Principal Whole Life Carbon Officer

Salary range: £56,436 - £59,574 pro-rata, per annum (actual salary £50,166 - £52,955 per annum). Salary negotiable depending upon experience.

Work location: Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, SW1E 6QP

Hours per week: 32

Contract type: Temporary up to 18 months

Closing date: 20 February 2026

About Us: Regeneration, Economy and Planning in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where innovative and open-minded people bring everything to the cause. Regeneration isn’t just about bricks and concrete. It’s about communities, the environment, and the lives of people and how they feel about where they call home.

The Role: As Principal Whole Life Carbon Officer you can make your own powerful contribution to Westminster’s success. You’ll join the Town Planning team and support our commitment to achieving Net Zero by reducing Scope 3 emissions associated with construction projects. You will oversee the use and integration of the Planning Application Carbon Evaluation and Reduction (PACER) digital platform, ensuring consistency and accuracy of the review process, liaising with applicants and consultants, and gathering feedback from stakeholders. Supporting Policy Officers as they implement policy and guidance to achieve our Net Zero and Circular Economy aims will be another vital task. You’ll also assist the Principle Sustainability Officer in reviewing major applications and applications involving substantial demolition, support the review of carbon options appraisals submitted in pre-redevelopment audits, and critically analyse Whole Life Carbon Assessments submitted for planning applications. In addition, you’ll have budget responsibilities including applying and allocating funds to different functions and projects.

About You: To be a success in this role you’ll have well-developed technical knowledge of whole life carbon assessments, datasets, and carbon conversion factors, and experience relating to the development and use of digital tools. You’ll have promoted awareness of climate change, net zero or environmental sustainability, and supported the uptake of net zero goals. Some knowledge of planning processes would be desirable, as would experience of retrofitting existing buildings, carbon options appraisals, stakeholder engagement, and undertaking research to record the impact of interventions. Your superb communication abilities will see you interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders and presenting complex information clearly. A critical and analytical thinker with good problem-solving skills, you should also be able to plan your time effectively and deliver to tight deadlines. Qualifications include a degree in a relevant field (e.g., architecture, structural engineering, building services, or environmental engineering), and a post-graduate qualification or chartership in a related area would be desirable. Highly motivated, your strong commitment to environmental sustainability and the net zero transition will mean you stay up to date with the latest research and best practices in the fields of whole life carbon, the circular economy, and sustainability.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role. The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce.

What We Offer: Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses, and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster, where our communities are at the heart of our decision-making. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing.

Interview date: Weeks commencing 23 February 2026 and 2 March 2026.