Chief Sustainability Officer

The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) will play a critical leadership role in 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 the sustainability function within HMRC, with the opportunity to influence the Executive Committee and HMRC Board.

The CSO will drive the embedding of sustainability across procurement and supply chains, operations and our estate. The CSO will influence and collaborate with senior leaders across the enterprise to ensure the integration of the department's sustainability ambitions in both our investment lifecycle and in the day-to-day actions of our workforce.

Strategy and Leadership

The CSO will be HMRC's senior sustainability authority and is expected to personally provide strategic expert advice to the Board and Executive Committee on climate-related risks, sustainability governance, resilience, social value and long-term environmental strategy. The CSO will also chair HMRCs Sustainability Board.

The CSO will develop, maintain, and oversee the implementation of HMRCs sustainability, SME and social value strategies, placing impact at the heart of the sustainability model. This includes defining strategic objectives, scope, and approach; updating the strategy in response to societal, legal, technological, and government policy developments; and embedding sustainability considerations into other relevant strategies such as commercial, risk, resilience, and people strategies.

The CSO will set and report against long-term targets and establish KPIs at enterprise and Group level, embedding sustainability into processes and decision-making across the organisation, and coaching decision-makers to manage complex trade-offs effectively.

Governance, Risk and Assurance

The CSO will own sustainability governance at an enterprise-level, proactively planning and mitigating risks to the sustainability strategy and to delivery.

The CSO will ensure effective assurance frameworks are in place to support compliance with government requirements, regulatory obligations and standards, while providing senior leaders with confidence in the quality, integrity and transparency of HMRCs sustainability performance. This includes reporting against the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the broader requirements of HM Treasury's Sustainability Reporting Guidance, and any future sustainability reporting frameworks adopted by government. The CSO will act as the lead for the TCFD-adapted process, working with Finance, Risk and Control, Internal Audit, and the Sustainability Team to ensure that the process is used to support the department to understand and develop appropriate climate mitigations.

The CSO will be responsible for delivering SME and VCSE Action Plan commitments and building a procurement social value strategy that delivers measurable benefit, aligning to HMRCs (and wider governments) goals and commitments for supporting UK growth.

Capability Building and Culture Change

The CSO will lead the integration of sustainability across all levels in the department, through learning programmes, social sustainability and communications activities. At senior levels, the CSO will influence the embedding of sustainability into business-as-usual processes, policies, and behaviours. They will develop capability across HMRC by identifying skills, knowledge, and training needs, and adopting appropriate educational initiatives for upskilling and sourcing missing capabilities.

The CSO will challenge departmental assumptions, provoking and encouraging innovation, agility, and learning from external comparators to identify strategic opportunities. The CSO will cultivate environments where diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected.

Team Leadership

The CSO will manage and lead a multi-disciplinary team responsible for HMRCs sustainability strategy and Net Zero roadmap. The CSO will be adept at influencing in a large and complex organisation. The CSO will draw on the expertise, and influence the delivery of, Subject Matter Experts working in a range of government professions (e.g. Commercial, Estates, HR, Risk, Finance).

Stakeholder Engagement and Influence

The CSO will collaborate and communicate effectively to influence internal and external stakeholders, especially senior government decision-makers and those who influence them. The CSO will provide evidence-led expert advice to senior leaders, programme SROs, ExCom and other teams as required. The CSO will chair HMRCs Sustainability Board, which is the primary governance for the sustainability strategy and Net Zero roadmap, and how stakeholders are held to account for their delivery.

The CSO will build relationships and influence external strategic suppliers (e.g. Microsoft, Capgemini, HMRCs charity partners), assurance bodies (e.g. Carbon Trust, Govt Actuary Dept) and delivery partners to support HMRC's sustainability, climate and social value objectives. They should maximise opportunities to deliver environmental and social outcomes through both HMRCs own supply chains and across government-wide suppliers to support wider public sector carbon reduction, resilience and social value objectives.

The CSO will be part of a cross-government community, including through the Taskforce for Environmental Resilience and Efficiency (TERE) and its sub-groups, which is an opportunity to build and share good practice across government.

• Deep understanding of UK and international climate and environmental policy and frameworks, including the Net Zero Strategy, the Climate Change Act, the Environmental Improvement Plan and the Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
• 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, with an ability to build credibility and trust at all levels.
• Experience of 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, working with suppliers and other stakeholders within, and on behalf of, large and/or complex organisations.
• Strong communication skills with the ability 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.

Desirable Criteria 

• Familiarity with UK frameworks and reporting standards, including government sustainability reporting frameworks, 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). Ability to identify and advocate for innovative solutions and emerging technologies.