Environmental Lead

The Environment Lead plays a pivotal role in shaping, delivering, and embedding the Group’s Environmental future strategy. A central focus of the role is leading the Group’s Net Zero Strategy, with particular emphasis on Scope 3 emissions—supporting customers to decarbonise their homes or businesses and reduce their environmental impact.

As a key member of the Sustainability Leadership Team, the role holder will work closely with the Head of Sustainability to drive forward a credible, ambitious strategy and influence senior stakeholders across the organisation.

The role requires a strong balance of technical expertise and the ability to translate complex environmental challenges into clear, actionable plans for executive audiences.

The role holder will collaborate closely with teams including the Chief Commercial Office and Investor Relations to position the organisation as a credible and attractive player in the market, showcasing its environmental credentials while ensuring robust governance and protection from greenwashing risks.

This role also leads the development of emissions measurement and reporting, ensuring best practice in GHG accounting, and driving forward key initiatives across nature and wider environmental priorities.

Why join the team:

With increasing expectations on the sector, this is an opportunity to accelerate progress and help close the gap. Working for a leading Ethical mutual in a values-led mutual with strong growth ambitions, where purpose and customer impact are central. The role offers the chance to build an ambitious Net Zero strategy and drive the decarbonisation of a large mortgage portfolio and business banking book—creating real, measurable change at scale.

Location: We operate on a team-led hybrid approach with at least 1 day a week in the Coventry office

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience in developing and delivering environmental and Net Zero strategies within financial services, ideally with exposure to banking or mortgage-led organisations.

For this role you’ll need to have:

• Experience delivering Environmental and Net Zero strategies in financial services
• Strong knowledge of climate science and real estate decarbonisation
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive change
• Experience building capability and managing third parties
• Strong analytical skills with a focus on data and continuous improvement
• Able to manage competing priorities while maintaining governance standards

Experience in these areas would be helpful:

• Exposure to Scope 3 emissions strategy, particularly customer/home decarbonisation
• Experience representing an organisation externally (industry forums, working groups, thought leadership)

In 2025, Coventry Building Society purchased The Co-operative Bank. Bringing together our purpose-led building society with the UK’s original ethical bank was the start of an exciting journey.

Trusted by over four million people, we’re a mutually owned business free from shareholders, and with our combined experience of almost 300 years, our ethics and dedication will continue to guide us. Together, we have shared values and an ethical approach towards our members, customers and colleagues.

We’re officially recognised as a ‘Great Place to Work’ and our benefits go beyond basic pay, with a discretionary bonus scheme, a culture of reward and recognition and comprehensive support for wellbeing.

We’re serious about equality, of race, age, faith, disability, and sexual orientation and we celebrate diversity. By working together, we know you’ll build more than just a career with us.

Flexibility and why it matters

We understand the need for flexibility, so wherever possible, we’ll consider alternative working patterns. Have a chat with us before you apply to see what the possibilities are for this role.

Proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer

We’re proud to offer an interview or assessment to every disabled applicant who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies. As part of the application process, disabled applicants can opt in for the Disability Confident Interview Scheme. If there are ever occasions where it is not practicable to interview all candidates that meet the essential criteria, such as when we receive a high number of applications, we commit to interviewing disabled candidates who best meet the minimum essential and desirable criteria.

Feedback

We are currently receiving a high number of applications for our roles and, while we review each one carefully against the advertised criteria, unfortunately we're unable to provide individual feedback. We will contact shortlisted candidates directly.