Welcome letter from Sue Riddlestone OBE
Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Associate Director at Bioregional.
I co-founded Bioregional in 1994, and we’ve been blazing a trail for innovation in sustainability ever since.
It is my great privilege to lead a small but passionate team of experts dedicated to helping businesses and communities to thrive within a net-zero and sustainable world.
This challenge has never been more important, or more urgent, and so we are embarking on a new growth strategy to scale up our impact.
In 2022 we moved our head office to Sustainable Ventures – a sustainable coworking space and ‘ecosystem’ of likeminded organisations – near Waterloo, in Central London.
As our Associate Director, you will be a crucial part of our Sustainable Business team projects, working with organisations to develop and implement their sustainability strategies and being a trusted reporting partner.
I am proud of the culture that we’ve developed over the years at Bioregional. We are professional, honest, and always true to our values. And we pride ourselves on being a fantastic place for colleagues to develop their skills and career, whether they are a recent graduate or a seasoned professional.
If you feel you have the skills and experience we’re looking for, and you share our passion for securing a livable future, then we would be delighted to hear from you. If you have any questions about the role, or the process, please email recruitment@bioregional.com.
You may also download the job description as a PDF here.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Sue Riddlestone OBE, CEO and Co-founder
About Bioregional
Purpose-led sustainability consultancy
Bioregional is one of the UK’s oldest sustainability consultancies. Founded in 1994, we have been winning awards and working with partners to create cutting-edge sustainability solutions for 30 years.
As a purpose-led organisation, our mission is to help businesses and communities to respond to the climate and ecological emergency, and to create a world in which we can live happy and healthy lives within the limits of our planet’s resources.
We focus on real-world impact, acting as a ‘critical friend’ to our clients and challenging them to innovate at the boundaries of best practice. We have built our expertise, knowledge, and reputation by collaborating with leading industry players, from leading multinational retailers to housebuilders, real estate investors, pension funds, and local authorities.
We are a social enterprise, not a faceless corporate consultancy that’s motivated by profit. We have no partners or shareholders, so every penny we make funds practical projects and educational resources that enable people to live more sustainably, or is used to share our expertise with industry stakeholders and policymakers to drive systemic change.
We are the creators of the One Planet Living framework, which provides a vision and a toolkit for creating healthy and happy lifestyles within the limits of our one planet, and which we make free to use by everyone. These principles have guided the development of exemplar projects across the world – in the UK these include BedZED (shown here), the UK's first large-scale eco-village, the sustainability strategy for London’s bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the UK's first eco-town, Elmsbrook, in Oxfordshire.
Impact
- Last year, our Sustainable Business team supported 33 organisations to develop and deliver their sustainability strategies, sustainable product guidelines, carbon footprinting, and net-zero roadmaps. These businesses collectively employ over 290,000 people, with a total turnover of over £23bn.
- Our Sustainable Places team worked with 13 developers and housebuilders on sustainability strategies for housing-led, mixed-use development. Collectively these could deliver over 5,000 sustainable homes, as well as over 100,000m2 of sustainable commercial or community space.
- We also supported 10 local authorities in their planning and policy work. Over the next decade, our work will help deliver approximately 9,000 sustainable homes per year as part of local authority growth plans.
- We make our One Planet Living framework available to use free of charge by communities, local authorities, businesses, and housebuilders around the world. Today, 1.4 million people across 22 countries and six continents are helped to live, work, or enjoy their leisure time more sustainably because of the One Planet Living framework.
- There are hundreds of One Planet Living projects around the world, and the very best achieve the status of Leader or Global Leader, representing a gold standard in sustainable placemaking. There are now 32 One Planet Living Leaders and Global Leaders.
- Read our full Impact review here.
Background photograph: Les Villages Nature Paris - a One Planet Living Leader.
Awards
Bioregional has won numerous awards over the last 30 years for our work with partners to create innovative and practical solutions for sustainable living.
Recent highlights include:
- UK Green Business Awards 2024: Winner - Consultancy of the Year
- Property Week Edge Awards 2024: Winner - ESG Icon Award
- edie awards 2024 - finalist: Consultancy of the Year
- edie awards 2024 - finalist: Net-zero innovation of the year
- RESI Awards 2023: Professional Team of the Year - winner
- Sustainability Consulting Awards 2023: Transformational Partnership SME Award - winner
- Unlock Net Zero Awards 2023 – finalist
- UK Green Business Awards 2023 – finalist
- Housing Digital innovation awards 2023 – finalist
- Inside Housing Development Awards 2022 - finalist
Our culture
At Bioregional, you will join a team of sustainability experts who are dedicated to creating real impact that helps create a more sustainable world. We are entrepreneurial and professional, always delivering the highest standards of work and giving colleagues the freedom to innovate. And we treat everyone with respect, support our colleagues, and embrace diversity and inclusion to create an environment in which everyone can thrive.
Our values underpin everything we do:
- we focus on solutions
- we aim to inspire
- we are entrepreneurial
- we work with the mainstream
- we are absolutely environmental
Bioregional away days: often rainy. Always brilliant.
Sustainable offices and hybrid working
At Bioregional you can work flexibly from Sustainable Ventures in central London, Europe’s largest climate tech ecosystem, offering easy commuting options and a wealth of local amenities on London's South Bank. We also work from the Eco Business Centre – the UK’s first Passivhaus offices – in Bicester, Oxfordshire.
We offer flexible and hybrid working to help colleagues embrace the benefits of working from home, while ensuring we have enough time for face-to-face contact and collaboration. Most team members average two to three days-per-week in the office.
We're currently piloting a 9-day fortnight
We’re excited to have joined the UK’s second reduced working hours pilot – and we’re currently trialling a 9-day fortnight, with no loss of pay. Read the full story on our blog here.
The trial began on 4 November and runs until 2 May 2025. During this period, every other Friday will be a non-working day for our team.
We’re proud of our rich history of progressive ideas, forward-thinking attitudes and our proven track record of innovation – and we see this pilot as another step in that journey.
We’ve designed our own set of KPIs relevant for us, and the trial will be underpinned by data through collaboration with the research partners.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
We foster a supportive, inclusive workplace where people can be themselves and achieve great things. We are committed to improving diversity and inclusion within our organisation – and we actively encourage applications from people of a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. We want to grow our team with a wealth of diverse ideas, opinions and perspectives and want to hear from you if you believe you can contribute to this.
We also collaborate with others to support industry-wide D&I initiatives. We make sure that the events we organise or take part in are as diverse as possible. We promote careers in sustainability to young people, including through the Greater London Authority climate kickstart initiative, to encourage people from all backgrounds to join the profession.
Job profile
Purpose
Bioregional’s award-winning Sustainable Business team supports clients to develop innovative and practical solutions that enable them to transition to a net-zero carbon, nature positive and sustainable future.
The projects delivered by the team sit at the forefront of sustainability for businesses and organisations, we support our partners to understand their challenges and develop strategies and solutions that address them.
We are looking for an experienced commercial and highly personable Associate Director, to play a key role in leading our growing team of highly skilled and technical sustainability professionals. The varied role combines client-facing project delivery and business development, as well as team management and staff development.
Scope
You will manage between five and seven strategic client relationships, taking responsibility for the delivery of high-quality outputs in the areas of:
- Creating and implementing sustainability strategies and action plans,
- Sustainability monitoring and reporting including GHG accounting,
- Oversight of corporate sustainability reporting.
This role will directly supervise the delivery of colleagues’ work across a varied portfolio of projects, ranging from retail, food and beverage to commercial property. You will inspire our ambitious junior consultants, helping them to deliver high-quality outputs and to develop their skills and careers.
You will also contribute to Bioregional’s growth and impact by developing relationships with new clients, helping to win new projects and develop our service offering in line with the strategic objectives of the team and aligned to Bioregional’s purpose, to enable One Planet Living.
The role will involve occasional UK-based travel.
Seniority
You will work as a senior team member and project director across our Sustainable Business team. You will work closely with, and be line managed by, the Director of Sustainable Business, and will occasionally be required to deputise for them; ultimately, you will be a direct line manager of two to three members of staff.
Skills and attributes
As a senior point of contact for high-profile clients you will be professional, friendly, and able to think on your feet. You will possess good presentation and communication skills and have a proven track record of building and managing stakeholder relationships, with a minimum of five to seven years working in a consultancy in a relevant sustainability field.
You will have the ability to undertake and oversee complex research and technical deliverables, being numerate, analytical, and organised.
As a team leader, you will be able to generate ideas, inspire and develop colleagues, guide the operational delivery of the team, and oversee the production of high-quality work. You will work closely with the Director of Sustainable Business, the Technical Lead, and the Business Development Lead to shape and drive the Sustainable Business Team’s strategy forward and make key decisions on the department’s direction and operations.
You will have a strong belief in the urgent need for transformative solutions to the climate and ecological emergency and be committed to creating and implementing these solutions through your professional work.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project delivery: 40%
- Act as project director across seven to nine projects at any one time, which entails overseeing and supporting on quality assurance, budgeting, client relationships, team resourcing, and performance. Ensuring efficiencies and quality across projects, end to end.
- Oversee the management of key relationships with clients and partners, anticipate potential problems and set out mitigation strategies early.
Business development: 30%
- Work with the Director of Sustainable Business and Business Development Lead on a regular basis to identify and pursue strategic partnerships in key impact areas and deliver the business development strategy.
- Create and maintain relationships with a professional network of current and prospective clients.
- Oversee the delivery of proposals/bids within tight response timeframes, with responsibility for content, costings and methodology.
- Maintain strong client relationships with around five to seven key clients, ensuring services meet their needs, and identifying future project and collaboration opportunities.
- Represent Bioregional at events and deliver thought-leadership materials for external audiences.
Team and line management: 20%
- Line management of two or three staff members.
Accountable to and supported by the Director of Sustainable Business for:
- Resource management - Ensuring the delivery team is motivated, productive, and appropriately allocated to work streams according to capacity, skill base and experience, and receiving sufficient support from project and line managers, and the organisation more widely.
- Performance management - Provide senior support to line managers on matters of performance of individual members of staff and supporting on addressing performance issues when necessary.
- Financial management – Responsible for overseeing and reviewing departmental profit and loss on a monthly basis, including project profitability and holding individual PMs to account and providing support where required.
Personal and professional development (11 FTE training days): 5%
- Undertake appropriate CPD to maintain knowledge and skills,
- Attend internal seminars, including those on Bioregional projects and those with invited speakers.
- Contribute to developing organisation skills, including staff management and team working.
- Keep up to speed on the latest trends in sustainability and market trends.
Organisation administration: 5%
- Maintain a half-hourly timesheet each month.
- Keep up to date with Bioregional policy and communications.
- Take part in team activities.
Skills and experience
We acknowledge that no one will ever meet all the requirements for a role, so if you think this role is right for you then we would love to hear from you regardless of whether you meet all the criteria below:
1. Skills and abilities
Desired:
- Proven project and programme management skills and experience.
- Strong team management skills
- Commercial, with strong financial acumen.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines independently and as a team leader.
- Clear communicator – comfortable with presenting to senior audiences.
Pluses:
- Experience with CRM and/or digital Project Management Systems (e.g. CMAP).
2. Knowledge
Desired:
Understanding and experience of the corporate sustainability space, including the following areas:
- Sustainability strategies and reporting frameworks (CSRD, GRI, TCFD, ISSB, SASB etc.)
- Carbon accounting and net zero (GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, SBTi)
- Circular economy and products
Pluses:
Understanding and experience in some of the following:
- Strategies for increasing staff engagement on sustainability
- C-suite engagement and/or communicating the business case for sustainability to key decision makers
- The retail or asset management sectors.
4. Experience
Desired
- Ten-plus years of relevant professional or academic experience. With a minimum of 5 years working in sustainability
- Line management and team leadership experience.
- Experience of being accountable for a department/team’s financial performance.
- Evidence of successful business development.
- Delivering engaging workshops, webinars and/or events on sustainability topics.
Pluses:
- Evidence of improving efficiency, productivity and morale within a team setting.
- Experience working in a professional client facing advisory services setting.
Our benefits
At Bioregional you will create real-world impact in your day-to-day role, helping businesses and communities to transition to a net-zero, sustainable future. We also offer a range of other benefits to support our colleagues:
- Work-life balance: work is only one part of your life and making time for other things is important – be that your families, friends, or yourself. We are committed to giving you the flexibility to work at different locations and times, whether that be in the comfort of your own home or collaborating with colleagues in the office
- A commitment to diversity and inclusion: we foster a supportive, inclusive workplace where people can be themselves and achieve great things. We are committed to improving diversity and inclusion within the built environment and sustainability sectors – including our own organisation – and we actively encourage applications from people of a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.
- Health and wellbeing: health and wellbeing are fundamental to our ethos and our vision of a better world. We make sure we’re a great place to work through regular feedback with colleagues and run regular social activities – in person and online – to build and maintain our positive working culture. We are committed to supporting our team through a range of benefits, from our employee assistance programme to our cycle-to-work scheme.
- Professional development: we have a learning culture and help our people to enjoy rewarding careers where they will grow and develop their skills. We build and share our knowledge through regular staff seminars and offer 10 days of training and development time each year, a training budget for each employee, plus additional support for formal training and study. Bioregional’s training pathway means that colleagues always understand and have access to the training they need to progress their career – be they an Analyst or a Head of Department.
- An ethical employer: we live our values in everything we do. As well as working from sustainable office space alongside like-minded businesses, your benefits include a 6% employer’s ethical pension contribution and 25 days of annual leave, rising by one day for each year you work with us, for up to five years.
Photo: the bar at Sustainable Ventures, Waterloo. © Sustainable Ventures.
Testimonials
"I knew from my first day I had joined somewhere special. Bioregional is a place of immense warmth and creative problem-solving. I know that I can speak to any colleague, and I will always enjoy the conversation and friendliness."
"This small organisation really punches above its weight – the team is highly impactful, driving change across multiple sectors. Bioregional is highly collaborative and friendly, but driven and daring. Working here will guarantee an endless variety of exciting challenges, a supportive and passionate set of colleagues and the opportunity to be at the forefront of tackling the climate and ecological crisis."
"Bioregional really gives you the building blocks. It’s up to you to use your initiative, but we will always support you. We have a flat hierarchy so if junior staff members have ideas or suggestions, they will always be listened to, supported, and actively encouraged."
"Bioregional has a fantastic culture and is made up of truly talented people with a can-do attitude. I really value partnership working and helping clients to create impact, and have been lucky enough to lead a wide variety of projects and develop deep relationships with businesses."
How to apply
Please apply by submitting a CV and cover letter, describing why you want the job and what you would bring to the role, to recruitment@bioregional.com
You may also download the job description as a PDF here.
If you think this role is right for you then we would love to hear from you, even if you think you don’t meet all the requirements set out above.
We want to grow our team with a wealth of diverse ideas, opinions and perspectives and want to hear from you if you believe you can contribute to this.
Deadline: 9am 24 February 2025. We encourage you to apply for this role as soon as possible, as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive enough applications.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Image below: BedZED eco-village at sunset
Credits:
Created with images by FiledIMAGE - "Mount Buller Walking Trails in Summer" • THINK b - "solar power station on factory rooftop" • Creative Valley - "Blurred Background in a Bustling Restaurant " • SITTAKAN - "Ethical fashion pop-up shop in an urban setting, sustainable retail, green fashion event" • Roxana - "Misty landscape with fir forest in hipster vintage retro style" • DC Studio - "Back view of manager woman analysing financial statistics holding laptop standing in start-up business office late at night overworking. Tired focused employee using modern technology network wireless"