Position summary

Standard Life, a retirement savings and income specialist, is seeking a Sustainability & Climate Reporting Lead to join its Finance team and take a leading role in shaping and delivering the company’s approach to sustainability and climate reporting at a time of significant change in the external reporting landscape. The role brings strong technical reporting expertise to translate evolving requirements into robust disclosures, reporting processes, and controls, strengthening existing reporting and preparing for new requirements including the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS).

Why this role matters

As the external sustainability reporting landscape changes rapidly, Standard Life needs controlled, high-quality disclosures that meet mandatory and voluntary frameworks. This role provides the technical expertise and practical leadership to deliver TCFD and UK SRS reporting, ready the business for assurance, and keep it ahead of emerging regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities

• Lead sustainability and climate reporting by developing and delivering controlled reporting for Standard Life and relevant entities, including disclosures within scope of TCFD.
• Implement emerging requirements including UK SRS, translating technical requirements into practical actions across reporting, data, controls, and governance.
• Shape reporting strategy within Finance, bringing technical insight, external perspective, and regulatory expertise to strengthen near-term reporting and longer-term readiness.
• Act as senior SME by providing pragmatic advice and constructive challenge to Finance and business stakeholders on complex or judgemental reporting matters.
• Build relationships across Finance and the wider organisation, bringing together stakeholders responsible for sustainability information, reporting, risk, governance, and assurance.
• Support assurance and controls by ensuring sustainability information is supported by appropriate evidence, review, governance, and reporting controls.
• Monitor the landscape by assessing emerging external reporting and regulatory developments and translating them into clear implications and priorities.

Team and stakeholders

Sitting within the Finance team, the role works across Finance and the wider business, bringing together stakeholders responsible for sustainability information, reporting, risk, governance, and assurance, and engaging internal and external audit, assurance, risk, and compliance functions.

Key details

This is a permanent, hybrid role based in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Telford, or London, open to part-time, job-share, and other flexibility. Benefits include a 30-60% indicative bonus range, private medical cover, 38 days’ annual leave, an excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, and 3 volunteering days.

Requirements

• Strong technical sustainability and climate reporting expertise, with proven experience delivering within a financial services environment and applying mandatory and voluntary frameworks (e.g. TCFD and UK SRS S1/S2) alongside wider regulatory requirements such as EU CSRD and SDR.
• A strong controls and assurance mindset, with exceptional attention to detail and a track record of robust, high-quality reporting; experience working with internal and external audit, assurance, risk, and/or compliance functions is highly advantageous.
• The ability to turn complex requirements into practical solutions, interpreting emerging requirements and translating them into clear reporting, data, governance, control, and implementation requirements.
• A proven ability to deliver under pressure, managing competing priorities and demanding deadlines while maintaining quality and focus on outcomes.
• Strong senior stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to constructively challenge, navigate differing priorities, and communicate complex technical matters clearly and persuasively.