Senior Leader - Social and Environmental Sustainability

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Senior Leader to join our Social and Environmental Sustainability leadership team. As the leader of the Social and Environmental Sustainability team, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference in a purpose driven organisation. You'll develop and lead a best in class Social and Environmental Sustainability Strategy. You will also provide expert advice and support to the Board, Executive Committee and the business on sustainability issues to ensure the successful embedding of sustainability across the Society.

This is a hybrid role, where you can blend working from home, with office presence dependent on business and other requirements at our Leeds & Bradford offices.

Please note, this role is a Fixed Term Contract for 12 months.

• Develop an overall impact driven Social and Environmental Sustainability strategy, which provides clarity on ambition, governance and accountability.
• Lead the development and implementation of a best-in-class social sustainability strategy as well as a Climate and Nature strategy which aligns to our purpose and corporate strategy. This will include ensuring YBS has a code of ethics and responsibility, modern slavery and human rights policy and a programme of work that builds a strong reputation internally and amongst our communities.
• Develop and lead our Charity of the Year partnership, colleague volunteering approach and community investment strategy.
• Conduct ongoing external market horizon scanning to ensure YBS is sighted as best practice, emerging UK and global social and environmental trends, regulation, government policy and thought leadership.
• Build and manage high quality stakeholder relationships internally and externally including with investors, government (local and national), partners and other stakeholders.
• Produce clear, simple and articulate, strategy papers to Executive Committee, Board and relevant Committees as required.
• Identify appropriate benchmarks and indices for YBS to participate in (e.g. CDP, Principles for Responsible Business) and provide submissions which position YBS well in the external market.
• Ensure the Society is compliant with all relevant Environmental and Social Sustainability regulatory requirements.
• Lead a high performing team of expert social and environmental experts.

• Experience of leading a high performing social and environmental team in an equivalent or larger organisation.
• In-depth understanding of how to successfully embed sustainability within an organisation aligned to purpose and business objectives.
• In-depth understanding of the UK regulatory landscape with regards to Environmental Sustainability, Climate and Nature Change.
• Detailed knowledge of corporate environmental and social sustainability trends in the UK.
• Understanding of the impact Climate and Nature Change poses to the balance sheet of a UK based mortgage lender.
• Experience in developing and managing sustainability metrics, such as metrics around carbon emissions, water usage and waste production.
• Ability to translate high level strategy and goals into operational plans.
• Ability to oversee management of budgets and resources.
• Knowledge of relevant sustainability legislation, compliance, corporate governance and quality assurance.