems, with the ability to apply systems thinking to policy and operational decisions.
• Proven experience influencing senior stakeholders, including Executive Boards and C-suite representatives at external partners, building credibility and trust at all levels.
• Experience influencing investment business cases, with the capability to embed sustainability in procurement and supply chains, operations, and estates.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams of subject matter experts and working with suppliers and stakeholders in large and/or complex organisations.
• Strong communication skills, able to translate technical information into compelling narratives for a range of audiences.
• Confident using evidence and data to inform strategy and track performance, including emissions baselining and government metrics and targets.

Preferred

• Familiarity with UK frameworks and reporting standards, including government sustainability reporting frameworks, the HM Treasury Green Book, and private sector mechanisms (TCFD, GRI).
• Familiarity with climate and environment-related frameworks (such as the GHG Protocol, SBTi, ISO 14001), and the ability to identify and advocate for innovative solutions and emerging technologies.