Sustainability and Environmental Manager

Kennedys is seeking to recruit a Sustainability and Environmental Manager on a 12 month fixed term contract to deliver the firm's Net Zero Action Plan and regulatory carbon emissions reporting.  You will work with colleagues in Responsible Business, Facilities, Procurement and Finance across our regions globally to collect, analyse and report the firm's progress against our science-based carbon reduction targets and meet reporting requirements. You will also drive engagement in the firm's Net Zero ambitions and work with a variety of functions to help embed a sustainable approach to the firm's operations. 

This is an exciting opportunity to join a global, growing law firm working from our London or Manchester office.  We support hybrid working, providing flexibility to balance working from home and the office while maintaining a collaborative and high-performing culture.

Key responsibilities 

• Coordinate, review and update Kennedys' Net Zero Action Plan in line with the wider Kennedys global strategy, tracking progress against commitments and delivering initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve data quality and support achievement of the firm's science-based carbon reduction targets. Provide effective secretariat support to the governance groups, including preparing papers, reporting progress, recording decisions and following up agreed actions. 
• Accurately report on the firm's environmental performance through carbon accounting and emissions reporting, continually improving the quantity and quality of carbon data received and maintaining a clear, auditable evidence trail. 
• Lead the delivery of the firm's mandatory and voluntary environmental reporting requirements, including SECR, ESOS, the Carbon Reduction Plan, climate scenario analysis, EcoVadis, the UN Global Compact Communication on Progress and other climate-related disclosures. Take ownership of agreed reporting outputs and deadlines, ensuring accurate data collection, stakeholder engagement, appropriate review and compliance with evolving reporting standards. 
• Oversee the systems and processes used to collect, validate and analyse environmental data, supporting accurate carbon accounting, reporting and target tracking, with clear documentation of data sources, methodologies, controls and approvals. 
• Stay up to date with environmental legislation and regulation and share relevant updates with internal stakeholders when appropriate. 
• Support client-facing teams in providing information about our environment programme when requested by clients. 
• Review and update environmental policies, management systems and operational processes, identifying opportunities to improve sustainability performance, strengthen governance and support the delivery of the firm's Net Zero objectives.  
• Coordinate and support the Climate Champion Network and Environment Partner Sponsors, and lead global sustainability initiatives, communications campaigns and employee engagement activities. Empower local sustainability advocates to implement initiatives, promote environmental best practice and build engagement with the firm's Net Zero ambitions. 
• Build strong relationships and credibility with global stakeholders in procurement, operations, finance and risk. Work particularly closely with procurement to embed environmental considerations into supplier sourcing and selection, improve the collection and quality of supplier emissions data, and ensure clear accountability for agreed actions. 
• Manage and nurture relationships with key external sustainability partners, advisers, consultants, industry bodies and working groups. Manage external support where engaged, ensuring clear deliverables, effective collaboration and appropriate use of external expertise to advance the firm's environmental objectives. 
• Act as an ambassador and representative for the firm at external events and client forums. 

Required experience 

• Experience delivering sustainability or environmental initiatives, preferably within a professional services or corporate environment. 
• Experience managing environmental reporting and disclosure requirements, including Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions accounting, sustainability metrics and performance reporting. 
• Demonstrable experience of delivering one or more environmental reporting or disclosure requirements, such as SECR, ESOS, climate scenario analysis, EcoVadis or comparable sustainability reporting frameworks. 
• Knowledge of environmental legislation, reporting frameworks and emerging sustainability regulations, with the ability to translate requirements into practical business actions. 
• Strong analytical skills, including experience of working with large datasets, identifying trends and producing accurate reports and management information. 
• Experience supporting carbon reduction strategies, Net Zero programmes or the delivery against Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments. 
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver against competing deadlines. 
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with a proven ability to turn stakeholder discussions into clear, agreed actions and measurable delivery across business functions and with senior leadership. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, deliver presentations and communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences. 
• Experience developing policies, processes or management systems to support continuous improvement and regulatory compliance. 
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism. 
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, PowerPoint and data analysis tools, with an interest in how technology and AI can support sustainability and business performance. 

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys. 

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 3,000 people in 45 offices across 18 countries around the world we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive, distinctive and ambitious. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles.  A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work.  We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority.  We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work.  Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.