Principal Sustainability Consultant in Birmingham

Joining Arup. Various locations considered: Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff or Nottingham. Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services. Independent in ownership and spirit, we combine innovative digital solutions with our domain expertise across the built environment to make a positive difference to the world.

We have an opportunity for a Principal Sustainability Consultant to join our growing, creative and friendly sustainability team. We need you to support the delivery of positive sustainable outcomes on our projects, to lead sustainable development across our team and group and with our clients.

The Mid-West Sustainability team provides strategic advice to a range of clients on sustainability in the built environment, including developing sustainability strategies, plans, implementation strategies for masterplans and individual buildings. We regularly work with energy use and carbon impacts metrics, while being aware of wider process improvements and metrics to support positive sustainability outcomes.

We are regularly using building accreditations, Net Zero Carbon language (including Scope 1 and 2 decarbonisations, whole life carbon assessments) both at masterplan and building levels. We undertake a range of environmental and energy assessments using third-party assessment methodologies such as BREEAM, NABERS UK, UK NZC BS, LEED, WELL, Fitwel, and Passivhaus/EnerPHit. We provide sustainability and wellness advice to clients on a range of wider issues related to the built environment as well as considering building performance optimisation for clients' existing buildings and assets.

Our Team is sociable, with a range of skills and building expertise. We meet weekly in person and throughout the year as a wider central team. The Mid-West has a wealth of unique strengths and offers multiple opportunities rarely found elsewhere in the UK making it a fantastic place to live and work. A range of offices are available, which all boast as great places to live and work, with good transportation links between and to/from the capital.

The team are looking to strengthen its capacity and skills through the recruitment of an individual who can support the team leadership in delivering our project work and working to internally push sustainable development within our design. You will be responsible for delivering sustainability analysis and advice, environmental and carbon assessments across a range of projects.

The role includes the following:

• Support the delivery and seeking innovation for Sustainable Development, in the built environment.
• Work in an interdisciplinary environment and influence the design of buildings to maximise value for our clients whilst minimising their environmental impact.
• On the journey to becoming a subject matter expert with a broad range of knowledge to act as a focal point in the wider building engineering team and help to build momentum in our efforts to deliver sustainable development.
• Work to deliver sustainability on our projects, including bespoke strategies as well as assessment methodologies including but not limited to Passivhaus/EnerPHit, BREEAM, LEED, WELL, Fitwel, NABERS UK, WLCA, Circular Economy and UK NZCBS.
• Understand whole life Net Zero Carbon, with support from the team leadership.
• Review project details and develop targets for carbon, including embodied and operational energy.
• Review documentation provided by project teams, assess this against the project's targets and provide feedback or follow-up.
• Manage your workload to meet project deadlines.
• Work with and support the development of less experienced team members.
• Attend site visits to review progress against sustainability targets.
• Engage with Arup internal skills networks to exchange best practice and processes.
• Complete relevant training to become certified as an assessor/AP against one of the team's core assessment methodologies as required.

Is this role right for you? We are looking to speak to people who:

• Are degree qualified in sustainability or other relevant discipline, ideally to Masters degree level.
• Have an understanding of the principles of sustainable development, including for example, the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Possess BREEAM Assessor, BREEAM, LEED and/or WELL Advisory Professional status (desirable but not essential).
• Have experience of carrying out whole life carbon WLCA analysis using OneClick or similar software (desirable but not essential).
• Have an understanding of the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, including an awareness and practice of NABERS UK (desirable but not essential).
• Have a good working knowledge of the Passivhaus methodology to actual design and construct buildings.
• Are a Certified Passivhaus Designer (beneficial but not essential).
• Have achieved Chartered member status of an appropriate professional institution e.g. CEnv or CEng.
• Have experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Have commercial awareness.
• Be creative and curious, seeking to work in innovative ways.
• Be friendly, approachable and easy to work with.
• Have the ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
• Have excellent communication skills (both written and oral).
• Have excellent planning, organisational and time management skills.

What we offer you: At Arup, we care about each member's success, so we can grow together. Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

Different People, Shared Values: Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you're pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact Aslam Hussain (Aslam.Hussain@arup.com) to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.