Sustainability Project Manager

Role Responsibility

As Sustainability Project Manager, you will work with a small but dynamic team to support the delivery of the Selfridges’ Project Earth strategy, our commitment to reinventing retail for a sustainable future. Project Earth represents a bold ambition to ‘change the way we shop’ and we are in the unique position to be able to offer and explore many solutions and models under one roof. We believe in doing the serious job of addressing the climate emergency in this new context, with the typical Selfridges optimism to make our customers worlds brighter. This is positive, solution-led environmentalism.

Our vision is to reinvent retail and our purpose is to imagine and create a sustainable future. You will help shape and deliver our sustainability plan for our customers and team through Project Earth, our commitment to ‘change the way we shop’ through the development of new retail models, materials and mindsets.  And; through ‘changing the way we do business’, as we take the next step on our journey towards net zero by 2050 at the latest.

As Sustainability Project Manager you will:

• Supported by the Head of Sustainability and in collaboration with the team and our stakeholders, shape and execute the implementation plan to support the long-term Project Earth sustainability strategy
• Support Head of Sustainability/ Executive Director Communications to advise the business leadership team on the setting and delivery of short/medium/long term targets
• Oversee successful delivery of monthly working group meetings to support strategy implementation
• Day to day manager of the central sustainability budget and support others to budget for sustainability as required; attend monthly finance meetings
• Programme management team lead - oversight of all sustainability project streams to ensure connection to sustainability strategy and promote continuous improvement, capturing learnings within and across projects. Keep Head of Sustainability fully briefed. Work closely with other members of the Sustainability Team, B&M Creative Projects teams, among others
• Resource manager for team – point of contact for internal/external stakeholder requests, identifying where there is doubling up on capacity, managing overlap of expertise and how to effectively use resources
• Duties will include chairing programme steering meetings and relevant cross-functional working groups as appropriate, issuing agendas and tracking actions, ensuring regular communications with key internal stakeholders
• Support the Sustainability Steering Committee to deliver in line with its Terms of Reference by developing agendas, issuing minutes and actions, owning trackers, updating sustainability team
• Manage relationships with Finance, Legal, Internal Audit/Risk and People teams to ensure alignment and robustness of approach and implementation
• Work with Sustainability Managers and internal stakeholders, to develop and maintain a dashboard which monitors key sustainability metrics and initiatives based on robust input data; reporting monthly to Selfridges and Selfridges Group
• Represent Selfridges at Selfridges Group monthly meetings and conferences as required
• Provide monthly reports to Selfridges Group against the dashboard template and additional status reports as required
• Develop and embed a robust governance and monitoring mechanisms; working closely with members of the sustainability team to implement approach
• Monthly reporting contributions to risk committee and attendance at risk management meetings as required
• Provide weekly reports to the Head of Sustainability and provide timely and robust ad hoc support and council to the Head of Sustainability and Executive Director, Communications, as needed
• Support a matrixed reporting structure to ensure regular communication on progress between all Managers in the team

The Ideal Candidate

• Highly organised, you will have experience in programme and change management, including strong planning, influencing and negotiation skills
• A people person, both proactive and collaborative, with the ability to build strong working relationships with multiple stakeholders internally and externally
• Able to thoughtfully and constructively challenge the people you work with
• Experienced with a minimum of 5 years within corporate sustainability. Some experience of working within the retail or fashion industry is desirable
• A self-starter/independent worker with a great deal of persistence
• A strategic thinker, you will have a broad understanding of key sustainability areas, and have delivered sustainability initiatives with demonstrable outcomes
• As pro-active individual, you will also be numerate and analytical, strong on MS programmes and have outstanding presentation skills
• Highly motivated with a personal passion for sustainability
• An example of our values, a trusted and respected colleague

This guide represents a summary of the role, however all team members are expected to be flexible in the work they undertake, which may change from time to time, according to the needs of the business​

About the Company

Our Creative Spirit 

We are more than a shop. We are a social space where culture and commerce collide to release an energy that we call the Selfridges spirit. We are here to make our world brighter, and everyone is welcome. 

Our Awards Cabinet 

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign.  

Our Future 

Since 1909 we have been at the forefront of retail and today our stores in London, Manchester and Birmingham – alongside selfridges.com and the Selfridges App – continue to redefine the way we shop and socialise. As a Selfridges team member, you will learn what it takes to consistently drive innovation, success and amazing customer experiences. 

Everyone is welcome

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive working culture, and we see this as key to our success and our working culture. Here at Selfridges, everyone is welcome - irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age or disability, we stand by equal opportunities for all. We are diverse, we are inclusive, we are Selfridges.

The Fun Stuff  

There are lots of reasons to be excited about joining Team Selfridges – from our fantastic team member communities to volunteer days and behind-the-scenes Selfridges experiences throughout the year. 

Other benefits and rewards include:

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme 
• Discounted gym memberships 
• Pension contributions  
• Annual travel pass and cycle to work schemes 
• A volunteer day for all team members 
• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development

Selfridges