Principal Sustainability Specialist

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 404109

**Salary**:

- £42,848 - £47,052
- National salary: £42,848
London Salary: £47,052
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Business area**:

- DFT - Decarbonisation, Technology & Strategy Group (DTS) - Environment Strategy

**Type of role**:

- Environment and Sustainability
Operational Delivery
Science

**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

**Number of jobs available**:

- 2

**Contents**:

- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know

**Location**:

- Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds, London

**About the job**:
**Job summary**:
Are you passionate about sustainability and have a degree in Science or Environmental Science and/or relevant professional experience?

Do you have knowledge of low carbon fuels and their role in decarbonising transport?

Can you communicate complex technical information confidently to a diverse range of stakeholders?

**If so, we’d love to hear from you**

**Job description**:
Climate change is one of the biggest and most pressing challenges facing Governments across the world. In this role you will be at the heart of the Department’s strategy to accelerate the shift to greener transport, and drive more sustainable travel behaviours, to ensure that transport plays its part in meeting this challenge.

The Environment Strategy directorate leads on policy to move the nation’s transport onto a more sustainable footing while maximising the economic opportunities for the UK.

We are looking for two highly motivated sustainability specialists, with knowledge of sustainability, climate change, and renewable fuels, to join the Low Carbon Fuels (LCF) Delivery Unit as Principal sustainability specialists.

You will play a critical role in helping to ensure the successful delivery of the ongoing implementation and delivery of both the RTFO and the SAF Mandate. These flagship policies are two of the Government’s most important routes for reducing emissions from transport.

**Responsibilities include but are not limited to**:

- **Initiate and manage technical projects.** You will investigate emerging sustainability issues, evaluating the risk they pose to the scheme while identifying and implementing solutions. You will work collaboratively with colleagues in the Low Carbon Fuels policy teams to implement amendments and improvements to the scheme.
- ** Ensure the sustainability of the RTFO and SAF Mandate schemes.** You will undertake initial assessments of new low carbon fuel feedstocks and production pathways, engaging with industry to assess their eligibility under the RTFO and SAF Mandate, and working with the Unit technical managers to issue eligibility advice.
- ** Collaborate with external stakeholders**: The role is highly collaborative and involves engagement with a wide range of stakeholders - from leading fuel suppliers to innovative start-ups. You will work with international regulators, industry, technical support partners and other relevant organisations to address emerging challenges to the sustainability and integrity of the scheme, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of low carbon fuels regulation.

**For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.**

**Person specification**:
**About you**:
To be successful in this role you will need to be able to demonstrate the following:

- Degree in Science or Environmental Science, and/or relevant professional experience.
- Knowledge of environmental or energy-related issues and solutions e.g. climate change, sustainability, sustainable aviation fuels/biofuels/low carbon fuels, life cycle analysis.
- Experience of initiating and managing technical projects.
- Experience of communicating complex information to a wide variety of stakeholders.
- Experience of making decisions or recommendations based on the best available evidence, even when the evidence is complex, incomplete or contradictory.

**Additional Information**:
A minimum **60%** of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. There is a business requirement to attend our Hastings office a minimum of 1 day per month.

There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices to attend meetings and visits around the UK with potential opportunities for travelling to the EU.

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service

**Technical skills**:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £42,848, Department for Transpor